How Farmers Are Cared For

Ad interesting aspect of the twlffcontroversy is the effect of protection upon the farmer and agricultura! workmen wlio have all along been the objects ol especial solicitude with free-trade attorneyf, from Mongredien of the Cobden Club to the little captain of ''reform' in the obscure town meeting. Farmers are urged to belleve that thelr interests were purposely ignored in the preparation ol our tarifT lawí, while in fact agricukure has been neither overlooked nor discriminateil against. Quite as mmy products of the farm are ctmmerated in the tarifl tcliedules as of any other single industry. All the cereal?, vegetables, meats, wool, jroducta of the dairyand orchani are defended by duties ranging from ten to flfty per cent. of their value. And the "reformer" who argües throngn all the other schedules that the price of the domestic products is materially enliancul )y a tariff on competing foreigh products, only Ftultifies himself in cootending that he farmer geta no benefit from the tarill" of 20 cents a bushel on forelgn-grown vheat, and half as mucli on oats and arley raised across the Canadian border and aold in the United States. The 20 per cent. tariff collected on an imporBtloo of $4,000,000 value of live ani. mils In the last fiscal year was to that extent as complete a protection as the ariff on silks or any other product of oreign mnnnfacture. Furtlier proof tint the farmer Iia9 not icen (l!9oriminated agalust in national egislation Is to be found in our hometead l:iw. Under this law any citizen vho wil] occupy and mprove the land is given a tract of 80 to 100 acre?, according o location, upon the mere payment of 'ees for survey and record of patent. No qually liberal treatinent has been aecordd to anyotlier Industry. And It mnybe well to remember that this policy of ;ivng homes to farmers found vigorous opponents amonjr the 3anie clas3 of philanliroplsts who are now woiklng for the titaxed admission of farm prodlicts aised in forcign countries. It Is quite safe to class all tariff reform vailings over alleed unjust d8crlminaïon against the farmer with the eqnally ioIIow pretense tliat the houscbuildiiiK rades command relatively hitrlier wages ecause they are not enumérate:! in tlie aiill'scliedules.