Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 June 1891 — American Horses In Europe. [ARTICLE]

American Horses In Europe.

McKinley pretended to see that our farmers were in danger of being flooded with too many cheap horses coming into the country from Canada Of course, the farmers aro themselves the principal buyers of horses, but McKinley dependod upon them to overlook that fact, an'd to be overwhelmed with gratitudo to him to find in the'“farmers’ tariff” that he raised the duty on horses. Under the old law, horses came in at 20 per cent, ad valorem. McKinley raised this duty to 30 per cent, on all horses valued at more than £l5O per head, and to £3O apiece on horses worth less than £l5O. These duties look like a sign of distress, like a confession that there is some ruinous outside competition. The following item from the Rural NewYorker, however, shows that the American horse can hold up his head among the pauper horses of Europe: “Shipping horses to Scotland from Philadelphia is becoming quite a business, 401) having been sent within the last few months. They all go to Aberdeen, where a dealer has opened large stables for the sale of American horses exclusively. The trade is expected to increase rapidly. The trotting horse is preferred, being used as a coach horse and roadster. It cost £3O for the transportation of each horse, besides £4O insurance on each animal valued at S2CO. But notwithstanding these heavy charges, which do not include the expenses to Aberdeen from Glasgow, the shippers realize a profit, and propose to push the trade.” McKinley’s horse duty, then, was only intended to fool farmers who lack hdrse sense.