The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-08-19


at once. IL this work is commenced at once, ali
the poor men who have lost their crops could
during The whole winter, thus Obtaining bread
for their families until they will be able 10 COM
inence farming next year. We hope the press in
the overlooked regions will agitate the
question, and have the senators
and representatives In the diff
/ some interest in the subject. Another such
overflow, and many counties in this state and
Illinois would be bankrupt. Enough has been
| lost this year to build hundreds OF miles of
| levees, and people should learn from past ex-
perience to prepare for the future This question
should be brought to the attention OF the gov
ernor by those who have influence with tue
executive and special session OF the general
assembly should be convened at once.
What does the Indiana Farmer mean by
saying "that wrong and oppression have
come upon Us (the farmers) now in conse-
quence of no comb nation of effort to fix
just prices" on farm produce? What is that
paper trying to make out and to teach its
farmer readers when it "fears the wrongs
that are upon us more than those that can
be thought possible?" To-day, if any
farmer will bring good old red wheat to this
city he can get 81 80 per bushel for it and
get his money. He can have seventy cents
bushel for bis corn, sixty cents for oats,
I
hay. If he las hogs, they will bring him
from 81 so to s. 20 per hundred gross quick,
and give him the cash. Beef is not
quite so high, but good shipping stock
will command nearer Sc than SIS, and any ar
ticle of prime quality from a hens egg I'D
will sell for as much money as at any time
in the history of this state, excepting. per-
hsps, some exceptional markets from a fail.
ure, causing scarcity of some especial ar
ticle. With the large money thus obtained
the farmer can step over ITO the'store and
buy all lines of Ecotton::.and ..woolen goods
for less prices than he coul1 before the ar,
or ever before in the world. One bushel of
wheat will buy first class print dress, and
ten bushels of wheat will buy the farmer
himself a.handsOme suit of clothes. Never
bsfore could bushel OF wheat or barrel of
pork be sent to New York for so low
rate, the prices for months past
having been actually below cost, aud the
railroad companies losing money. Yet In
the light OF these plain. practical facts the
Farmer, with stupid petulance which de-
serves rebuke, would impress upon its pat
roDs that they are the victims of 'oppres-
sion and wrong" Who are the oppressors?
what are the wrongs? It is true that
nature, or if the Farmers faith
prefers it, Divine Providence has
sent some adverse fortune to certain regions
and individuals. But the same agency has
also filed the land with plenty and favored
product ofthe great staple of the West that
was never before equalled, scarcely ap
preached. The same paper argues the right
of the farmer to fix his own price on the
articles which be has for sale. Who cues
tons that right? Nobody. The farmer
may ask what he pleases, and if he
fail TO find buyer at his price, he may
keep his grain. That is just what many are
doing. The country is full of good old
wheat, yet it is nearly impossible to get any
here at 81 SO bushel, because the farmers
are generally holding it for higher prices
Go to Clinton, Carroll, White, Tippecanoe,
or any other of the rich counties, and you
can find wheat boarded, single farmers
not uufrequently having on hand from LOCO
to 1000 bushels. There is no corn in this
market. Why? Because the farmer is not
obliged to sell till he can get price that
suits him. But when the Indiana Farmer
goes further and 'larsDgues its readers in
favor OF combinations to fix prices,
as counsel Is not more mis-.
chievous than lacking in good
sense. The market can not be
fixed by the producers, nor by the western
dealers. Chicago. with what power she pos
sesses, and il is concentrated more than the
farmers power can be, nearly ruined the
country the past summer in a futile attempt
to control the market at the seaboard. She
ried to carry 10, 900 600 bushels of grain and
to bull both New York and Liverpool. The
result is known. The break nearly
broke everybody that bad anything to do
with grain, and had it not been for the rains,
prices would not be as good as they are.
There is such thing as market which is
determined at those points where the con.
sumptive demand touches. The seller can
use that market or keep his goods, and
that is the end of it. He must use his own
Judgment to sell or keep. He can not, how
ever, form combination general enough
nor strong enough to fix the market price
except temporarily and locally. Then why
this nonsense and misehievous stuff from the
only agricultural paper in the state?
There never was q time when farmers
were less in debt or had more ready money
to use for personal and family comfort than
they have to day q class. Few, if any,
classes are, amid the general stagnation OF
business, less disconnected or more inde-
pendent.
A knowledge of the works of Chaucer is
recommended as part of the English edu-
cation of young men who desire to become