The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1908-10-23
THE FARMER AND THE TARIFF

| The farmer feeds the world"
hence sells in the markets Of the
world; hence, no protective tariff
can help his prices In any degree.
But when any political party per
sists in keeping tariff on every
thing the farmer buys, including
his implements, that party does him
Il distinct injury in his business.
Indirect taxes are very difficult to
see, but they are there just the
same, and the worst of it is that
when you pay them under the Re-
publican tariff system they do not
go to the government, but into the
| pockets Of the protected manufac-
turcr. Here Is the evidence
CONFESSIONS or A TARIFF BENE-
FIClARI.
Mr.. +. II. Miles, chairman Of the
tariff committee of the National As.
sociation of Manufacturers, and
head of the Agricultural Implement
Trust, wrote an article which will
be found in the american Indus
tricsn Of November IL, 1907, paper
which is now supporting the Repuh-
lican ticket.
From that article these striking
statements are taken:
~ have made money every year
out Of the Tariff Graft. Not much,
but still . little.
"The Tariff barOns raised their
price $50, 600 to me. ! made a charge
against the jobber of 100000, and !
know that he charged more than
$40 900 for the S60,000 he paid me.
Before reaching the consumer the
$50 900 charge became about 100000
to he paid by the agricultural con
sumner.
"The manufacturer who would
prosper must make double profit,
one by the shrewd management Of
his business, and another by still
shrewder manipulation in Washing
ton.
"Wo have no great difficulty in
shipping abroad, for we could get as
high prices as at home. We are so
held up, however, by our supply
people that to most of us there Is
very scant profit in foreign bust
ness.
"When Congress gave us forty
five per cent, we needing only twenty
per cent, they gave us n congress
sional permit, IL not an invitation,
to consolidate, form one great trust,
and advance our prices twenty-five
per cent, being the difference be-
tween the twenty per cent needed
and the forty-five per cent given"
American Industries" IL pub
lished from ITO Broadway, NV
York. 1t has editorial Offices ut
West Bath street, New York.
"MAY BE REDUCED so PER CENT"
On August %, 1907, this same Mr..
f.. II. Miles, chairman of the tariff
committee of the National Associ-
alton of Manufacturers, wrote to
| senator FbIuhbI itttti III Wilith
Mr.. Miles said:
About forty per cent OF all the
members CT our association who
have by correspondence pronounc ed
for revision declare In their letters
that their own schedules MAY PROP
ERLY BE REDUCED FIFTY PER CENT
OR MORE WITHOUT HURT TO THEIR
RESPECTIVE INDUSTRIES OR TO THE
COUNTRY AT LARGE"
How exorbitant must be this pre-
cious tariff fostered by the Repub-
lican party when even forty per
cent OF its beneflciaries, frightened
by the rising tide of public senti-
ment, admit that their own sched-
ules may properly be reduced fifty
per cent or more without hurt to
their respective industries or to the
country at large"
II the common everyday expert
ence Of the users Of farm machinery
Ia not sufficient TO awaken Repub-
lican voters to the iniquity Of the
existing tariff system, surely the
confession In the letter referred to