Rensselaer Republican, Volume 22, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 August 1890 — Tariff Facts For Farmers. [ARTICLE]

Tariff Facts For Farmers.

Just now the farmer is singled out from the great body politic for the especial solicitude of the free-trade attorneys. Ignoring the fact that a policy which makes possible the creation of national wealth from otherwise worthless materials, must inure to the public advantage, even though but a portion of the population may be engaged in the process of transformation, the indefatigable freetrade advocate seeks to have the farmer believe that it is not he but the manufacturer alone who is advantaged by the protection of domestic industries. This is no nearer true than would be the contention that. the summer rain can bring no benefit to the manufacturer or the professional man because they have no growing crops to be invigorated; which is to deny that what brings wealth and benefit to any single class of the community is a public advantage. But as & matter of fact the business of the farmer is by no means so independent of foreign competition as his whilom free-tiade friends would have him believe. American agriculture is quite as much in need of direct protection as the majority of American manufacturing industries; and it is for this reason that the farmers’ interests were kept so constantly in

view in the preparation of both the existing and the proposed tariff leghslatfbli. More than onesixth of the $745,131,652 worth of imports .during the fiscal year 1889 was made up from commodities coming in immediate competition with the products of American farms, viz: Animals and Meat 5,...,........... 14, 010, 498 Cotton 1,104,50 S Dairy l'roducts 1,250,922 Fruits, other than tropical. 8,794,272 Flaxseed 3,831,685 Grains, hay, hops, etc 9,252,912 tAd.vAvphA;. EEH. r %«MS7' Skins, other than furs 25,127,750 Tobacco. V.. ■*.?:..... 10,868,228 W 0015.:.. i7,m-5i5~ V eget able fibers ... . 20,468,475 Vegetables 3,637,301 Miscellaneous 5,151,650 T0ta1.... $125,082,148 This includes sugar, spices, raw silk, dyes, wines, and numerous other articles, of which many are grown in the United States, and td-l required for domestic consumption could be grown here as well necessarily higher prices our farmers are compelled to pay for labor. In fact, under the heading of “commodities which might be jteimqd product&- -of agriculture,” the treasury department has classed over iorty-sevem per cent of all importations of merchandise. And yet in the face of these incontrovertible statistics Cobden Club attorneys have the effrontery to reiterate the fallacy that the farmers’ interest, would be best promoted by free foreign trade.