Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1924-08-22
FARM PROTECTION NOW
FREE UNDER DEM
OCRATS.

A tariff tarradiddle persisted III
by the Democrats is expressed to
the effect that "the farmer under
the present Republican tariff law i.
compelled to sell in a free and pur
chase in a protected market" A
statement was recently distributed
by the Republicans showing that
agricultural implements, fertilizers,
building materials, including lum-
Der, fuel, breakfast drinks, boots
and shoes, harness and saddlery,
leather gloves, animals for breed
ing purposes, barbed wire, homes
and whetstones, and a large mum
Der Of other articles are now on the
free list, while there were reduc-
tons on many things in general use
on the farm.
Space does not permit detailed
analysis of Schedule z, Of the Re
publican tariff law, Agricultural
Products and Provisions" which is
embracive, but from it are taken
the following articles which acre
absolutely free of duty under the
Democratic tariff law enacted IN
1918, and which will be placed
there again, with additions no doubt,
in the unanticipated event of a
Democratic victory this fall. These
Scsss articles are highly protected
under the present Republican Ia7g
Fresh meats and meat animals
Of all sorts, and prepared poultry :;
milk and cream, fresh or prepared l
eggs; buekwheat; corn rye wheat !;
-Four and semolina; bran; plain
biscuits; cherries, figs, lin e 5,
peaches, pears, plums, prunes. fruits
not specially provided for, III brine !;
and fruits not specially provided
for in their natural state; crude
eitron and orange peel; certain
bulbs and Dubious roots; cotton
seed; soy beans; sunfowel seed :;
grass seeds Of all kinds, and GER
tain garden seeds; potatoes an.
potato -four, and wool. Sugar was
scheduled for the free list May l 3,
1916, but long before that time
rolled around the Louisiana Dem
ocrats raised such a ruction that the
Democrats repealed the May first
proviso, contenting themselves with
retaining the reduced duties on that
product.
Other articles coming under the
agricultural schedule were given ri
diculously low revenue rates in the
Democratic tariff on the theory ex-
pressed by Mr.. Underwood, Trainer
OF the measure, that the imports
would be so greatly stimulated
thereby that the Federal revenues
would be largely increased. AT the
same time the Democrats took good
care to see that many Southern
products were looked after. The
tobacco schedule, as drafted by the
Republicans some years before, was
untouched. Rice and its products !;
hgs; citrus fruits such as grape
fruit, oranges, lines, and lemons
pIneapples and products; peanuts
and certain other nuts; the early
veg tables coming to Northern
markets from the South, and other
products were placed on the dutiable
list. And Angora goat hair, so per
cent of the production of which is
in Texas, was given a duty of Is
per cent. The Democrats promised
the Italian voters that lemons would
go On the free list if they would
vote for Wilson. They did. The
Democrats gave them a lemon"
but not a free lemon.
The effect of the free list was
disastrous. The law was in full
effect but nnle months of the fiscal
year 1914, yet comparing that year
with 1913, under the Republican
tariff, imports of food animals in
creased 100 per cent; breadstuffs
III per cent, wheat nearly 1870 per
cent and corn 1880 per cent by vol
ume; meat and dairy products 165
per cent, by value, the meats in
creasing from less than 81, 900 900
to S21, 100000. Fruits and nuts,
particularly peanuts, showed huge
increases. So did vegetables and
sugar and wool. In fact the agri-
cultural producers were shot to
pieces with foreign competition, |
but
Prices did not come down. They
clambered merrily upward. The
American producer suffered in his
home market, and the foreign COM
petitor added the tariff taken off
at this end to his profits at the