Agricultural Masses Not Protected. 31 



duced by tlie great mass of our farmers, liow absurd 

 sounds the question propounded by Mr. McKinley: ^'Do 

 the agriculturists want all duties removed and their prod- 

 ucts driven from this market!'' 



But it will be said that the insignificant amount of 

 imports of Class 3 comes from these being barred out by 

 the tariff system. Duties, however, of far higher rates 

 do not prevent large importations of manufactured 

 goods. The explanation here is that the prices of manu- 

 factured goods in this country have been lifted to a high 

 artificial elevation, this giving opportunity for similar 

 goods coming in over high tariff bars. The case of agri- 

 cultural products. Class 3, is entirely different. Here 

 the current of trade flows in great volume outward. Over 

 $761,000,000 of these products found a market beyond 

 our shores in 1900, nearlv twentv times the size of the 

 dutied inflow. More than half of this great value goes to 

 Great Britain. What is the significance of this! Great 

 Britain is the centre of the world's market for such prod- 

 ucts and they are freely admitted to her ports. Here the 

 farmer of the United States, of Canada, of South Amer- 

 ica, of Australia, of Africa, and of Europe all come in 

 competition. With what result! That the United States 

 farmer successfully competes for the trade of Great Brit- 

 ain to the extent annually of from $300,000,000 to $400,- 

 000,000. The other half of these agricultural exports 

 from the United States goes to nations where in almost, 

 if not every case, the home farmer is protected by high 

 duties. Now if these products in vast quantities can be 

 carried abroad 1000, 2000, 3000 miles, and at much ex- 

 pense and with every disadvantage successfully compete, 

 how can the foreigner with the additional expense of 

 seeking a market here drive our farmers from the home 

 market under free trade conditions! 



