Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-05
FARMING MENACED

HYEN citizens who conceded there
NJ was at one time in the history of
- the United States some occasion
and some excuse for protecting Amer
lean industries in order they might
be fostered and the governments debts
paid by the tariff must admit that cir
cumstances alter cases, and so en-
tirely have conditions, especially social
conditions, in the United States been
changed since the first high tariff was
clapped on, while the tariffites shouted
this is not taxation, but protection" /"
that to bring forth the old arguments
and apply them to new conditions is as
absurd as it would be to take a brand
new suit of clothes, rip a hole in it
and mend it with an old rag.
Prof. Hart says: 1.-THE poorest dav
laborer has greater stake in good
government than the man of wealth
who can protect himself, and the poor
man, through his rents and indirect
taxation, pays MORE IN PROPOR-
TION TO HIS INCOME for the sup
port of government than the other
classes of society"
Nearly al the arguments of high
tariff spellbinders were founded on the
assumption highly protected industries
would protect the community which
cherished them and would protect
especially the wage Garner within their
gates. Events in Pennsylvania have
rudely dispelled this illusion. Protected
industries in that state led to the
creation of conditions which disgrace
our American civilization. The Pitts
burg Survey has shown conclusively
that Pittsburg's protective Timour
Mammon grins on a pile of children's
bones, and effectively and effectually
has dispelled the illusion there is either
philanthropy" or a "philanthropist"
in Pennsylvania.
Recently James J. Hill said the peo-
pie Of America are fastening toward
national poverty. Evidently 'protec-
ton" does not produce the greatest
good for the greatest number of citi-
zens, or it would not be possible for Mr..
Hill or any other observer to make the
accusation widespread poverty is its
result.
But can anybody doubt the truth of
the assertion? We all remember we'll
the stock phrases of the high protec-
zionist, "a full dinner pail" "A cheap
coat makes a cheap man." and such
like claptrap and ,poppycock.
Mr.. Hill explains that owing to the
deterioration in farm lands and to the
Encouragement of the national indus
try of farming-a Encouragement
directly and accurately traceable to the
effects of high tariff and specially pro-
tected Il. E., especially favored and
privileged) industries, the farming in
dustry of the United States is in fair
way Of following the shipping industry
Mr.. Hill says the increased cost of
living throughout the United States,
which is a tariff consequence and IS
decidedly NOT evened up by increase
in wages or earnings, has produced a
crisis, which is being hastened to an
acute stage by legislative stimulation
in favor of other industries"
Stimulation in favor of" is a COM
mon sense modern paraphrase of the
spellbinder's murky, grub-bucket mock
heroics. The tariff and the trusts are
running the farming industry, even as
they ruined the shipbuilding industry;
and already in New York state 10000
farms are for sale and the national
wheat product is falling, falling, falling,
until now, per acre, it is less than half
that of CermanV or ENGLAND