Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-09-04
Prosperity Of Farmers.


out any reduction of prices. He enlarges
on the greater leisure and the abundance OF
personal indulgences that might be enjoyed
by the farmer and his family under such
circumstances. All of which is of the nature
of a fairy tale.
The. farmer is the maker, or producer, Of
articles of general use,-what are called
staple" articles. Now it is au essential
character and condition of such articles that
they must and will be sold at a small adj
vance over the actual average cost of their
production. This is an invariabe rule of
trade, and applies to all articles of necessity
and general use. Neither the farmer nor
the manufacturer, nor the merchant, can es-
cape from the operation of this law.
Farmers, therefore, can never expect to
see any of their staple products sold at fancy
prices. If by any means we succeed III
doubling our average crops, we shall see the
same result follow as has followed the doub-
ling Of the products of mechanical industry
consequent upon the progress of mechanical
ihNthNiOh' iiNo Will lOilOW tOoN' tNtlN
time, leaving just sufficient margin for the
support of the average producer.
The market price must, in the long run,
support the average producer. If it does
not do so for while, enough will be driven
out of production to restore the equilibrium
If the price is then forced up by short
supply, the season of excessive prices will
be cut off by the stimulation given to pro-
duction, and again a season of low prices
will follow. Thus the price will moderately
huctuate around an average rate just suff-
cient to keep enough producers in the field
to supply the demand.
The price is regulated, we say, by the aver
age cost of production. If, through poor
soil, laziness, or unskilfulness in his bust
ness, a farmer cannot produce crops at the
average cost, he must run behind-hand, and
his final failure is only question of time.
If, by reason of exceptionally rich soil, or
great skill and industry, he is able to get
larger than average crops without a proper
tionate addition to cost, his profit will be
greater than the necessary "just enough
for his support, and he will make money"
But if these superior advantages of soil,
ability and industry could be made general,
so that all farmers forced the productive
power of their land to its highest PITCH then
no one farmer would enjoy any advantage
over another, unless through unequal idcs, or
an unequal administration Of good lars
1t must, however, long, if not always, be
true that some men are more skilful i'll their
profession than others, and will rise to the
top of it. 1t is in this personal equation !"
that exceptional success resides, and it is
only by the development of high personal
qualification for the business that great sue
cess can be reached. We may be sure that
the average price will always remain at a
point barely sufficient to keep the average
producer at work, by enabling him to live.
just so far as any of us can, by our per
sonal ability in excess of the average, ill.,
crease our products without a proportional
increase of cost above the average, Just SO
far will we be prosperous in excess of
making bare living
But what is "bare living?' There
might be, and are, various estimates of
what constitutes a bare living. Does it in
clude any luxuries Yes just as many
Injuries as the nottingham makes up his
mind that he will have-the average work
ing-man, we mean. 1t may be only a plug
OF tobacco week, or glass OF rum a day
for the man, and cup of tea and some
brass jewelry for his wife or it may be fast
horses, fine house, pianos and silk dresses
or books and other such articles of higher
and less sensual enjoyment. Just as much
OF such things as the average of the produc.
ing classes demand, and will have, must be
included in the average price of the articles
they produce. But whatever this average
may be, those of deficient industrial ability
will lack in proportion TO their deficiency
and those of more efficient ability will enjoy
an abundance proportionate to their supe
rior efficiency.
This only under just ldWs, justly admins
tered. The governing or law-making powel
may be guilty OF so much oppression, fo
the benefit of classes most influential in tn,
government, as to at last reduce the pro
ducers to the barest absolute necessities o
life, and even, temporarily, to the point o
rags and starvation. Then, and rarely mucl
before, comes rebellion.
Under equal and just laws, few, simple
and vigorously executed, all the advantage
any one man would have over another woul,
be in his superior personal qualifications 70
whatever industry he was engaged in. Blu
the full and free field afforded by Just gov
eminent greatly encourages personal deve
opment, and thus increases the number o
able producers.
As regards farmers, among themselves, tn
rule will ever be as we have stated it, Tn
most capable, industrious and prudent vii
be the most successful, because they wi
most exceed average results, upon whic
prices are based. But between farmers an,
other classes, what is the rule as regard
proportionate prosperity 1t is exactly tn
same, so long as class legislation does nc
enter as a disturbing influence. As betwee
farming and manufacturing, or trading, on
will be preferable to another only as the II
clination of the individual prompts towar
one or the other avocation. The same la,
of price, as related to average cost of prc
duction, holds equally in all.
But, now, suppose the farmers should q
Possession of the government, and procee
to indirectly tax all other forms of industr
for their own advantage How soon coul
we diminish their Injuries How soon
would be that our commercial cities, instea
Of their long streets of palatial residence
their costly public buildings, their variou
aud Astounding Injuries of dress and lvinJ
would consist of collections Of cheap re
licences, with store-houses of rough stou
or wood-the merchants living cheaply, wit
few servants, and laboring hard in exchanj
ing our products for us with the manufactu
ing population, or with foreign countrie
for so small percentage that a rich me
chant would be a phenomenon indeed. An
how, too, we could reduce the prosperity
the manufacturing and mining classes
the same way and how our farms wou
brighten upl What splendid mansion