American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1911-06-01

no settler and farmer can get good
Prices for the next ten years our
state will be a marvel Of wealth and
prosperity, and every man, woman
and child in the state will be richer.
better and more prosperous by rea-
son of it. If he does not have good
prices the merchant, the mechanic
and everybody else will suffer. l
assure you | am wholly unable TO
become enthusiastic over this meas
ure.
l have no doubt that our presi-
dent and our distinguished secretary
of state did the best they. could with
Canada, but if we reject this they
will be able to do much better. The
Canadian farmer is going to keep
pounding away to get into our mar
kets If possible. He is right near
Chicago, Detroit, Toledo, Buffalo an
New York, and he wants that mar
ket. II it is to be given him it will
be a sad day for u farmers when
he gets it, and so far as l am con-
cerned / propose to make the Ca
madam pay every dollar it is worth.
OF course it may be said that We
ought to think less of the farmer Of
Idaho and Of the West and go upon
a broader and more general basis. /
presume it will be said hat We
ought to exclude from our consider
alton the moving sentiment so often
written to me and so often expressec
about the closer relation with our
brothers of the north. do not
feel equal to entering the game Of
international politics where giant in
tellects seem to deal with such ease
with these international problems.
l feel content to leave these matters
with those whose tastes lead them
in that direction. Much as l dislike
to admit it in view of these high
sounding preachments l really want
to know what effect all these things
would have upon u country
and upon u own people. ! ar
Interested wholly and solely 1 frank
ly confess primarily, in building up
the producing classes of this country
and second, in building up the great
Northwest.
From Alexander Hamilton to the
present time we have urged that we
should build up the home market
to take care of the surplus products
of our great agricultural regions. /
am quite willing to admit that in
previous days the protective system
has been of slight benefit except in
an indirect way to the American far
mer. But now, Just as the great
market places and centers of pop
ulation are raising his products to
a point where he al secure a COM
potency we are going to turn it over
to his only real competitor. Just
as he is beginning to realize that
which he has faithfully helped to
build up we cowardly turn aside
and deal with those who can deal
with us a little cheaper. / have be-
l1eyed in a protective system because
1t has built up our manufacturing
centers-the American market place.
protected our laborers in such man.
ufacturing centers against the I'M
derpaid laborers of other ountries.
Secondly, because such Manufacture
ing ecnters afforded a great market
place for the producers, the farmers.
the ~stockraisers, etc, which other
wise they would not have had. 1t
brought the market closer to the
farmer. l have believed that a pro-
tectlve system, as a system, would
benefit all. But free trade for the
producer and protection for the man
ufacturer, an open market for the
farmer and a protected market for
the manufacturer cannot be justi-
fled under any theory On earth. 1t
is, speaking with all the due respect
10 those who view it otherwise, to
my mind the narrow, vicious, I'M
selfishness of Eastern
manufacturing interests and East
ern interests generally, exalted into
a scheme of legalized advantage for
one class owe another. So believ-
ing l will not, of course, support the
measure. The trouble with our
present condition is precisely what
| stated in the Columbia Theatre
the closing night of the campaign.
The American market place is in
possession of combinations which fix
the price of the necessaries of life,
of the price at which it
was purchased from the producer.
Our first duty should be either to
destroy these combinations and re-
store competition that the price may
be lowered through the law of COM
petition. or that the government as
sumo the burden of controlling the
combinations and fix the price as
freight rates are fixed today.
You suggest that 1 can not hope
TO succeed by opposing the import
ant measures of our administration.
Well, we will let that matter pass
the present.
In conclusion. 1 am willing to re-
luce duties % the lowest margin of
but l want the reduction
o proceed in justice to all parties.
ignoring one class wholly and
another class. When you
give the manufacturer free raw ma
.erial and leave protection upon his
manufactured goods you are giving
lin double protection just as effect
vely as If you enacted it into law. l
,ave written in milder terms than