The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1912-10-18
ton that Canada would accept the
treaty.
Mr.. Roosevelt's Insincerity.

/
Mr.. Roosevelt's Insincerity.
Such has been the attitude, in the
| most serious issue for years before the
farmers of the country. of this man
who 10 SO loudly heralded as a fear
less champion of justice and who now
poses with many clever catch.words
as the great and good friend of the
farmer. From this reciprocity fight
and other important developments
have been forced to the conclusion
that Mr.. Roosevelt is IN utter hum.
bug, thoroughly insincere in his pro-
LESSONS of superior honesty and of
interest in the welfare of the farmers.
his professions now are simply for
the purpose of securing the greatest
possible number of votes and his in
terest is solely in his own personal
affairs and the satisfaction of his
lmitless ambition for extraordinary
power. I regard him as a dangerous
man, dangerous with regard to the
orderly progress of our country and
very dangerous to the farmers.
Impending Dangers for the Farmers,
We farmers must face the fact that
our country is now in transition per-
iod. We are passing on from the
condition OF country principally
agricultural to that of a country prin-
cipally industrial, that is, whose great
est interests are in manufacturing.
or course in a country where agri-
cultural pursuits are the paramount
factor, the people ngaged in such pur-
suits ca have things very much their
own way, but when the manufacturing
and other occupations incident to
city life become vaster and more in
ftuential than the agricultural pur-
suits, then the agricultural classes
become less powerful and less able to
protect themselves against injustice,
and in the economic readjustments of
the period are in danger of serious
losses and disturbances.
am by no means an alarmist but it
is necessary to consider certain un-
questionable facts. Practically all
authorities agree that our country is
in the transition state l have referred
to. All statistics show it and the pop
ulation statistics, which are plain to
everyone, show it clearly. According
to the census of 1910. the rural pop
ulation of continental United States
increased only II per cent. in the ten
years from 1900 to 1910, while the
urban population is increasing more
than three times as fast as the rural
population. In New York state the
cent. during the decade and the rural
declined one-half of one per cent. In
Vermont the urban population in
creased little over IL per cent. and
the rural little less than per cent.
Now under all these circumstances
/ am much disturbed with regard to
the maintenance of protection on farm
products. We farmers have loyalty
supported the protective system for
years. The system has built up an
enormous manufacturing development
and from the force of economic cir
cumstances the manufacturing inter-
ests have had far greater share of
the benefits of the system than the
farmers have had. This could not be
otherwise during the agricultural per-
iod of our country, when our exports
were principally agricultural products
and our imports principally manufact-
ures. But now our exports of agri-
|
ing and our exports of manufactures
rapidly increasing. There are vastly
more people now at home for US to
feed, and now that the tariff has be-
come more than ever important to
American farmers there is an increas-
ing disposition among the urban pop
ulation to remove protection from all
farm products.
We have to consider all Presidential
and Congressional candidates in the
light of this situation. As to Mr.
Mr.. Roosevelt, he comes to the farmer
with false pretenses. We have seen
that in our great reciprocity fight,
which was tariff fight, he was thoro-
ughiy and actively against us. We
have seen that he is in favor of entire
free trade with Canada, which is the
country whose competition we mus
fear the most. Mr.. Roosevelt seem:
to have very little rspect for the farm
ers anyhow, for he is on record as
saying that the average farmer is moi
to be compared with the average COW
boy.
He seems to be entirely willing tc
deceive the farmers, if he can, in or
der to gain an advantage for himself
When, only a few months ago, h
Mas carrying on his primary campaigl
n in the great agricultural states OF tn
i West, he told the farmers that he wa
opposed to Canadian reciprocity o
anything like it because it would hsv'
been against the farmers interests
He did not tell these western farmer