Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1912-09-13
TARIFF ROBBERY

Governor Wilson has indicated in
the speeches he has made thus far in
/ the campaign that he attaches
great deal of Importance to the
question of the tariff as it effects far
mers. The Democratic candidate put
this whole question into nutshell
when he said:
1.-THE farmer does not derive any
benefits from the tariff when he goes
to market to sell his products, but
on everything the farmer buys there
is an artificially high price due to the
tariff tax.
High protect IN is it in Congress
have for many years deceived the
farmers into believeing that because
tariff is kept on wheat and corn the
farmer is necessarily benefited there
by. That this is false logic is appar-
ent to any student of American i'm
port and export statistics. This
country produces more wheat and
corn than the American people con-
sumo. which obviously makes it i'm
possible for any country of Europe
,, to sell wheat or corn here. Europe,
which is the great market for surplus
American grain, uses all the grain
produced there for home consumption,
and in addition, the European coun-
tries have to send over here for more.
Ii there were no tariff on grain,
therefore, the American farmer
would not be menaced by the possibll-
ity of foreign competition, for the
reason that foreingers have no grain
to sell.
But the situation is vastly differ
ont with the farmer hen he comes
to buy the tools, machinery, cloth
Ing and other necessities of life. He
finds every article that he uses, in
producing his crops taxed higher and
higher, until, as Governor Wilson
says. ut is getting to next to i'm
possible for the American farmer to
make legitimate profit The far
mer's implements, his smaller tools,
wagons. household articles clothing.
umter and harvesting machinery has
steadily risen in price.
That this rise in price has sueen
due to artificial causes is proven by
the fact that the identical articles
used by the American farmer are sold
abroad for from % to 40 per cent.
less b. ID. Townsend, in his report
to President Roosevelt on the har-
vester trust. reported that the same
harvesting machines that were made
by the trusts in Chicago, and sold to
the American farmer for SIPS, are
sold in Russia for $50 and $50.
Nothing but the tariff thus enables
the trust to rob the American far
mer, because, if it were not for the
tariff, the danger of competition from
Canada would force the American
trust to sell it's machines for one
! price to all.
Governor Wilson has shown deep
grasp of the tariff question rs it
effects farmers. and it is certain that
before the campaign is much older he
will have some Illuminating things
to say to the farmer on this vital
subject.
In his speech of acceptance Pres-
dent Taft said the great issue before
| the people was the retention of
popular constitutional representa-
tive government. 1t never ccurred
to MIR. Taft that the greatest period
of unrest in this country since war
days has been brought about by the
millionaire trust owners who, while
shouting about popular government,
have made farce of common, every
day justice. The Payne-A ldrich tariff
tax, which Mr.. Taft signed, did more
than any other one thing to make the
people dissatisfied with the particular
brand of popular constitutional re-
resentative government that MIR.
Taft and his aides have administered.
Senator Penrose and the third
termer have violent quarrel. And
while they are snarling and hurlng
epiithets at each other the public
learns that the Stands ard Oil trust
contributed $125, 900 to the third
termer's former campaign fund.
Majority Leader Underwood,
chairman of the ways and means com.
mittee of the House of Representa-.
tives. estimates that the American
people would have just $50 million
dollars next year, and each succeed
ing year had the Senate and the Pres
ident approved the tariff revicion
bills sent up to them by the Demn.