Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1913-08-14
GRONNA MADE A SPEECH

The Fargo Forum. which nowadays
is very much of a conservation progress
sive republican paper is quoted below on
what it has to say editorially on Senator
Gronna's wonderful tariff speech made
the other day in the U. S. senate:
Senator Grnnna of North Dakota made
a speech IN the United States senate
esterday. He damned right into
that old democratic bill-for the sake
of the folks back home-and he certainly
did "soak'er a good one" AS Mr.. Dooley
would say, "Twas a turribul slaughter,
Hinnisy'.
Mr.. Gronna is not going to stand idly
by aud see rank discrimination against
the farmer. Not on your life If the
farmers of North Dakota had been fore
ed to have sold their 1912 crop, the
143,00O,000 bushels of wheat thai was
raised in this state last year under the
conditions that will be imposed by the
new tariff. they would have lost S15,000,-
900.
That's what Gronna said. Those are
his figures.
The Forum wonders just what the
hard headed North Dakota farmers who
make a study of the grain markets of
the world and are often better posted or
prices and conditions in the worlds
markets than professional traders, will
think Of a statement like that. MIR.
Gronna says that under the conditions
obtained in 1912, when there was a short
crop in foreign countries, that If the
ia rmers bad been forced to sell in the
open market of the world they would
have lost sl5.OOO,oOO.
The North Dakota farmer will take
that statement and subject it to a little
analysis. He will pick up his last edi-
ton of The Forum the one that was
printed last night and which contained
the report Of the speech made by MI.
Gronna in Washington, and turn to the
market report he will find the following
very significant figures:
Winnipeg wheat, cash close-No. l
Northern. IS.
Minneapolis wheat, cash close-No. l
Northern, 81 to 88H.
And the North Dakota farmer knows
that Winnipeg prices have been higher
than North Dakota prices during the
1912 crop was harvested. II the North
Dakota farmer has any condition to fear
in selling his wheat or any other crop,
it is from the Canadian Northwest, and
the Canadian farmer is selling in the
open market, has been obtaining higher
prices than the American with his pro-
tected market.
But, MI. Gronna will say. that proves
my second point. 1t the removal of the
tariff does not give the consumer cheap
or food, what is the use Of taking off
that tariff?
And right there is where the thinking
North Dakota farmer is going to come
back at Mr.. Gronna with a jolt. The
farmer wants the tariff cut and cut
downward. He is tired Of having that
mythical "protection' foisted on him as
an excuse to keep a heavy tariff on the
things he buys.
He knows that watches, sewing mach
ines, harvesting tools, and many other
things that he has to buy can be made
in the United States and sold in foreign
countries at a less price than be has to
pay for them. He knows that those are
the effects of the tariff that are hitting
him and he knows that all this fol de rol
about protection for the "great industry
of agriculture" to put it into very ex-
pressive slang, 1t merely shot air" pump
ed out of Washington in the endeavor to
fool the farmer.
And when the North Dakota farmers
named Mr.. Gronna to go to Washington
as a "progressive'' republican, they ex-
pected Mr.. Gronna to look out for their
interests and not take up as his pet
hobby, one of the oldest of the WORKOUT
standpat arguments.