The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1907-04-04
THE FARMERS LARGE SHARE.
Remarkable Rise In Value Of Agrieul
tural Products In Ten Years.

tural Products In Ten Years.
Believers in the policy Of protection
have long had to combat the absurd
but obstinate assumption that the
farmers Of the country are benefited
IN purely inconsequential way by
The imposition of tariffs on foreign
manufactures and produce. II Is sin.
gular that even to this day. in the
face of such conclusive proof 10 the
contrary, there should be found those
ready 10 take the Affirmative side of
this free trade proposition. made ride
ulQus as It has been by the history
of our own times. True, less Is hearc
OF 81 than In former years. but sc
long as prejudice aud ignorance en-.
dure its abandonment may not be
looked for.
\The department OF agriculture has
Recently thrown some light on the
level of prices obtaining under tariff
designed for revenue only" and o
genuinely protective tarin For the
purpose OF making comparison
which will be valuable for Illustrative
purposes. The Capital takes the fix
ures Just issued by the department
and puts them side by side with the
Orange Judd Farmer live stock cen.
sus of a decade ago The results are
startling. For instance:
January /. 1897 (under the Wilson.
German Democratic tarifi) the average
value OF horses in the United States
was 1885 per head. To-day II the
department of agriculture Is rightly
informed. that value Is 1881. Under
the Dlngley tariff the American horse
has more than doubled In value
Isn't this worth something 20 the
farmer, especially when Il Is consid
cred that there are nearly 20.0oo.00o
horses in the country. worth almost
two billions of dollars?
Secretary Wilson's boys say that
the value of the American mich COW
has increased during the past ten OF
II years so per cent. The average
heifer sold for $2l and So a head IN
der our last tarin tinkering expert
ment. Nov the average price Is s3l
per head aud the mich cows Of the
country are worth hundred millions
OF dollars more than those We had
during low tariff times. Does this In.
crease mean anything 10 the farmer,
or Is u a purely benevolent supposi.
toni
Again. In January. 1896. IN the very
going begging al si.60 head Now,
under a protective tariff which does
not benefit jhe farmer the average
price of sheep Is s3.St. Al least that
Is what the agricultural department
says. n anybody wants 10 quarrel
with the figures as Indicative Of too
great prosperity FOR the farmers Who
are being numerically robbed by the
tariff. let him go to headquarters.
The contrast in the price 81 hogE
FOR 1897 and 1907 makes mighty inter
esting reading for the tariff student.
too. January 1. 1897. the average
porker sold for Si13. Secretary VII.
son says that the average price ON
the first Of last January was S7.C2.
and Il Is higher to-day than & was
month and a half ago. In the pas,
ten YEARS the American hog has al
most doubled In value. The Increase
has come under protection and as a
direct result OF protection. u means
millions TO the farmer. 10 means col.
lege Quotations. pianos and furnaces
and twoseated Surveys and gasoline
engines and electric lights and hot
and cold water and bath rooms
every convenience and comfort and
luxury for the farmer and his family.
All this under the Dingley law. which
operates TO enrich the few and
makes the farmer pay tribute to the
monopOllst" BAH
The farmer who keeps his milk and
butter checks and his hog and steer
receipts Is not fooled. A ten-year
memory Is a good thing TO have about
the place. too.-Des MOlnes Capital.
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