The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1916-12-07
Farmer vs. City Consumer.

Washington, Dec. 8, Especial Cor
respondence) War even to the knife
between the Oranges and the Labor
| Unions is the pleasant little prospects
which the man who kept us out Of wal
is facing as a result of any attempt 10
embargo ioodsiufs. Representative
Fitzgerald, a Brooklyn boy, born and
reared, is scheduled to fire the first
shot when he offers his measure to
stop further shipments Of farm products
out of this conutry. The only farm
product with which Fifty is familiar
is the potato, better known to him as
"spud," and he couldn't tell a pedi,
greed Jersey milch-cow from the Bull
of Basham, on bet. But Fitzgerald
has good backing none less than that
Of the two Presidents OF the United
States, Messrs. Wilson and Sam Com
pers, behind whom will be the rank
aud file Of union laborers, who are gel.
ting from 50 to 81 per cent more pay
than two years ago, and the city
cousins" who extract most Of their
nutriment from the can and who re-
Gently gave Mr., Wilson vote Of
thanks for a condition Of prosperity
which they have suddenly discovered
never existed for them, To meet
these cohorts, the National Grange is
mobilizing its strength, and some
modern Cincinnatus will soon be call
ed from the plow to lead the hosts tf
agriculture in the fray.
Never has more ridiculous situa.
ton presented itself to the people Of
the United States. Less than one
month ago a lot Of short, fat orators
were haranguing the populace concern
ing our wonderful prosperity, and a
long, lean candidate for reelection was
assuring them it was not due TO the war
conditions. The farmer drove his load
of wheat to the market and sold it for
$l.75 bushel and lowed it would be
just as we'll to let thing go on as they
were going. The rural credits board
was flooding the country with literature
assuring the farmer that il he ever got
hard up he could borrow all the money
he wanted from the Federal Farm
Loan Board and the Democrats were
convincing him that never again would |
he be hard up. The city man had |
prosperity dinned into him until he
began to draw imaginary checks upon
an imaginary bank account and look |
over the schedules Of Florida.bound. |
boats.
But the election is over and every.
thing is changed. We awake 10 find |
the prosperity due to huge exports Of
war materials in the
hands Of few men, while the farmers
share in that prosperity is threatened
with an embargo, and the slogan OF
the labor unions has been amended
to read Feed America First!" The
farmer who had his products free-listed
by the Democrats, because they
loved him so" is to receive another
token Of their affection, if Wilson and
Fitzgerald have their way. The city
man is resorted to oatmeal and the
bread line is beginning to wind its
sinuous way through the city streets.
But why pick on the farmer1 Official
figures show that during the first nine
months Of 1918, which was the last
nine months OF protective tariff, our i'm.
ports Of foodstuffs and food animals
totaled 1896, 100000, while during
the first nine months Of 1914, under
the Democratic tariff law, they in
creased $4,000, 900. Exports Of these
products fell of s2S,OOO,0OO during
the 1914 period. Imports Of articles
partly and wholly manufactured total.