The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1912-10-10

for the tariff. Agriculture in the
United States would become de
pressed under free trade by reason o.
this unfi-ir competition of Russia
and South America; the cultivation
of the soil would inevitably dwindlt
in this country as it has in England
under free trade, and the standard o.
living of American farmers would bt
lowered At present, that standard II
higher in the United States than II
any other country in the world, the
self-governing British colonies o.
Canada, Australia and New ZealanC
being excepted from this comparison
they being under policy of protec
tion similar to that of this country
OF course, it would be nonsense t
claim thai this happy condition il
the United States is altogether due tC
protection, but it is reasonable t.
claim that protection is one of the
causes.
1t cannot be denied, notwithstand
ing all the grumbling and clamor-
that American farmers were never sc
prosperous as they are today. The
reason of this is that they have com
mand of the best home market in the
world. This home market is given
and guaranteed to them by protection
to American manufactures.
The Gospel of Protection.
In these days of political fustian, Of
wild defamation, it is refreshing
aud Illuminating to turn to one of the
wisest and most trusted of modern
American statesmen-William Nc
Kinley. Listen to what he said In
his famous Nebraska Chautauqua
speech in 1892-and what he said as
true then is true now:
There is no class of our fel.
low-citizens more clearly bene-
fitted by the protective tariff than
the farmers of the United States.
1t makes a home demand for
their products, and home consum-
ers are always better than for
eign consumers, because they are
nearer the field of production.
They enable the farmer to dis
pose of perishable products at a
profit, which it would be imprac-
ticable to ship abroad. 1t there
fore increases to that extent the
demand for the products of agri-
culture and widens the use of the
farm. Millions of dollars annually
of the products of the farm are
sold in our industrial towns
which would not be raised at all
but for the demand which they
make. What the farmers want
are consumers, and the more con-
sumers and fewer competitors he
has the better will be his profits;
and he wants these consumers
steady and regular and at all
times reliable. He has such in
the C5,O00,000 (now 95,0OO,OOO)
consumers in this country, who
are the best and most profitable
consumers to be found anywhere
on the globe. He is sure of them,
while his foreign market is fitful,
far removed, less certain, and de-
pendent upon agricultural condi-
tions in the foreign countries
whether there is short crop or
long crop. There he has COM
petition; here he has practically
the field, with little or no compe-
titiOn except with his fellow-cit-
liens.
Value of Factories.
Every farmer would
rather have factory for his
neighbor than another farmer.
Every factory that is built up in
creases the farmers customers,
the value of his product, and the
value of his land. Every factory
that is broken down diminishes
the farmers customers, the value
of his product, and the value of
his land, and increases his COM
petitors. If the workingmen of
this country cannot get employ
ment in the factories they must
seek it elsewhere. They cannot
find it in any other mechanical
pursuits, so they must go to the
land There every man can go
when he cannot find work at his
accustomed occupation; and
when he goes there he takes out
of the ground a living, and he is
no longer the consumer of your
products, but produces for him.
self and becomes competitor of
yours instead of a customer of
yours, as he is today. Every new
industry increases the farmers
home market and furnishes him
what he most wants-profitable
customers"