The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1916-12-14
FARMER VS. CITY CONSUMER.

WASHINGTON, Dec. II, 1916. Especial
Correspondence War even to the knife
between the Oranges and the labor
Unions Is the pleasant little prospect
which the man VINO kept US out of war
is facing as a result of any attempt to
embargo foodstufs. 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 country. The only farm product
with which Fifty Is familiar is the pota-
to, better known to him as ''spud'', and
he couldn't tell a pedigreed Jersey mich
COW from the Bull of Bashan, on bet.
But Fitzgerald has good backing-none
less than that of the two Presidents of
the United States, Messrs. Wilson and
Sam Gompers, behind whom will be the
rank and file of union laborers, who are
getting from 33 to so per cent more pay
than two years ago, and Getty cousins who
extract most of their nutriment from the
can and who recently gave Mr.. Wilson
vote Ct thanks for a condition of prosperi-
ty which they have suddenly discovered
never existed for them. To meet these
cohorts, the National Grange is mobiiz-
ing its strength, and some modern GIN
cinnatus will soon be called from the
pillow to lead the hosts of agriculture in
the fray.
Never has a more ridiculous situation
presented itself to the people of the
United States Less than one month ago
a lot of short, fat orators were harangu-
ing the populace concerning our wonder
full prosperity, and long, lean candidate
for reelection was assuring them it was
not due to war conditions. The farmer
drove his load of wheat to market and
sold it for $1.75 bushel and lowed it
would be just as well to let things go on
as they were going. The rural credits
board was flooding the country with lit
erature assuring The farmer that ii he
ever got hard up he could borrow all the
money he wanted from the Federal Farm
Loan Board and the Democrats were
con yincing him that never again would
he be hard up. The city man had pros
perity dinned into him until he began to
draw imaginary checks upon an imagin-
airy bank account and look over the
schedules of Florida bound boats.
But the election is over and every
thing is changed. We awake to find the
prosperity due to huge exports of manu-
featured war materials in the hands of a
| few men, while the farmers share in
| that prosperity is threatened with an en-
barge, and the slogan of the labor unions
has been amended to read Feed Ameri
ca First!" The farmer who had his pro-
ducts free-listed by the Democrats, "be-
cause they loved, him SOL is to receive
another token of their affection, if Wilson
and Fitzgerald have their way. The city
man is resorting to oatmeal and the bread
line is beginning to wind its sinuous way
through the city streets.
But why pick OH the farmer? Official
figures show that during the first nine
months of 1918, which was the last nine
months of protective tariff, our imports
OF foodstuffs and food animals totaleo
1926, 900, 900, while during the first zine
months of 1914, under the Democratic
tariff law, they increased S87, 900, 900
Exports of these products fell off $685.,
00O,O during the 1914 period. Imports
of articles partly and wholly manufacture
ed totaled $666, 900, 600 during the 1911;
period, and but $532, 600, 900 during thu
, 1914 period, exports falling from 1896,
> 600, 900 in 1918 to $72s, 200, 900 in 1914
During the first nine months Of. 1915, I
war period, exports of farm products ros'