Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1911-04-14
then comes under a high rate of pro-

farmers; dressed lumber is used by
them, it bears high rate of duty
Paving posts are on the free list
fence posts carry the same old rate o.
duty.
In short, everything that is pro
duced on the farm is in free competi
tion with everything produced In
Canada, while all kinds of machinery
that farmers must have to produce
their crops bear high rate of pro
lection" . in the interests of the ma
chinery trust.
And not only is this the case, but
the Canadian farmer can buy this
same American-made machinery from
10 per cent. to 80 per cent. cheaper
than the American farmer can buy 1T
Add to this the fact that the Can
adian buys his clothing very muct
cheaper than the American can, and
that in the great agricultural portion
of Canada, land is also very much
cheaper, it will readily be seen that
as that vast area develops, If Presi'
dent Taft can have his way In reci
procity and in tariff schemes, the
American farmer will find himself up
against a hard proposition.
Almost everything the farmer buys
has increased in price within the
year. Boots and shoes made big ad-
vance and harness goods the same.
Clothing has made considerable ad-
vanced. Coffee made % per cent.
advances: while the advance in the
price of agricultural machinery has
been persistent and continuous.
On investigation it was found that
grain drill which short time age
could be bought for 800 now costs
Sl2O: and nearly all other kinds OF
machinery has advanced in a similar
manner. But how is it with the
product of the farm? With the ex'
ception of barley and flax, both OF
which were very light last year, prices
have gone down by jumps. Wheat
has declined Is per cent, corn 30 pei
cent, oats 80 per cent, butter % pei
cent, eggs Al per cent, cattle 70 pei
cent, hogs 40 per cent, and horses
probably about Is per cent. Does il
appear as II the American farmer
with what assistance he gets from the
| trusts, is sufficiently energetic In
! bringing down the price of farm pro-
| ducts without any assistance from
the Canadians?
1t is true of course, that farmers re
ceived no benefit from the tariff ir
the past and large number of people
seem to imagine that because they
| were fooled then the scheme can be
worked indefinitely. But 1t will be
we'll to remember that they were not
all fooled then, and that they are get
ting on to the ways of the politician
with considerable elacrity.
They know that the sole purpose OF
the Canadian agreement is to bring
down the price Of farm produce, or In
other words make the necessaries OF
life cheaper, and no amount OF soph.
estry or argument can conceal this
fact.
"They think we have given them
something" says Mr.. Blaine in his
now famous letter, referring to the
Mckinley bill and the farmers, "and
If we can keep them thinking this
way for six months or year we shall
be able to break up the Allia nee. ;
Meaning of course the Farmers ALI
ance of that time. The men who be-
longed to the Farmers Alliance
however, at that time were not fooled
by the Mckinley bill, neither shall
they be fooled by the reciprocity pact
nor by the sophestries put out by Jim
Hill, Roosevelt, Taft, Secretary Will
son, ETC., who undertake to make the
farmers believe that they will be
benefited by droves of cheap cattle
coming down from Canada.
What the farmer ask at this time
is fair and honorable treatment, such
as Americas greatest industry justly
merits. We demand the right to buy
in the same market In which we sell
If it is good for the entire country
including the farmers, to have all
agricultural products free listed, as
between this country and Canada.
then it is good for the country, in.
Guiding the farmers, to have -four, all
kinds Of meat; lum ber, dressed and
undressed, coal, malt, oatmeal, iron
ore, and machinery of all kinds equal
| ly as free.
A good many farmers are deluded
into the belief In the past that the
tariff was benefit to them, when iu
the very nature Of things 1t could not
be. Now when conditions have
changed when supply has been about
overtaken by demand and some bene
| fit from the tariff is realized, though
not at all commensurate as compared
with the vast amount of tribute that
has been paid to other industrie:
within the past 40 years, the effort !:
to be made to take this away ano
still leave the agricultural class tt
struggle under the burdens that they
have so uncomplainingly borne thro
ugh those years for the enrichment
of every industry but their own.
The prediction Is here uneQuivocal