98 The Tariff and the Farmer. 



FOUR DECADES OF DECLINING AGRI- 

 CULTURAL PROSPERITY UNDER 

 HIGH PROTECTION. 



CHAPTER VIIL 



The National View. 



At the close of the nineteenth and the beginning of 

 the twentieth century it is eminently fitting to take a 

 backward glance. Xot only is that time fitting, but un- 

 usual facilities are given for such a review. The United 

 States Census, 1900, includes many statistical tables con- 

 cerning agriculture, in a retrospective view covering fifty 

 years in decade periods. It will be seen that these data, 

 and those from manv other sources, fullv confirm the 

 words of the Worthy Master of the National Grrange, 

 Aaron Jones, spoken at a business meeting of the order 

 at Rochester, N. Y., in November, 1903: "Agriculture 

 has not enjoyed an equal degree of prosperity with man- 

 ufacture and other industrial and commercial enterprises 

 in the United States. Farmers are losing their relative 

 position in the wealth and production of the nation." 

 And he adds, "It is the duty of this order and every 

 farmer to investigate and discover the causes that have 

 contributed to this condition, and aid in their removal 

 wherever found." 



This book is exactly in the line of duty indicated by 

 Worthv Master Jones. 



