Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1870-02-22
About the Price of Wheat.
A Republican paper of the West says:

1.-The Democratic papers of the country
persist in charging the low price of wheat to
Radical rule, plea which ought to stamp the
one who makes it a fool and does with intel
ligent mon who can read, and who dare. to
think for themselves.
"A new York circular gives the true reason
for the low price of wheat, aud here it is, and
it ought to satisfy every one:
% On the 10th of November there were
afoat on the way to Liverpool, 800 cargoes of
,vhedt from the Bldck Sea region, AND ONLY
FIFTEEN FROM NEW YoRK! Do you ask
why this was so ? We answer because wheat
could be bought cheaper in the Black Sea
markets."
And why can wheat be bought cheaperin
the Black Sea markets. z
To answer this is to state one the simplest
propositions known to political economy
Anything which can be produced cheaply, can
be sold cheaply and sold with profit. Tie
demand for commodity does not more
thoroughly control the price of it than does
the cost of its production, and grain which can
be raised at slight cost can be sold at much
lower rates than grain which is raised at
great cost.
The farmers of America cannot expect to
compete with the wheat producers of the
Black Sea region. Here we have too many
loyal blessings to labor and struggle under
Here the farmer is taxed to support a select
class of Government peculators-bendholder
who are not taxed.
He is taxed, first, upon his house and farm
and barn.
He is ta1eu upon his income.
He is taxed upon every implement he buys
to conduct his farm.
He is taxed upon the clothes he buys to
protect himself and family from cold.
He is taxed upon his sugars, teas, cofees,
and such other groceries as he may purchase
for his home.
If he mortgages his farm to raise little ne
cessary mony, he has to pay for revenue
stamp to put upon his mortgage.
II e suferssundcr an Infamous tariff law, en-
acted by Republican Congress to make the
Eastern manufacturer richer, while it makes
the Western producer poorer.
He is not permitted TO buy his necessaries
where he can buy them cheapest and sell his
grain where he can get most for it but he
is compelled by the acts of loyal Congress to
buy at the extorionate rates of the manufac-
turers, while he is by the same Congress COM
PEELED to sell his wheat where he gets the least
for it.
The man who will not think of this, and
understand it as it is, is simply knave, a
fool, or a biggot, who would sacrifice the whele
country with it's people and their prosperity,
that party of fanatics, bondholders, and
thieves might continually hold carnival, aud
revel in wealth wrunS from tho producing
classes.
1t is to the interest of the Epglishman that
he gets the greater quantity of his wheat sup>
ply from the Russian markets, for there he
can trade his manufactured goods aud sustain
a prosperous international commerce benef-
cial to both countries.
In the days of Democratic administration
in this country, three-fourths of the wheat
imported by England went from the United
States, and this because England could send
to our markets, in exchange for wheat, her
superior manufactured goods free Of an ex-
tortionate protective tariff.
Now it is different.
English goods were driven from our mar
kets by the tariffs which the Republican par
ty enacted as soon as it came into power, and
when the Englishman could not sell his goods
here he refused to buy our wheat. lnstead
of the United States furnishing three -fourths
of the wheat which England imports now, we
furnish only one>fourth, the balance going
from the Black Sea markets, where the Eng
lishman finds ready sale, unburdoned with
This is the result of Republican rule in the
United States, and the plea to the contrary
"ought to stamp the one who makes it fool,
and does with intelligent men who can read,
and who dare to think for themselves"
Let US have a market for our own wheat;
let us have free trade an opportunity to sell
where we can sell for most, and buy where
we can buy for least, instead of selling at the
lowest markets and buying at the highest
Then we will have good prices for what our
farmers raise. cheap clothing for them to wear,
and lighter taxes with more ability to pay
them. These things we never will have un
der the administration of the party now in
power. When the farmers of the country
unite with the workingmeu of the city to
drive these vuItures and blood suckers from
their high places then will they succeed.
The remedy for the farmers suffering is in
the hands Of the farmer.
[Pomeroy's Democru