Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1912-10-24

= IhE fHEE lISI.
A vote for President Taft and Q
3 the Republican ticket 10 the safe
guard OF the farmer against the .
. entry Into the United States, duty .
free, of the products Of the great .
. fields Of Canada and other grain .
growing countries. .
ssssssssssssssssssssssssss
Professor Wilson is telling the far.
mers over and over again. that they
have never been protected-that they
do not need protection. Then in this
connection the professor adds: But
everything you use on the farm, ev-
erything that you wear. and great
deal Of what you eat, but do not pro-
duce yourself, including meats. bears
q heavy duty. which brings about the
interesting result that you are paying
for the wealth of the United States
and getting nothing, or equivalent to
nothing, so far as the tariff is con
cerned Now that hasn't just begun
20 be true. II has always been true"
1t is not true. The protective tariff
farmers know this fact, and by their
votes have helped to maintain the
policy of protection. Without their
votes the party OF protection could
not have won single presidential
election inbthe last forty years. Have
the farmers been mistaken through
all these years? They have not. Has
protection been of no value to them?
1t certainly has.
All history and all fact dispute the
academic free trade contention that
the farmer has no share in the bene-
hts of protection. In every period OF
Industrial depression, resulting from
low the protective point. the farmers
Of this country have been heavy
losers, because of diminished demand
and lower prices for their products.
In the most recent period OF Demo
cratic free trade egislation-1894-97-
the farmers of the United States lost
fully five billion dollars in reduced
prices OF farm products, and dimin-
ished value of farm property. In
every period of restored protection
the farmers have reaped the benefits
of greater demand and increased
prices. There has been no exception
to the rule of prosperity for American
farmers, when American labor is fully
employed.
Here are some proofs of that fact
In recent statement by Senator
Smoot printed In the Congressional
Record Of August rs, 1912, II is shown
that In December, 1896, after two
years Of free trade tariff revision un.
der the Wilson law OF 1894, the price
OF corn was twenty-three cents a
bushel, while In December, 1911, after
fourteen years OF restored protection
the price of corn was sixty-nine cents
a bushel; or an advance over 1896 OF
200 per cent.
Using 1896 as the basis of com.
parison with December, 1911, 1t Is
found that under protective tariff:
Corn advanced 200 per cent.
Wheat advanced 81 per cent.
Cotton advanced % per cent.
Oats advanced 1866 per cent.
Rye advanced 1877 per cent.
Barley advanced 3oe per cent.
Hay advanced 1873 per cent.
Hops advanced 2s6 per cent.
Potatoes advanced 282 per cent.
FIaxseed advanced 149 per cent.
Fat cattle advanced 81 per cent.
/. Fat hogs advanced 90 per cent.
Dairy Butter advanced Sc per cent
Eggs advanced 90 per cent.
While the price of farm products
has increased, the price of articles
which the farmer purchases has not
increased In proportion. He can buy
more today with the products of his
farm than he could in 1896. For ex-
ample:
Ten bushels Of corn In 1911 paid for
f25 pounds OF sugar, and only Sc
pounds In 1896.
Ten bushels OF corn paid for 81
yards OF bieached sheeting In 1911,
and only 10 yards In 1896.
Ten bushels Of corn In 1911 paid for
two pairs Of shoes, and only one pair
h 1896.
iOiCboOi WibOn OtnCT ltfflO-
cratic speakers and writer's assert
what is abolutely untrue when they
say. that the protective tariff robs,
and in no way benefits the American
farmer. AS a matter OF fact, there
is probably no class of American pro-
ducers whose share In the benefits OF
protection in the past fifteen years.
- -
American farmer.
II the farmers rightly understand
their interests. they will vote against
the party Of free trade. They viii cast
six million votes for President Taft
and Vice President Sherman and a
continuation Of the Republican policy
Of protection.