Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-09-07
How Would Farmers Like II?

Congressman Swasey's home town the
following points were made regarding
circular being distributed by the
Democrats for the purpose of catching
| workmen's votes: .
That the circular points to the days
of 1896 when it claims beans were re-
tailed at cents per quart, pork at 5
| cents, eggs at Is cents and claims
| that the tariff is responsible for the
high prices of today; that the purpose
of the Democrats is to restore these
low prices for what the farmer pro-
duces. and the farmer was asked how
| he would like to help the Democrats
put that list of prices in force again.
Removing the tariff, or giving
| reciprocity with Canada, whatever the
| change might mean for the coal
regions of Ohio. would permit the
Province of Quebec, which produces
exactly the same farm products as
| Maine, to ship those products into
Maine: and since Montreal. the depot
of the farming section of Canada ad-
joining northwestern Maine, is nearer
to Portland and Boston. the great
markets of the Maine farmers, than all
the great farming region of Maine
northeast of Bangor. and has direct
rail connection with Portland and
Boston. it is evident that without this
tariff protection the farmers of Maine
would lose the markets of Portland
and Boston
Having lost those markets. or else
having had the prices of their farm
products reduced to the rates advo-
Gated by the Democrats in this circu-
lar. the purchasing power of the Maine
farmer would be reduced just as it
was in 1896. with the result that
these farmers could not buy the
products of our shoe factories. mills.
etc, and the artisans, to whom these
low prices are held out as a lure to
catch their votes. would find their
tories shut down, and they would be
without money with which to buy even
cheap things.
In the same circular alleged prices
are quoted claiming to show that the
tariff has practically doubled the
prices of fresh meats and raised lard
from cents per pound to II cents
per pound. ignoring the fact that the
present law leaves tariff of but 11a
cents per pound on fresh meats and
lard and that. therefore. if the price
on these goods is put more than L
cents above the foreign price. plus the
transportation charges. which are
nominal dealers can buy the foreign
meats and lard and sell them in this
market.
The fact is that the price of all
farm products. like meats and lard.
have gone up in Canada and England
to nearly the extent that they have
risen here, the difference being in the
labor cost of the several countries,
and that the tariff is merely high
enough to meet the needs set forth by
James Monroe when, in his third an
nual message, he urged upon Con-
gress the necessity of protecting our
products against unfair foreign COM
petition.
1t must be remembered that the
proposition of the Democrats is to ask
for special session of Congress. If
they can get control of the House. and
secure Canadian reciprocity-which
hits the farming and other principal
industries of Maine a crushing blow
Therefore Maine citizens cannot afford
to take the chance of permitting any
weakening of her protectors, but
should so increase the vote for her Re
publican Congressman as to give no
tice that she does not propose to have
her farmers, pulp workers, and other
artisans, against whom Canada would
compelled to accept lower
wages and lower prices in order to
give support to a party name.
The fact that the defeat of free pulp