The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-01-28
Senator Smith Of South Caro-
lima Presents Forcib|e Ar
gunent On Subject
NO PROTECTION GIVEN
TO PRODUCTS OF FARM
Manufacturers Have Been Protected
BY Government for Years, But the
Farmer Has Had To Compete
With the World.
BY wATTERsoN sTEALEY.

BY WATTERsoN sTEALEY.
Washington, January 27.-(Special.)- y
The republican polity of protection is
responsible for the high cost of living.
1t has forced the farmer TO pay exor-
bitant prices for his clothes, his agri-
cultural implements his cooking uten-
sils and everything he needs. He is
compelled to charge for what his labor
brings out of the ground sufficient
sum to make both ends meet. Senator
E. D. Smith of South Carolina gave
expression to the above sentiment today
in discussing the countrywide agita-
tion on the price of food.
"A little clear thinking may do us a
lot of good and save us a lot of ex-
pense at this time,'' said the senator.
This impending investigation by re-
publican administration is the high
cost of what we eat 1t is not on what
we wear or with what we build houses
or furnish them, nor the tools with
which we till the ground but what goes
in to make the full dinner pail.
"The wheat grower. the cotton grow
er, the cattle and poultry raiser, the
truck growers, through the wonderfully
perfected means of communication; the
free rural delivery, carrying cheap
periodicals and the daily papers. all
have at last come to realization of
the burden that they nave been bear
ing and the cruel4diserimination against
til en- that has been practiced by the
government and by corporate and en-
mn a getting
today for their produce than ever be-
fore, and who shall say that they are
not entitled to it, when the prices Of all
that they have to buy have advanced so
enormously? How are they to meet the
demands of anything like a decent life
If they do not raise the price of what
they have to sell?" asked the senator.
More Inre..igence.
1T is not that there is less wheat.
less eggs, poultry. butter. truck" con-
tinued the senator, but because there
is more brain and intelligence; a clear
understanding of the frightful dis
elimination, inequalities and injustices
practiced upon him. The farmer is
simply demanding for what he sells q
price sufficient to justify him in purch-
asing what the manufacturer has to
sell.
1T is being charged, and was charged
during the late tariff discussion, that
the middleman-the retail merchant
was the sinner. The retail merchant
of today is but tax collector, on a
small commission, for the tariff pro-
gtected trusts and combines of this
country.
And If he does buy comparatively cheap
food supplies from farmer and truck
ox~1
on them he is but doing what is openly
and boastfully done by his more fortu-
nate and government protected masters
Then why should he or the farmer be
investigated?
"The last and highest evolution of glor-
ious protection in it's tariff legislation in
1903 declared that the government OF the
United States stands for and pledges It
self to guarantee a profit to the manu-
facturer? That only shall the price of
American manufactured articles be pro-
tected 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 man
ufactory, freight from countries capable
of competing but over and above all this
a profit to the manufacturer. This from
the government.
Conspiracy is Charged.
Now. when the growers of wheat. cot
ton. meat, eggs, poultry, butter, fruit
and vegetables raise the price of these
articles to something like parity to
prices of manufactured articles which
prices are guaranteed and encouraged by
national legislation. there is hue and
cry by that same government that raises
the price Of the ono by its legislation
that the price of the other is a conspir-
acy to Cypress and must be put down.
High wheat, high cotton, high eggs