The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-02-19
SMITH DEFENDS THE FARMER,
Says Latter Must Raise Prices to
Meet Higher Cost of Manufactured
Articles.

Washington, Feb. 15.---In speaking
OF the high cost Of living. Senator E.
ID. Smith. OF South Carolina, made
the following statement:
I'm the impending investigation
by a Republican administration Of
the high cost of living, that is. the
high cost Of what we eat. understands; |;
not what we wear or build houses
with and furnish them with, and
the tools we till the ground with, but
what goes In to make the full pail
and supply the tables of the people
OF America. a little clear thinking
may save US lot Of expense and do
us a lot Of good.
THE wheat grower, the cotton
grower. the cattle and poultry raisers
the truck grower. through the
wonderfully perfected means Of COM
munication: the free rural delivery,
carrying cheap periodicals and the
daily papers. have at least come to
realisation OF the burden that they
have been bearing and the cruel
discrimination against them that has
been practiced on them by the
Government and by corporate and
entrenched power. They are getting
more today for their products than
ever before. and who shall say that
they are not entitled to 1t. when the
prices Of all that they have to buy
has advanced so enormously? How
are they to meet the demands Of any
thing like decent life If they do not
raise the price of what they have to
sell?
1T Ii not that there Is less wheat,
less eggs. poultry butter. truck. but
because there Is more brain and in
telligence: q clear undertaking of
the frightful discrimination. inequali-
ties and injustices Spracticed upon
him. He Is simply demanding for
what he sells price sufficient to
justify him in purchasing what the
manufacturer has to sell.
1T Is being charged, and was
charged during the late tariff dis
cussion. that the middlemah-the re-
tail merchant-was the sinner. The
retail merchant today is but tax
collector, on q small commission. for
the tariff-project trusts and combines
Of this country. And II he does buy
comparatively cheap food supplies
from farmer and trucker and puts q
comparatively large profit on them,
he is but doing what is openly and
boastfully done by his more fortunate
and Government protected masters.
They why should he or the ia ner
be investigated?
The last and highest evolution Of
glorious protection, and its tariff
legislation In 1909, declared that the
Government Of the United States
stands for and pledges itself to guar
antee q profit to the manufacturer.
That not only shall the prices Of
American manufactured articles be
protected to cover the difference in
the cost Of production here and
abroad, which cost includes the
wage OF labor. cost Of raw material,
freight to point Of manufactory, freight
from countries capable of competi-
tion. but over and above all this a
profit to the manufacturer. This
from the Government.
Nov when the raiser Of wheat,
cotton, meat. eggs. poultry. butter,
fruit, and vegetables raise the price
OF these articles to something like a
parity to prices of manufactured
articles. which prices are guaranteed
and encouraged by national legislat-
lon. there Is a hue and a cry by the
same Government that raises the
price OF one by it's legislation, that
the price Of the other Is a conspiracy
to oppress and must be put down.
High wheat, high cotton. high
eggs, butter. poultry. lard. beef pork
and vegetables have come to stay, so
long as the producers Of these arti-
cles have to pay tariff prices on man
ufactured articles.
$50 long as the high cost pertained
to manufactured articles alone, ac-
cording to the apostles of protection It
was an evidence of progress and pros
perity, but when 1t includes, as 1t
does now, the farm products as well,
doubling the burden on those who
did not see 1t and feel 1t In its direct
ness before, those who are guilty of
raising the prices Of food supplies
become conspirators, warranting an
investigation on the part Of that Just