The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1912-10-10
THE TARIFF AND
THE FARMER
A Farmers Views of the Cues
ton To-Day

Miller, -. Ds OCUo Z J., lSIZ.-
Editof Press.-We have never had a
discussion in any of the papers in
this county on the tariff, but why
not?
We present an argument against
protection as it affects farmers.
Shall be glad if farmer or other
person will inform US just how a
tariff such as we have now benefits
the farmer.
While the politicians get excited
on the su bject in their effort to
catch votes let us have cold facts
from both sides.
Free trade with Canada republi-
cans say that American Farmers are
dead opposed to having their selling
market put on a free trade basis,
and their buying market on a pro-
tective basis. Free trade for all
or free trade for none the long
time motto of the national grange,
stands as the sentiment of American
farmers. For more than thirty
years | have produced pork, beef,
and grain and now produce grain,
corn. wheat and oats. In all these
years | ne YER could see the benefit
of protect ion for the farmer.
Our VIII eat meets the wheat mark
ct of the world in Liverpool and
there the price is fixed for the Am
erican farmer. Some seems tc
think, an d protectionistS argue, that
the amount of import duty on farm
products increases the price a:
much as the duty. For instance
the duty on corn is Is cents a bush
ell. Under this duty | have seer
corn sell In Dakota from 8 to II
cents, that was ] n 1889.
| have bot barb wire at $l3 pei
cwt. and sold hogs at $l.75 per cwt
at the same time. This was unde,
! protection and in 1879. More thar
7 pounds of hogs for one pound o
barb wire. | could never zee TIT
beauties of protection for me.
In the campaign of 1888 the tarri
was an issue. remember wei
some banners they carried at politi
cal meetings at that time. One
Protection Makes a Home Market
another, Harrison and High
Prices" another, mo More 20 Cen
Corn. The state went $1,000 ma
! jority for protection that year
! Corn sold the next year from 8 t.
II cents per bushel and IN the mex
| campaign the pops got in theil
work. Those were hard times I'm
der protection. Wheat was solo
last year at IS cents east of here
The duty is % cents per busheI anC
those who sold wheat had to par
with so bushels to get four pounds
! of protected wool in the shape of I
suit. My friend in Canada coulC
get the same thing for Is bushels OF
wheat, clothing being cheaper there
and wheat the same price. The
surplus of both countries being
marketed in Liverpool IN competi
| ton with the whole world. The
duty on potatoes is % cents pei
! bushel. They were too dear fol-
many to afford last winter and some
were imported and the duty was
put on 10 the consumer at a time
when the farmer had none, or prac
tically none, to sell. | have known
potatoes to sell for 10 cents a bush
ell under a protective tariff of 2
cents a bushel.
| can remember when farmer'
burned corn because 1t was cheaper
than coal under protection. Am
erican made machinery is sold at /;
higher price in the United States
than in foreign countries, Canad;
for instance. And the American
farmer who raises wheat compete'
with the world. He is selling under
free trade and buving under pro
lection, Look at protected lumber
wool and woolens. The robbery OF
the many by the few can not be de
Tended when the charge is made b.
one who has studied the subject
Long ago it was said that thu
tariff was for infant industries
Henry Clay called the father o
protection. claimed it was only tenn
poary but those industries are no
vet weaned | have farmed all m.
nature life and have made some IN
quiries of other farmers about thu
tariff. many of whom confessed
lack of information on the subject
| thot then a farmer, should know
about taxation and have tried to in
form nv self, being a projections
at commencement. To me it seem
that theirs is no greater questio
than to relieve the man who rears
: family from an unnecessary tax o
all he consumes, most of which goe
into private pockets and not into tn
treasury. Farmer"