Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1911-11-16
MCUMbER Tells
REASON FOR HIGH
cost OF living.
Great Cry Arises When West
ern Farmer Wants to
Receive Fair Prices
Republican Party is Party
Of Protection and Can
Furnish Remedy

In reply to a communication from
Col. H. C. Plumley, business manager
of the Forum Printing Company of
Fargo, United States Serator Porter
J. McCumber expressed his views re-
garding present conditions. Col.
Plumley empna sized the necessity of
doing this before the next campaign
is on in full force, as a.. this time,
before the contest become: exciting
one can cody view the real situation
which is confronting the average citi-
zen. Senator McCumber's reply was
as follows:
Washington, D. c., Nov. 10. 1911
Dear Mr.. Plumley:
have your favor OF the goth ultimo
in which you ask ME to present what
I deem to be the question of greatest
interest to the agricultural sections
-of the country in the coming political
campaign. I gladly avail myself of
the opportunity your letter affords me,
of presenting to the people of our
state, which is purely and wholly ag-
ricultural, and of ALL the agricultural
states, a matter of not only grave mo-
ment to them, but also the imminency
of a great and threatened danger TO
the agricultural interests of all the
northern states.
The public speaker or writer is so
prone to exaggerate the importance OF
whatever may be the temporary Issue,
and to so vehemently declare tina: this
or that is the greatest problem the
>countrv has ever had to solve, that
hesitate to use an expression so much
misused and abused even wh2n Il
mighty problem is upon us. But feel
that this thought should not dete: me
from giving the actual truth. /, there
fore. state with as much force as IS
in NV mower that the agricultural in
+erests of the Northwest and the food
producing interests of the whole coun
1trv are nearing a most critical peri'a;
that it is today facing the greatest
danger that it has ever had to meet:
THAT in order to avoid that danger tne
people of every agricultural state
should be made to comprehend it's i'm
nortance. should make earnest ana
timely effort to meet it, and should
enlist the cooperation and active sup
mort of all those who represent IN
congress the agricultural states OF the
Union.
The issue is, shall the farmer, the
food producer, share his home mar
kets with the food producers OF the
whole world? Shall he share this
market which he has developed, with
M little sacrifice, with the foreigner
who has sacrificed nothing for it, VINO
navs no taxes to support our exten.
siye school system, who is charged
nothing for the higher standard OF
living maintained in this country, and
who owes no allegiance to. 1t IN tine
Of need? Shall he compete freely WIN
the world in everything that he sells'
while a customs duty is levied on
most Of the things that he buys?
Reciprocity with Canada is dead at
nresenf. But the spirit which actuat-
cd the agreement and brought 1t into
ox;stence in this country is not Dy any
r7aans dead. Let us not for single
r,oment deceive ourselves with tne
thought that President Taft originated
the reciprocity agreement. Pres1oent
ran took the necessary steps to crys
+alize into q law that which had grown
+o ha a clamorous demand in a.l the
largo cities of the country an Wnlcn
undoubtedly represented the sentiment
of the majority of the people OF these
cities. I allude to the demand 1or
chaaner food products. The most ef-
fective cry in the world is the cry for
cheap food. Rents may increase
hundred per cent; every othe' item or
expense may advance accordingly; our
citv extravagances may run riot, ana
we will .,our out our earnings to meet
+hose demands with little complaint:
h,,t lot the cost of our food advance
Ton ner cent and an alarm cry is hearo
f-om one end of the COUNT 20 an
other. If the farmers product au-
vances to keep pace with the nlenel
cost of his lands and the hlgner "ases
he navs his labor, CONSERVATION seems
tn seize the average city mlnd.
Tho canadian people defeated the
rocinrocity arrangement entered INTO
between the representatives. ol us
country and the Dominion OF Canaua, so
An agreement which would soon nay nase
enabled them to swamp our noltn
EASTERN ens country with the free food
nroduct Of the kind produced otaS IN tas
porthwestern states. They de1eateo
- not because they did not recognize
+h.+ our market would be great oen-
~ to the agricultural class OF can,
ada, but because they oel,eveo l.s s ram %
res,,lt would be the ABSORPTION OF oan-
"a. nv its greater neighbor. 1t was
V-=xi,,oI 0n mage ~