Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1907-01-25
The Unprotected Farmer


me revised figures OF the Agricul-
tural Department of the total crop of
winter and Spring wheat and it's farm
value December have Just been issued.
lhese figures show that the price Of
winter wheat was 81 cents bushel
ana the price of Spring wheat was so
ceH's' The average farm price of
spring wheat is lower than the farm
price OF Winter wheat because the
crop is raised further from ports of ex-
port cost more. Farmers whose chief
romance Is ON their wheat crop should
'ake notice that the bogus tariff protec.
'ioh OF 70 cents bushel that the Re-
puoilcans have fooled them with for
the past ten years since the passage of
the Dingley bill in 1897, has entirely
iaiied to force up the price of wheat,
10 the same average increased price Of
commodities. Nor have the growers
Vi corn or oats and other cereals par
llcipated In the advance in prices,
'hough the producers of all these farm
prooucts are slammed by the Republi-
cans to be protected by the tariff. IT.
would &c just as sensible to pretend to
protect the cotton grower, two-thirds
OF whose products are exported, so cot
ton Is on the free list.
Bradstreet,s index figures for Dec. l.
1906 show that the average increase in
the price of all commodities since 1896
is 90 per cent, but the farm price of
wheat is nine cents a bushel lever now
than II was in 1896, according to the
ngures reported by the Agricultural
department, published in the United
states Statistical Abstract for 1905 on
page SIG. AS the price of farm land
and the increased cost of living and
LABOR On the farm, as in the cities.
must make the cost of raising wheat,
corn, oats and other cereals approsch
90 per cent more than in 1896, the
farmer who raised those products is
evidently not protected by the tariff
as the producers of other products are
for while wheat is now lower
In price, the average price of the pro-
duets of the tariff protected trusts is
much higher.
This low price Of wheat entirely de-
the chief claim of the stand |
patters that the trust protecting tariff |
also protects the farmer by giving him
a nome market at increased prices for
MS products. On those products of
the farm, such as milk, butter, eggs
ana vegetables that are not exported.
the increased demand caused by the
growth OF cities, chiefly caused by the
enormous immigration, has advanced
prices 10 par with other commodities,
sut what we produce surplus of must
DC exported and the price is fixed in
the markets of the world, according to
the supply and demand.
Inc wheat farmers have patiently
waited for relief from the plundering
OF the tariff protected trusts, but have
not received any alienation, and ale
still confronted with the determine
lion OF the Republican leaders to refuse
TO revise the tariff. In some Congress
sional districts, notably in Iowa and
Minnesota, many Republican farmers
refused to support the standpat candi-
dates and as the eyes of more are open
ed to the enormity of protecting COM
few special interests-the
trusts-at the expense of the much
greater number of farmers and in fact
all consumers there will be more indie.
pendent voting at future elections.