Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1910-07-14
FARMERS WAKING Up
Discover That Tariff Is No Rene-
fit to Them
TAX UNJUST AND UNFAIR

LET Us Have a Union of All Thos:
Opposed to the Monopoly Tariff ts
Overthrow IT," Says Master of Wash
ington State Grange.
What is there farmer sells which
he gets more for and what is there q
farmer buys which he gets for less or
account of a high protective tariff?
This question. which was put to al
audience of farmers at an Indiana po
litical meeting some years ago. adj
mits of but one answer-not a single
commodity The farmer himself is re-
alizing. after mature reflection and ex.
perience. that the tariff on wheat. oats
cattle and other farm products does
not benefit him. although it may bene
fit the middlemen who speculate in
those products. We exported last year
114,O0O,000 bushels of wheat and only
imported less than half million bush
els. Are the farmers. then. in danger
Of having foreign wheat dumped on
our shores if the tariff is taken off
Some few doubtless may harbor such
a delusion. For instance, Mr.. Power
Of North Dakota in his evidence be-
fore the senate investigation commit
tee on high prices shows that he needs
some little enlightenment on the point.
The following dialogue took place:
Senator Clarke-lsn't the price of
wheat-the world price-fXed by the
markets of the world?
IL, lnl,o
that has puzzled me some.
Senator Clarke-Why has it puzzled
you? 1t hasn't puzzled anybody else.
Why would the people Of Canada. for
instance. export any wheat into North
Dakota If there was five cent pre-
MUM on it per bushel?
Mr. Power--I don't know.
Senator Clarke-Do you know to
whom they would sell it after they got
it there?
Mr. power-I do not.
The fact is that the Aldriches,
Paynes and Lodges are secretly smil-
ing at the simplicity Of those farmers
who are wrapped up in the comforta-
bic belief that they enjoy protection
under the tariff.
All the farmers. however. are not so
easily hoodwinked rs this witness was
or assumed to be. The national grange
at its last session passed the following
resolution
THAT the so called revision Of the
tariff as enacted at the special session
of congress was in no sense along the
line outlined by the grange. nor was it
in conformity with the promises of the
dominant party. and we. the national
grange. representing the 35,OO0O0O
farmer population Of the United
States. denounce and condemn the tar
iff laws as enacted as unjust and I'M
fair to the farmers of the United
States. and we respectfully and vigor-
Ously urge such amendments be made
thereto as will be just and equitable to
the producing classes Of this country
which industry underlies and s,lstuins
all Of the Industrial. transportation
and commercial interest of the grand
est and most glorious country the
world has ever known"
The master of the Washington state
grange. Mr.. c. Il. Kegley. in his ad-
dress to the officers and members Of
his organization at the twenty-frst an
nual session Il couple of weeks ago
strongly indorses this view. He says:
I'm Il recent speech in congress n
prominent New England manufac-
turer. who was recently elected to con.
gress on the tariff issue by an over
whelming majority. characterized the
recent tariff revision as Il deliberate
bunko game from start to finish and
demanded an extra session of congress
to revise the tariff. most heartily
approve this and would suggest that
resolutions be passed by you demand
ing an extra session for the revision
Of the tariff along grange lines. Fur
thermore, instead of waiting for a tar
itf commission to be appointed by the
government to make recommendations
to the president or allowing congress
to waste the time Of special session
In which the same bunko game might
be played. l would suggest that the
best thing to do would be for the farm
ers. independent manufacturers and
labor organizations, as representing
the producing and wage earning class.
to organize commission of their own
and determine on the changes In the
tariff which they shall demand abso.
lutely. This is the line on which l
should like to see the matter fought
out. and l would like to see the Wash
ington state grange at least on record
as ready to cooperate in this matter
on these broad lines. In union is
strength Let us have union of all
those opposed to the monopoly tariff
to overthrow it,"