Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 January 1893 — The Potato Tax. [ARTICLE]

The Potato Tax.

The potato crop of the country is much below the average this year, and the price of this important article of food is likely to be so high as to put it beyond the reach of multitudes of consumers. Statisticians, who are familiar with the market, have estimated that the home supply of potatoes will have been exhausted long before the time for the planting of the new crop. In this emergency it would be necessary to Import large quantities of potatoes, and to pay upon them a McKinley tax of 25 cents on every bushel. This tax could be of no benefit to the American farmers in any circumstances. When the potato crop has been abundant there has been a large quantity for export, and the tariff could have affected the price taut little if at all. WJaen there has been a failure the domestic crop has been consumed and sold at home before the foreign supply could come in; and a large portion'of the farmers have been obliged to buy the highly taxed potatoes, not 'merely for food, but to plant for next year’s crop. In short, when the fanners have had an abundance of potatoes to sell none have been imported; and when potatoes have been imported the farmers have had none to sell. If a bill sbouid be introduced in the House some Monday morning to repeal the burdensome tax on potatoes, under a suspension of the rules, it would doubtless he passed by a large majority; and the Senate would hardly fail to oencur.—Philadelphia Record.