, 1877-08-20
UNNECESSARY "BEAr1Na" OF PRICES.

OHE ComEubTClAI TeCOEu 1QE Iua pAH% WotA
exhibits most perplexing sta!a OF nffairs.
With crop yield Of cerenls unsurpassed In
quality as we'll as quantity, and the ccr-
tainty that about nil tho grain we fayo to
spare will be wanted by tho people Of other
countries. prices have declined foarfully.
Though there is 1ittlo or no pressure from
tie volume Of present receipts, or Of stocks
In atore, larga number of o'1r operators III
grain and provisions have been selling right
and left, for future delivery, tho property
which they do not own, Int trpect to sec
coming forward so freely that they will be
able to bny 1t in Mt lower prices than those
now ruling. They aro apparently doing
their best Tor worst) to reduce the farming
community to the fato Of the Roman maiden
who was crushed to death under tho weight
Of the gifts that were flung upon hcr by tho
savage warriors as they througed past her
into the Eternal City.
Wo are apt to mentally associate abundant
crops with national prosperity. It. needs
very little acquaintance with political econo-
my, as a science, to SEQ that our wealth and
comfort depend ultimately upon tue products
OF tho soil tho surplus which remains aftcr
home needs are supplied being exchanged
for thd other creature comforts of civiIixa-
iion. Hence, tho moro wheat W. havo to
sell, the moro dry gooda aud groceries ought
wo tobo able to purchase; and tue more hogs
tho moro iewclry, abbott we are commanded
not to cast our pearls before swine. It In
thus that commerce depends upon agrlcn1-
turo. If tho country prosper, ,.tho city flour
ishcs, md vice vcrsa; for tile city H., after
nil, only the depot Of the farm. Chicago
receives tho surplus grain mud live stock Of
tho country Of which sho Is tho focus, finds
mar1:es for 1t, and IN return obtaina
tho dry goods, groceries, boots mud
shoes, drugs, jewelry, musical instruments,
aud books tint make life in the country en-
ioynble, and manufactures tho implements
which enab1o tho farmer to cultivate tho soil
and harvest ills crops. All clso hangs OIL
this, as tho donizons Of the beehive dopcul
upon tlloir qucon. Tho money paid for
handling tho produce Of tho farm on ita way
towards tho consumer, and tho goods which
tho farmer buys In exchange for the surplus,
forms the wages OF m army OF workers In tho
city; mud those, with the profits OF tho opcra-
ton. sustain the other industries OF tia city,
as well ns tho smaller communities TINT cluster
around tho tlopota Which dot our linoa OF mil
road. These wages md pfoiits even keep
aitVo tho noblo army OF scalpera Whose
"business 1t Is to pare " slice from tho loaf
Of broad as It passes from tho producer to tho
consumer, without rendering m equivalent
service therefor, and too many Of whom DO so
by persistent Efforts to depfoctata the solling
value Of tho aforesaid loaf.
It ia argued that this boariug process ia
not m rnlnixod evil-that 1t caeapens tho
price OF bread to tho consumer near tho
farm, In addition to operating In the intcr-
eat OF tho widow and orphan in tue Eastern
statos and in Europe. But 1t needs littlo Of.
aunant to proye that, IL tie foruer Ia in,pov.
erishoil by needlossly low prices, nit tho other
interests suffer thereby, commerce Is pros.
tratet1. labor becomes drug. md tho work.
juun,an IN nnabfe tn buv eyen Tim uc1en,, It