Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1873-08-14
Fxrx Tn.ps AND F.narEs' RrsHrs.-

FRKE TRADE AND FARaEEs' RIsHrs.-I
We are so anxious thst the farmers should
gain what we think their just cause that We
dislike TO see them weaken it by misstate-
ments or irrelevant statements. The Ohio
platform is wiser in its equal regard for
justice to artisans as we'll as farmers than
Farmer Smith. the Secretary Of the Illi-
nois Farmers Association. who says:
1--WE found that. while We labored har-
der and more hours than the artisan and
workman in other pursuits, We were forced
to content ourselves with poorer food and
clothing. with fewer social privileges. and
less opportunities for mental cultivation
than they. We could no. help seeing
thar il they were as steady and industrious
as We, they were able to live in better
houses and had more money to spend in
their adornment than we had"
This is beside the point. Farmers can
not all become artisans. The Legislation
which it interests the farmers to have adop-
ted interests also the artisans. Which
ever Of them is the worse of now. they
are both worse off than they were in 1850.
If by adjournment" Mr.. Smith means
clothing, il is demon<trabie that the arii-
san has less money to spend on it DOW
than then. And we proceed to demon
strate it. According to the official returns
shoemaker in Illinois earned in 1850
on an average 81 % day. or 81 SIS
a week. or SAT 6s in four weeks. In
1873 the shoemaker earns in Illinoi:
80 Ga per day. or S15.s4 per week. 81
S63. Sc for four weeks. Let us now see
how many yards Of alpaca. how many
blankets. and how many boots the above
four weeks labor would have bought il
1860, and how much it buys in 1873
The following table will show this at
glance:
Yards OF alpaca, at IS cents per yard, 1861
Pairs of 5-pound blankets, at 1915 per
pair, l2.I
Pairs waxed-legged boots, at S4.5Oper
pair, 10
Yards Of alpaca at 55 cents per yard, 1850
Fairs of 5-pound blankets, at So per pair, 0.5
Pairs waxed-legged boots, at $50 per
pair, 81
Thus. then, we find that four week:
labor have lost a purchasing power i
1873. respectively
. In alpaca wards. 2lO
In blankets. pairs. 81
In boots, pairs,
All that now remains to be seen is no,
much purchasing power Fifty bushels c
r wheat have lost since 1860 in the abov
e commodities.
G In 1860 the price of No. 2 sprip
t wheat in Chicago averaged $40 pc
: bushel. and fifty bushels of wheat, there
a fore, brought S55 In 1873 the averag
c price for No. = spring wheat in Chicag
2 is 81 90. and fifty bushels of wheat fetche
$50. The comparative purchasing powe
y of fifty bushels Of wheat in the two yeal
r is therefore as follows:
u lS60.
. | Yards alpaca. at IS cents per yard 1874
Pairs 5-pound blankets, at 81 IS cts q pair II
!, Pairs waxed-legged boots. nj - so pair, H.:
1873.
: Yards alpaca, at 50 cents per yard, loo, {
i Pairs 5-pound blankets, Al So per pair. lO.I
Pairs waxed-legg-d boots, ut $3.50 pair, O.:
Z Thus then. the purchasing power
: fifty bushels Of wheat has lost
In alpaca, yards, AS
. In blankets, pairs, 4,
In waxed-legged boots, pairs, 81
1t will thus be seen that the loss in pu
chasing power of four weeks of artisa
b labor and fifty bushels Of wheat in Isl
J. compared with 1860 was about 10 and
II per cent. respectively. Hence the arts;
}. is only per cent. better of than Il
g farmer, as he losses per cent. less. but
d is by 10 per cent. worse off than he was
% 1860, while the farmer is Is per cen
- worse off than in 1860 Protective lie
d islation needs investigation both by fart
&c ers and artisans. World.