The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-11-16

misused and abused even when
mighty problem is upon us. But feel
that this thought should no deter me
from giving the actual truth. /, there
fore, state with as much force as is in
my power that the agricultural I'm
terests of the northwest and the food
producing interests of the whole coun-
try are nearing most critical period;
that 1t Is today facing the greatest
danger that It has ever had to meet;
that In order to avoid that danger the
people OF every agricultural state
should be made to comprehend it's inn
portance, should make earnest and
timely effort to meet II, and should en-
list the cooperation and active sup
port of all those who represent In
congress the agricultural states Of the
union
The issue ia, shall the farmer, the
food producer, share his home markets
with the food producers OF the whole
world? Shall he share this market,
which he has developed, with no little
sacrifice, with the foreigner, who has
sacrificed nothing for it, who pays no
taxes to support our extensive school
system, who is charged nothing for the
higher standard Of living maintained
in this country, and who owes no al
legiance to 1t in time Of need? Shall
he compete freely with the world in
everything that he sells, while a GUS
toms duty is levied on most Of the
things that he buys2
Reciprocity with Canada ID dead at
present. But the spirit which Actual
ed the agreement and brought 1t into
existence in this country is not by any
means dead. Let us not for single
moment deceive ourselves with the
thought that President Taft originated
the reciprocity agreement. President
Taft took the necessary seps to crys-
talize into a law that which had grown
to be clamorous demand in all the
large cities or the country and which
undoubtedly represented the sentiment
of the majority of the people of these
cities. ] allude to the demand for
cheaper food products The most eff
fective cry in the world is the cry for
cheap food. Rents may increase 100
per cent: every other item of expense
may advance accordingly; our city ex-
travagances may run riot. and we will
pour out our earnings to meet those
demands with little complaint; but let
the cost of our food advance 10 per
cent and an alarm cry is heard from
one end of the country to another. IL
the farmers product advances to keep
pace with the higher cost of his lands
and the higher wages he pays for la
Dor. CONSERVATION seems to seize the
average city mind.
The Canadian people defeated the
reciprocity arrangement entered into
between the representatives of this
country and the Dominion Of Canada,
an agreement which would soon have
enabled them to swamp our north
western country with. the free food
product OF the kind produced in the
northwestern states. They defeated
it, not because they did not recognize
that our market WOULD be- great
benefit to the agricultural class Of
Canada, but because they believed its
final result would be the absorption of
Canada by It's greater neighbor. 1t
was the spirit of Canadian nationalism
that won over the desire for a mere
commercial advantage. But the ac-
ton OF Canada has not abated the agi-
tation in this country against present
food prices, an agitation which ignores
| the real causes and seeks to hold the
food producer responsible for them,
The great question which now con-
| fronts the American food producer is
not, shall the Canadian food product
come into this country free. but shall
we permit the whole worlds product,
/ including that of Canada, TO pass our
| custom houses without the payment of
| / cent of duty? Let no one deceive
| himself with the idea that this ques-
tion will not have to be met and met
soon.
Those who complain of the prices
| paid for food for the most part fail to
comprehend that the farmer receives
but neager share Of the amount paid
by them. / do not think the farmer
receives cents for the food which
constitutes an average meal. After
| the food product has left the farmers
hands Ii increases in price from hun
| bred to several thousand per cent by
the time it reaches the consumer.
That portion Of our population who
know nothing about raising food pro-
ducts but who eat them three times g
4 day. do not generally appreciate this
condition, and they are therefore per-
sistently demanding that our own food
producers shall compete with the food
producers Of the world.
win We Be Injursdf
There is no use OF any one democrat
or republican, attempting to delude
either himself or the public with the
Idea that free trade In food products
win not harm u.s. 1t WITH harm as, and
greatly harm us. No informed man
could have failed to observe the eff
| n 81
the market price of our cereals. Dur
ing the many months the subject was
under discussion before the American
congress the markets responded tc
Il every prophecy of success or failure Of
the project. Whenever its passage
looked encouraging, our grain prices
went down; whenever its prospects
looked doubtful, prices went UP. Wher
the sixty-first congress adjourned
without its passage. grain prices took
great leap upwards, and when u be-
came certain that 1t would pass the
sixty-second congress, our prices de-
cIined and continued to decline, al
though we had very poor crop In tbs
great wheat states, until the day sue.
ceeding the Canadian election It has
reached its lowest point the day pre-,
ceding Then came the word that tlls
Canadian electors had declined 0ul
proposal Within two days wheat ad,
lvanced cents per bushel; barley. al,
ready very high, from 8 to 10 cents
per bushel: and since that day boti
have steadily advanced. With a short.
Iage OF wheat crop in Minnesota ant
tine Dakotas and q large crop in ths