Weekly Chillicothe crisis., 1881-01-20
Free Trade...lts Effects on the Farmer.

|
81 am informed from Washington
that Mr.. Brooks is now ready'to mount
on peddler's wagon and ride through
the agricultural districts of the coun-
try exhibiting hoes, shOvels, axes, bars,
chains, rods, knives, forks, cottOns and
wollens, to demonstrate to the eyes Of
the people the enormous taxation i'm
posed on them by the existing tariffs
Before he commences this journey
among the farmers, | propose to share
with him large part of the expense,
on condition that he will inform the
farmers as he goes through the cOun-
try that, according to Mr.. Wells report,
there are one million of men employed
in the manufacture of those articles so
indispensable to every farmer.
81 want him to ascertain from the
farmers how many millions Of bushels
of their grain and all other agricultur-
al products are annually consumed by
these hundreds of thousands Of the
working-men of our country. want
him to he very particular, as he goes
along, to show the farmers how
perfectly insignificant the amount of
grain is that has been sold Abroad
when compared with the amount that
is annually consumed by the men now
employed in making the various arti-
cles he enlumeratCs. 1t will he well,
as he comes in contact with the farm
ers, to ascertain where they expect to
find a market when those hundreds Of
thousands that now consume their
produce are forced to turn farmers and
come in competition with them for
market.
81 hope Mr.. Brooks will quote from
Mr.. Wells report, where he states that
the American agriculturaliSt does not
command his own price in Il foreign
market, but the price commands him,
as he is compelled 'to sell at the price
offered in London, the central market
of the world where farm labor is
hired for one half the price paid for
it in this country
at will be Il matter Of the greatest
interest for the farmes to know that
Mr.. Wells says there are now one mill
lion of skilled artisans in our country,
making the largest and most valuable
consuming class in this community
"AIr. Brooks should tell the farmers
that these are the men, with their
families, employees and laborers, that
consume large part of all they
have to sell, and are now paying them
more than they could get in any other
part Of the world.
81 hope Mr.. Brooks will be sure, as he
passes through the country, to tell
the farmers that he and his friends
are doing all they can to withdraw
the legal-tender notes, and continue
specie payments, and that, notwith-
standing, we are debtor country to an
incalculable amount.
"IIe Gun assure the farmers that, as
soon as our bank paper is payable in
specie on demand, there will be some
four or five dollars Of paper alloat for
every silver or gold dollar in the conn-
try.
"IIe should assure the farmers that
when all our paper money is made
payable in specie Oh demand, ii will
prove the most certain means that
can he used to 'fenillac the rich mans
field by the sweat of the poor mans
brow
ut will do this by ensuring the peri
Odical return of those scenes Of panic,
pressure and general bankruptcy and
ruin that have SO often changed the
values of all property and labor some
twenty-five or fifty per cent, in 4 single
year. whenever it was for the interest
of foreign creditors or merchants ut
home to withdraw Il few extra millions
from our banks, as they did in 81
when u withdrawal Of only seven
millions produced the panic Of that
year, which sunk the values of all the
property of our country to the amount
of thousands OF millions of dollars.
These millions were taken from the
farmers mechanics ana merchants
who were in debt, and put in the pos
session VI thosc "i.o 'l'.l 'I'e ''ie,,i,a ~ ~
ouy "C 'Iie iuiito"9 i"''' "y ,,, " nv
4 be sold, thus making, as it ever must
'Iie rlch liche'' anu '''' pun Poo'e''
"But when TINS conlractlohol money
.I....
and credits has gone on lor certain
time and instead OF adllluscd ana large
credit perVadlng the country we nave
all the loanaDle capital concentrated III
the great money centres, ana colltrolleu
by the banks, then expansion OF credits
; will be the order OF the day Bank
credit Will be thrown out IN unlimited
quantity, in the shape OF bank notes,
ostensibly redeemabIe IN specie, Dul
really not; but all secured as loans on
the property Of the borrower. Then
the banks and the money lenders have
only to contract these loans, and the
securities being suddenly thrown upon
the market, sweeps the property OF the
many into the hands OF the few. This
is the game of all banking.
"Mr Brookes should sound an alarm
as he goes through the country, and
say to all that there can be no secHrity
for any man that is in debt until ou
general government shall perform its
most important duty, which is not only
to establish Just system of weights and