The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-12-06
POiiC0| Comment.


There is a double advantage 10 the
American farmer in the protective pol
ley. which it will not be difficult TO see
if the results of the application of the
protection principle in this country are
carefully noted. Not only has Ameri-
can labor been continuously employed
at remuneratiye wages. since the Ding
ley tariff law went into effect. thus
making it possible for him to purchase
the products of the farm, but the pro-
lection afforded to infant manufactur-
ing industries has enabled them 10
build and equip. with labor saving ma
chinery, the largest establishments or
the kind on earth. thus reducing the
cost of manufacturing those articles the
farmer needs in the tilling of his soil
until they can be sold at less price
than ever before. This double advan-
t3y.e means that the farmer receives the
highest possible prices for the product
-af his fields, by reason of the splendid
same time Is able to purchase his ma
chinery, wagons and buggies at lower
prices than he could during the days
before the application Of the protective
policy had worked such wonders in the
industrial world.
In view of these conditions. the ex-
istence of which none will deny. it is
passing strange that any intelligent
american farmer would think for a mo-
ment of returning to the dark days OF
q revenue tariff Mr. Bryan talks long
and eloquentiy of the evils of the pro-
tective policy, but mere eloquence can
count for but tile in the face of dem
onstrated facts The average farmer
has a distinc :. memory of the days
when Mr. Bryan's party was in power
In both branches of the government and
made an onslaught on the protective
tariff principle He remembers thai
what he had to sell went ut prices SC
low as to scarcely cover the cost OF
production, leaving no margin At prn1t
II is but natural for him TO rpsrt
those days with the days OF .osper
ity since then, and Ii would be very
foolish in him, with this comparison be
fore his eyes, to be led into so gigantic
mistake as to vote for free trade by
the simple el0quence Of musical voice
Mr.. Bryan, of course. like a majorit,
OF free trade orators. who are unable
to explain the marvellous prosperity OF
the country under the operations of thu
Dingley law, engages in bitter invectiy'
against the trusts. declaring that thu
tariff is the mother of these. This cor
of argument, however, will not deceive
the intelligent voter. In England. wher'
they have revenue tariff, just such ;
tariff as Mr. Bryan processes to want
they have practically as many trusts a
we have In tits country. the difference
if any there be. being in the fact tina
we have larger field for operations
more varied Industries, and. hence
more opportunities for those trusts am
combinations. against which there ha
been the largest number of objections
are those dealing In commodities Of
which there Is no tariff whatever. MI
Bryan's argument is therefore knocke
into smithereens in the first round, an
some other method of throwing san
into the eyes of the American vote
will have to be adopted. The America
farmer. of all others. knows when he
well OF and proposes to hold on to tn
double advantage he enjoys in a pre-
tective tariff.-St. Joseph (Mo-) Gs
zette