Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1847-08-06
From the Pennsylvania.
THE PRICES OF RREADSTUEES.

THE PRICES OF BREADSTUFFS.
A few weeks ago, when the prices of bread
stufs were high, the North American, in a
paroxysm of sympathy, condoled with the me- |
chanics, and tried to convince them that the
tariff of 1916 was working their ruin. Then
that far-seeing Journal had no congratulations
to offer to the farmers, on state of things so
gratifying to them its tears flowed in anoth
cr channel, and the happy agriculturalist was
wholly forgotten. Now, however, when these
prices have gone down partially, the mechan-
les are kicked aside and forgotten, and the
streaming eyes and piteous looks OF this fed
eral print are turned compassionately upon
the farmers. Like the weIl-known historian,
who was preacher and player by turns, it is
hard to say in the personatlon of which OF
these different characters the North American
is most successful. Neither Sol Smith nor
Joe Cowell could lay claim to higher order
of talent in these difficult departments of the
DRAMA Here is one of these flights of fancy,
which would do credit to any of those extern
pore clergymen who sometimes turn to preach
ing when playing is not proftable:
els this all the stability of the rich market
the new tariff was to give to the farmers of A
merica Is that European market, to gain
which the trainers of the free trade bill have
done all they could to break down our own
home market, of so little value, that the mere
prospect of fine crop in Great Britain, in ia
mine times too, smites down the prices of
maize so low that consignees would be glad
to sell it for the charges or abandon it to
the forwarders" What prices, then, are we
to expect, when the crops of Great Britain
shall have been harvested 20
| But has this home market been destroyed,
| Il - A.. 20
of 1916 was enacted On the contrary, has
not the home demand increased in an amazing
| degree? Have not your prophecies of the
overthrow of our domestic manufactures been
falsifed too' Does not the whole country
know that the prices of manufactured articles
of all kinds are at least as good as, and in ma
ny cases better than, they were under your
boosted tariff of 1912 Is it not equally no.
torious that your prophecies have been falsi-
fed in another very important particular, by
the erection of hundreds of new. manufactur
ing establishments in all parts Of the country,
north and south, east and west Have not
thousands of hands been employed in conse-
quence, to the utter demolition of another of
your predictions' Have they not been en-
| ployed at better prices, too? And # these
things are so, wherein do we differ. so far as
the home market is concerned, from the boast
ed state of things under the tariff of 1912 3
1t is easy to see that we have all the advanta-
ges of home market, added to all the benefits
consequent upon the opening of the English
ports to our domestic produce.
There never was more desperate and reck-
less effort than that now making by the federal
papers on the subject. Last November, when
there was certain prospect of rise in bread
stuffs, they attempted 10 create panic among
the holders Of grain, by ridiculing the whole
affair as the work of speculation, and by pre-
dieting that there was no scarcity abroad
The North american even went so far as to
publish letters from Europe, the object OF
which was to induce the farmers TO sell off al
what were then the controlling prices. And
these efforts succeeded only too weli-hun-
dreds of farmers came into market, and sold
at present prices, thereby losing thousands OF
dollars, which went into the pockets Of the
, spectators. This was one proof of the love
f OF the North american for the farmer. We
} have no doubt atall that the same paper would
now be rejoiced if wheat went down to fifty
cents bushel, especially if this result aided
In It's designs to restore federalism to power.
The design of the North american, howev
er, is evidently to show that the prices O
breadstutts are lower under democratic, anC
higher under federal administrations Sucf
i an attempt is sufficiently absurd and impract
cable, without word from US. But if we re
Ter to the history of the past, we shall tlnt
how little cause we have to trust the opposl
: ton on this subject, in the future. 1t is ;
- singular, but not the less incontrovertible fact
; that under the three federal administration
with which this country has been afflicted
r. those OF the elder and younger Adams, ant
Q haf of f. h Low
=. er than during any other administration sine
} the commencement of the government. Thi
o is truth full of significance. And it is ais
> fact, that the farmers have never prospere
IS so well as under democratic administrations
y Let us give few figures to prove these as
J. sertlons, taken from Hazards Register,
g well known and reliable journal, with stron
federal sympathies -
is During the four years of the adminstratio
1t OF John Quincy Adams, the average price
Sc flour per barrel was SIS 149.
ot During the first four years of General JACK
Is sons administration, the average price VIZ
Il S. 81 per barrel, and during his second ter
es Sc 16 ga.
During Mr.. Van Buren's four years, Il
u average price Of flour per barrel was 81 g.
- We now come to that blessed period begil
= ming with General Harrison's administrator
r. and including the best portion of the tin
ms when the tariff OF 1912 was covering the cou
fl try with benefits, according to federal pape
It the period when the home market flourisl
at ed. We take these authorities for the pric
IN of wheat, rye, and corn, from the books of
practical miller in an adjacent county of tn
ore State
lot To show how the prices ranged between
nd democratic and federal administration, fro
lis 1886 to 1910, the average price per bushel-
N, wheat was ST II, rye 81 06, corn 80 cent
ill From 1910 to 1914 Qet the North Americ;
X observe) wheat was 81 13 per bushel, rye
cents, corn 54!
ie- These are stubborn facts, and furnish b
Est ter commentary upon the professions of t
,io tedeEalsts In their efforts to excite the farme
ne against the democratic party. We leave O
contemporary of the North American to expla
90 the causes which have produced the invar
o IS BILE prosperity of the farmers when the dem
" Gratis were in power, and contributed to tn
49, rum and misfortune when the federalists we
~ IN power.
be The quarter of wheat or corn, cited in a
counts of the English markets, is general
et- estimated at eight bushels. The exact nies
ch ure is eight bushels and forty EIGHT hundredt
of bushel, or about eight bushels and ha
we The quarter is term used originally to e
of press the fourth part of a. load, grain or &C