114 The Tariff and the Farmer. 



manufacturing centres, and that these furnish extremely 

 lucrative markets to the surrounding farmers, the farm- 

 ers of this State should be rolling in wealth. Here is 

 opportunity for testing the theory. The reign of pro- 

 tection began in 1860. The farmers have been under its 

 benign influence for four decades. How have they fared! 

 Here is one of the tables furnished by the census report 

 of 1900 that tells the story : 



Ohio Farms. 



The total value of farm land with buildings (with percentage of gain and 

 loss) in round numbers. 



Per Cent. 



1850 $358,758,000 



1860 678,133,000 -f89 



1870 1,054,465,000 -f55.5 



1880 1,127,497,000 +6.9 



1890 1,050,032,000 —6.9 



1900 1,036,615,000 —1.3 



Before the days of Republican protection a gain in the 

 value of land and buildings of over $319,000,000, percent- 

 age gain 89% in a single decade; under the highest pro- 

 tection ever known in the United States a loss in two 

 decades of $90,000,000, or 8%. 



Then in regard to the value of buildings on the Ohio 

 farms. Ohio was admitted to the Union in 1802. It then 

 had a population of 45,365. In those early days little 

 more could have been expected in the way of buildings 

 on farms but rough sheds for man and beast. As time 

 went on these naturally would give way for something 

 larger and better. By the time of the great Civil War 

 we should look to see the families provided generally 

 with comfortable small framed houses, warm sheds for 

 the stock, and much of the hav, formerlv stacked, imder 

 a roof. The forty years since added, bringing up to 



