The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-03-30

fliation, against measure in which
they can see nothing but injury to their
welfare.
Would 1t not be as fair for me "a
say you are biased because OF the
lower cost Of print paper to you, OF
that you were the champion OF the
steel trust, or your judgment was
warped because of fancied benefits you
felt would come to Duluth. Before
you charge us with writing "a mix-
ture OF falsehoods and absurdities' or
We charge you with prostituting your
self for hire, being chloroformed by
free print paper, or that the steel trust
own you, let us get down TO our nat
ural differences, caused by our inabili
ty to overlook our personal interest
caused by being human.
The reasons were written by a
farmer, with no other line OF business
and approved by farmers and men who
are business men and farmers and
these men who signed the call for our
state protest are of as good moral and
mental fibre as you could duplicate
in your city: They are dividing the
cost among them.
No. the American Protective Tariff
league hasn't any finger in this move
ment. Personally, / am satisfied that
these is not a so-called high protec-
ton tariff man. active in this move
ment. We are paying our own bills,
fighting for our rights as American
producers and citizens. Our creed
That so long as a protective tariff is
part of the governmental policy OF
this nation we are entitled to the
American market without competition
with cheap labor and cheap land: That
when the economic policy of our gov
eminent, is this respect, is changed
il be changed so as to place the bur-
dens or benefits of such change as
evenly as possible upon all classes OF
industry; That inasmuch as we live
under a protective policy land will for
many years to come the benefit OF
such policy should not first be taken
away from that class, (the American
farmer) to whom it came last as a
measure of benefit.
This measure is being heralded as
the much needed tariff revision, and
by its adoption it is unquestionably
hoped to still, at least for the time be-
ing, any clamor for a further reduc-
ton of the tariff upon manufactured
goods known to be in excess of the
amount actually required for protec-
ton. The farmer of the north half
Of the United States is to be quietly
and expediously sandbagged, while the
consumer stands supinely by, disre-
garding his inherent belief in the
square deal, hypnotized by visions OF
a reduction in the cost Of living.
We appreciate your side. With
water transportation a possible i'm
mediate saving in lumber cost, cheap
er wheat for your mills (reduction on
-four duty not materially, more grain
for your elevators to handle and store
more cars of grain for your commits
sion men to handle and more and
larger profits for the steel trust, all
of which will probably add to the
growth Of your city, / would not pre-
sumo to insinuate that a reduction OF
about rs cents per yearly subscriber
in the cost Of your print paper has
had anything to do with you attitude
in this matter. more than such a saw
ing would tend to influence any Of us
that are human, and the others don't
count.
From our viewpoint We feel that the
benefits secured by you will no more
than offset your loss in the American
territory tributary to Duluth occa-
stoned by the enforced economy of the
inhabitants of such territory through
the reduction in the earning capacity
of farm lands.
Tbo OreaeOns, xyour a5itor{or &c
based on are North Dakota reasons
That this matter may be put fairly
before you readers l submit them:
/. II is not a reciprocal agreement
but rather a business agreement, ben
eficial TO the manufacturer Of the
United States and the farmer of Can
ada.
2. 1t will reduce the earning power
of every acre of land in this state,
reducing the value, forcing many of
our farmer to leave for Canada and
buyers from other states will follow.
8. That if passed it will cost as
much to raise a bushel of grain as it
does now and we will be forced to sell
it for less.
4. That the United States farmer
is entitled to his own home market.
5. That for several years past the
price Of all grains in the United States
has been more then 10 per cent higher
than at Canadian points directly OPP
posite.
6. That 1t gives us nothing except
free salt and free fish.
Z. That the proposed reduction on
salt amounts to nothing.
Fvl ~
fish is not worth considering.
8. That this trade agreement leaves
for the miller, the oatmeal manu-
facturer, the breakfast food compan-
les, the beef trust, the malt trust and
the steel trust, either all or approx
mately all the protection they have
now, giving the consumer no benefit
whatever.
10. That the biggest joker in this
proposed arrangement is the free
lumber fake, the difference in freight
alone between the rough and planed
lumber (planed lumber still retains
the duty of $3.50 would amount to
more than the reduction Of $3.50 per
thousand and that no farmer in North
Dakota will ever buy foot Of lumber
for less than he does now on account
of this so-called reduction but the
corporation that uses ties, piles. tele-
graph and telephone poles has been