Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-02-12
moderate prices and compete with
the farmer at his own game.

moderate prices and compete with
the farmer at his own game.
In closing his address, Senator
McCumber called the attention of the
people who have been talking boy
colt to the following cogeht facts:
want to give little note of warn
ing to those people who believe in
policy of protection, but want to deny
it to any particular class of the
American people. l have always ad-
mitted that so long as we are export
ing, so long as production in this
country is very much in excess of
consumption, we could get only par
tial benefits from protection of our
cereals and food products-that is,
partial direct benefit. We did get
great indirect benefits by the build
ing up and adding to the volume of
consumption of this country. But, as
was explained by the senator from
Texas, the other day, we still get pro-
lection within certain zones, govern
ed more or less by freight rates, and
so forth. We get higher prices for
our grain in North Dakota than are
received on the Canadian side; and
II have no doubts but that if we
would allow the free importation of
cattle, hogs, sheep, and other meat
producing animals it would, by in
creasing the supply of the live stock
in the country, decrease the price OF
that stock to some extent, but not
very much to the consumer. In
other words, the farmer might suffer
by it, but consumers gain very little.
Certainly anyone can easily under
stand that a cent and a half per
pound tariff does not explain 5 or
10 cents per pound excess of prices.
We have been entertained in the
press and in both houses of congress
with a great deal of philosophy con.
corning the drift of population from
the farm to the city, and We are
pleading with the young man to re-
main upon the farm, overlooking the
fact that the law of supply and de-
mand governs just as much in the
matter of the flow of population to-
ward any vocation as it does in any
line of business. Population will go
where it will find greatest profit.
The young man has been leaving the
farm because, with the expenditure
Of given amount of energy, he can
earn more, live better, and get more
enjoyment out of life in the city than
he can on the farm. There is no
business or profession in the coun-
try that has not heretofore opened
into an avenue of far greater posi-.
bilities than agriculture.
Men have become millionaires by
manufacturing toothpicks: men have
become millionaires by making
chewing gum; men have become mil
lionaires by mixing up few harm
less herbs with little poor whisky
and palming it off on the public as
a cure-all. This world is full Of men
who have become millionaires, and
multi-millionaires by producing
things that have been of no avail or
value whatever to the population of
this country; and yet history fails
to record a single case where any
man has become a millionaire by
farming the soil. 1t does show, how
ever, thousands who have become
multi-millionaires by farming him.
And yet we have wondered why the
young man was always
wanting to leave the farm. Today
you are asking him to return to the
farm. and while you are depicting
the beauty and independence of farm
life, you are threatening to boycott
the farm produce and threatening to
make life on the farm less profitable
Today there is greater demand for
the soil than ever before, because
there is growing belief that here
after farm life will be more profit
able. But you Immediately check
that tendency by attempting to strike
a blow at farm products.
The farmer has never boycotted
any article because of its high price.
He has not been ignorant of the fact
that in the commercial field he has
for years been compelled to trade
an article which cost him twice as
much in expended effort as has been
expended upon the article which he
receives for it. But he has been
HOplHS lHdt udy OF justice WOulQ
soon dawn. At last he catches the
glimpse of brighter hours to come.
He feels that the sun of his pros
perity is about to rise. He has not
heretofore organized, as has every
other industry in the country, for
his own defense. But If, by any act,
either legislative or boycotting, he
finds that he will not be treated
squarely, you will certainly hear
from him. He is able to organize his
forces into one of the most formid-
able bodies in this country. His
work in that direction is already un-
der way. BY your action in boycott
ting his product you will give re-
newed grounds for a strong agricul-
tural organization. When that has
been accomplished he will meet you
in the boycotting business, and when
the farmer is stirred up to the de-
Tense of his rights you will find him
the best boycotter on earth. He is
used to hardships, used to rigid econ
omy, and he has a decided advantage
over the rest of the world in that he
can get along without replenishing
his stock of what he purchases from
the world for an indefinite time