Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1912-02-01
Washington Letter.

men, and editors too, for that matter.
deeply concerned for the protection of
the mechanic and artisan; but has the
farmer ever got what was coming to
him? And by the farmer let US under
stand here everyone who makes his liv-
ing by tilling the soil, whether he culti-
vate beans or wheat or apples or corn,
or expresses the juice of the apple or
grape for use as beverage.
For that matter every farmer, in the
restricted sense, should be fruitgrow-
er as well. and even more should he be
fruit consumer; for has not the great
and beneficent DR.. Wiley said: Eat
oranges; eat them every day." Which
being interpreted into the vernscular
means really, eat fruit. You can't al
ways get oranges and while the value
Of oranges and lemons cannot be de-
MED, it is also conducive to health to
eat apples, pears, peaches, prunes, ap-
ricots-in short such fruit as the mark
ct affords. The more that people eat
fruit the better it will be for the Ma
ton. 1t will save Doctors bills, pro-
long life, and make you cheerful, though
married. DR.. Wiley says so, and no
one knows better than he.
The growth Of the fruit interests NAV
be fairly said to be one of the marvels
of the age. Once it was rare to see
any fruit trees growing on farm. ex-
cept perhaps wild ones. Now it's a
poor farmer that fails to grow some
fruit. Look at our apple crop. The
valley of the Shenandoah supplied the
table of Queen Victoria With epples.
The products of our orchards not only
feed the millions of people under the
Stars and Stripes, but they supply, in
part at least, the markets Of the world
and every year they are growing in de-
msDd abroad. Look at the pears. and
peaches, and grapes, and raisins. and
English walnuts, other fruit products.
taking first place wherever they are
shown. See the pineapples, guaves and
grape fruit from Florida; CALIFORNIA; s
oranges and lemons crowdipg the for
eign product to the wall; the south of
Texas, with the aid Of a tariff on Ber-
muda onions, growing those fearless
vegetables and the Peerless Leader of
democracy reaping fortune, according
TO current reports. from their culture.
New York, Michigan, Oregon, Wash
ington, ArizOns-think of Arizona loom
ing up as a fruit State, why almost ev-
cry State now is a leader.in some form
of horticultural production.
What will Congress do for the farmer
and fruitgrower? 1t tried last simmer
to give him a farmers free list, So
called, and then by strange freak of
reasoning it started toput his own prod
uets on the free list also by adding lem
ons to the list, and if 1t had been sue
cessful there one can't say where it
would have ended Whatever free
traders may believe, the tariff on or
anges has resulted in driving the for
eign orange from the American market,
and with protection the lemon growers
are now supplying one-half Of the home
market and they will be able to supply
the other half if they are allowed rea-
sonable protection. In both cases.
prices have declined as the industry has
grown. Florida, Louisiana, Texas. Ari-
zona, California and other States now
grow oranges. California grows lem
ons, and it has the peculiar climate and
soil to permit it to grow more. If the
supply be limited by discouraging citrus
culture III this country, can even an am
ateur political economist reason that
the tariff should be lowered? Why, ask
the growers, should an industry be en-
cOureged to the extent that it can sup
ply one-half of the demand, only to be
cast out entirely just as it has demon
strated its right to live? Should the
active competition of American grow
ers be withdrawn, could it be expect ed
that the interests which thereby would
gain monopoly of the market would
make the price lower than it was when
competition existed?
Honestly, now, has the farmer been
treated fairly by Congress?
Does it pay to trsmple on the inter
ests of the agrarian classes?
Why has the farmer been attracted
by greenbackism, by populism, by SO.
cialism, by bimetallism, by progressiv.
ism?
If you reduce the tariff on things the
farmer produces, then be consistent, il
you believe in free trade, and reduce il
on what he has to buy.
But, some of the statesmen from toe
South say, if there must be tariff
and we need the revenue to pay the Ma.
tion's bills, why not put it on some OF
the things we raise?
That's just what the farmers say.
In the name of fairness give the farm.
er chance, for after all, isn't it the
farmer who draws bis wealth from the
soil, who creates wealth, and makes
the whole country richer instead OF