The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-12-29
A AMERICA, CANADA AND
THE TARIFF ISSUE

The following from the Toronto
Mail and Empire shows pretty we'll
the direction in which the policies of
farmers in both countries are tend !
ing:
If the will of the American farmer
is law in the present moribund Con- |
gress, as it unquestionably is, much
more will that be so in the Congress
that was elected in November to
enter upon its term of Office in March
next. The new Congress is more
strongly republican than the present
Congress. On the tariff question the
will of the American farmers is
strongly protectionist. They ask, not
that other industries in the countries
be stripped of protection. but that
their own industry as well be ade-
quately protected. Their position is
Just the reverse of that taken by the
politicians who set themselves up as
leaders of the Canadian farmers and
as opponents of Canadian agricultural
opinion. These politicians declare
themselves opposed to the granting of
protection to the Canadian farm in
dustry and resolved to sweep away
the protection of other Canadian in
dustries. We are very sure that the
great body of thinking farmers in this
country will refuse to be rounded up
under the leadership of these apostles
of free trade. They will refuse to be
separated from their fellow citizens
and exploited for the ambitions of
men so little qualified for statesman
ship.
Anti-protectionist newspapers in
this country are expecting President
Wilson to come to the rescue. II Con-
gress rushes through its emergency
tariff imposing stiff duties on wheat,
corn, beans, potatoes. onions, cattle,
sheep, mutton and wool, President
Wilson may veto the legislation. or he
may not. After SO overwhelming q
defeat of his party at the polls six
weeks ago, he may not consider it
wise to bring himself into conflict with
Congress in the last few months of his
term Of Office. He may be restrained
by consideration of the certainty that,
should the bill be killed now one no
less drastic will be passed in extra
ordinary session of the next Congress.
Moreover, he may have reason to feel
that his veto would be overridden by
the re-passing of the bill by a two
thirds majority. The Senate, which
blocked the treaty of peace containing
the league of nations covenant, might
not be more manageable in the case Of
tariff legislation. It is therefore by
no means improbable that the propos-
ed agricultural duties will soon become
law.
The effect would be adverse for our
farming industry, but in the long run
it would not be. One benefit Of it
would be the Illustration of those Can
adian agitators who are doing their
best to get agricultural opinion re-
volving on a purely class center. If
American farmers succeed in obtain
ing the high protection they want and
in excluding Canada farm staples
from their market, our own farmers
will not be restrained by their would
be shepherds of the free trade camp
from demanding their due protection
in their own home market from Am
erican competition there. It will open
their eyes to the Importance Of pre-
serving and developing the home mar
ket for the benefit of their industry.
It is useless to try to humbug sensible
men on the farms into believing not
only that it is better for their indus
try that it should be exposed here to
the stress of competition from coun-
tries that close their doors to Can
adam farm produce, but also that they
should welcome the free admission of
American manufactured products and
the consequent destruction of their
home market. The course that Con-
gress proposes to take cannot but
have the effect of bringing home To
oUr farmers a sense OF the community
LOT interest between them and other