The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-06-17
Farmers and the Tariff.

1t is astonishing how long the
farmers of the West and the East
have allowed themselves to be fooled
into the belief that the protective
t,riff was good thing for them. OF
course, the Republican leaders, who
worked the tariff, fake for so many
years, cared nothing about the farm
er except to get his vote so as they
couidyretain4their power and manip-
.ulate the government in the interests
OF the big trusts and combines, in
whose. interests all the; tariff laws
,are passed. The farmers of the
bountry ere, benig robbed Of ten
times ais much as they get out OF
the tariff by the trusts that the Ia
riff laws have made possible.
TheSfesult OF the election last fall
gaye&the Republicans to understand
that their game of robbing Che many
for the benefit of the few was at
last to be stopped. President Taft,
among the first of the Republicans
to see the handwriting on the wall,
Immediately got busy. He called
Congress together and appealed to the
Democrats to come to the relief OF
the country, after his own party had
refused to do anything he asked of
them along that line. The Demo-
cratic house fresh from the people,
nassed and sent to the Republican
Senate an agreement with Canada by
which tr- free exchange OF products
is permit-sd.
This agreement, known as the Ca
madam Reciprocity Treaty, allows the
free exchange between this country
and Canada of lumber, wood pulp,
print paper and all kinds Of grain
and animals. The Lumber Trust and
the Paper Trust are doing all they
can to have the Senate reject this
treaty. To weaken, It they have
employed firm Of proLoters to
work up sentiment against 1t, and to
testify before the Congressional Com
mittee that the farmers ar3 opposed
to the treaty. Actually some officers
Of what Is called the National
Grange" have declared against the
treaty and have threatened members
Of Congress with the wrath of the
farmers.
But the farmers refused to allow
themselves to be used for such a pur-
pose, and the action Of the National
GraBge'' has been repu5iated by
seven local oranges in New Hamp-
shire. and the fact has been brought
out that the New York fri of pro-
moters were not grangers or farmers,
but men paid by the Lumber Trust
and the Paper Trust to fight the
treaty. This is the way the big
trusts manages to fool the people
and tax them to death. They have
plenty of money, and they use it
freely to corrupt legislatures, con-
gressmen. juhEes and other officials
to do their bidding and continue to
give them the right to p!under the
people.
The farmers generally, but more
especially of the South, sell what
they produce at prices fred in the
open markets Of the world. There the
farmer gets no protection. for pro-
lection Is not possible. But when,
with the proceeds Of his cotton crop,
the. Southern farmer seeks to buy
cottorsa bagging and ties and wire
fencing, or, cotton clothing, or wooden
clothing or house building mater
ial, or:rhouse furnishing materials, he
finds he must pay the price fixed in
the American markets, from which
foreign materials are excluded by
prohlbitive tariff. In this way thu
tariff holds up the farmel for others
to rob him.
When he complains he is told that
there is an import duty On all farm
products as well. So there is, but as
few farm products are ever imported,
these duties are kept On the list
solely for the purpose OF deceiving
the Ameican farmer and to have be-
lieve he, too, Is protected. 1t is all
for political eject. So nov the hired
attorneys are telling the American
farmer he is to be ruined by the Can
adian reciprocity.
American farmers have nothing to
fear from Canadian farm products.
1t costs as much to raise wheat in
Canada as in the United States. 1t
costs more to raise corn, and cotton
Cannot be raised in Canada at all.
What the American farmer, North
and South, wants is wider markets.
Reciprocity with Canada widens our
markets a little; let us have it. Then
let us have reciprocity treaties with
all Europe; in time with all the
world. Say to your own leaders. say
to your political representatives at
Washington, that you are not op-
posed to reciprocity with Canada;
that you will take it TODAY and hope
for something better tornrrow. This
is the only way that the farmer can
keep the trusts from plundering him
and taking all he makes. All the
farmer asks is that the robber tariff
be repealed SO as he will not be
robbed Of what he makes by the
trusts 1t creates.
Doino Jts Eu1l Sh0ro