Alma record., 1913-12-04
The -
NATIONAL
@ ORANCE
Conducted by Charles NJ. Gardner. Editor
OF the National Grange, Westfield, Mass
GRANGE AND THE TARIFF
rial to Congress Outlining or0anl-
xatlon's Position on Question.

The legislative committee Of the
National Grange has recently sent a
memorial to congress outlining the
grange position on tariff revision and
setting forth the farmers wishes on
the whole tariff question. Inasmuch
as this legislative committee is com
posed of National Master Oliver VIII
son. National Lecturer w. p. Hull and
State Master T. c. Alkeson Of West
Virginia, the position set forth In the
memorial may we'll be accepted as au-
thoritative and is therefore of instant
and widespread interest. The follow
Ing selections from the memorial to
congress set forth the grange tariff
position with entire and convincing
clearness:
The legislative committee Of the
National Grange, representing the
hundreds Of thousands Of farmer mem
bers of that great conservative fra
ternity, recognize the fact that the
responsibility Of legislating for the
hundred million citizens Of this coun-
try is upon you, and that the temper
OF that citizenship is to exact an ac-
counting Of your legislative steward
ship. The grange does not expect it's
legislative committee to be lobbyists
TN any sense, but as plain farmers to
present to our national congress in
a fair and reasonable way the views
of the grange and the farmers 1t rep
resents, upon matters of national leg
islation as they come up for enact
ment or amendment.
For more than forty years the
grange has stood upon the broad
platform that we seek the greatest
good to the greatest number and it
further declares that we desire a
proper equality, equity and fairness;
protection for the weak, restraint
upon the strong; in short, justly dis
tributed burdens and Justly distributed
power
I'm one form and another the
grange has for many years repeatedly
taken the broad position that so long
as protection is the policy of the gov
ernment, agriculture is entitled to
full share Of protection.
There is no misunderstanding the
position of the National Grange upon
the tariff question. The grange has
not undertaken to say whether protec-
ton, tariff for revenue, or free trade
is the best policy for this government,
and being a non-partisan organization,
its members belong to all political
parties and of course have different
views upon economic questions, but
there is practically unanimous agree
ment that whatever the policy Of the
government may be, that the farmers
should receive a horizontal rate of
protection with the manufacturer or,
in other words, tariff for all or tariff
for none
AT the annual meeting Of the Ma
tional Grange in 1910, the following
resolutions were unanimously adopt
ed:
Whereas, the National Grange at
its forty-third annual session con-
demned the tariff law Of 1909 as un-
Just to the farmers of the country,
and in no sense in accord with the
promises of tariff revision made by
the party responsible for its enact
ment; therefore,
Resolved, That the National
Grange urges that in any future revi-
sion of our tariff laws the duties upon
any article should never exceed the
difference between the labor cost of
producing such article in this country
and in foreign countries, and
Resolved, That we favor the i'm
mediate amendment Of the present tar
iff act so as TO reduce the excessive
protection now given to many staple
manufactured articles, the production
of which is controlled by trusts and
monopoly combinations, and
Resolved, That we urge a material
reduction of the duties on all articles
which are sold by our manufacturers
in foreign markets at lower prices |
than those charged to the people
of this country
Similar resolutions we're adopted |
in 1911 and at the annual session held
at Spokane, Wash, November, 1912.
the following resolution was unani-
mously adopted: We believe that
the tariff should be so regulated
that 1t shall not cover more than the
difference between the cost of pro-
duction at home and abroad, and II
we have free trade for one, we should
have free trade for all. And further.
that when the manufacture or sale of
any article becomes monopolized, that
the tariff be removed from such arti-
cle.' E
TT Is manifestly inexpedient for us
10 take up the tariff schedule In detail
n this communication, but we desire
70 present as forcibly as possible the
views Of the farmers Of the country
md to assure you that they are wide
awake and studying economic prob
ems as never before. They have no
means or time 70 spend as lobbyists,
- IL III