Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1882-07-15
NORTHERN TRIBUNE.
SATURDAY. JULY Is, 1882.
Farming TO the "FrOnt'


Never before have there been 80 many
people of all classes taking strong di-
rect, personal interest in the agricul-
tural situation and prospects. Business
men, bankers, capitalists, stock brokers,
merchants, mechanics, manufacturers,
operatives, and day labOrers even, are
watching the daily bulletins and reports
of the weather, with especial reference
to how it is effecting the growing wheat,
corn and oats, and the further planting
of corn. Never before have they seen so
clearly that farming is the real basis OF
all other business, and that upon il rests
the prosperity of the country. They
now comprehend the fact that it was the
good crops of 1879, 1880 and 1881, from
the export of which we received so many
hundreds of millions of dollars from
other lands, which changed the financial
depression of 1873, and the years follow
ing, into prosperous activity extend
ing through all branches of trade and
manufacture. Every extra bushel of
wheat or corn, or pound of meat, cheese
and butter that was sent to market
helped turn the scale. The hundreds of
millions of bushels of grain that came
from the interior to the seabOard, gave
profitable employment to the railroads.
These bought and used more cars, more
iron, more shetland the makers of these,
from head director to the lowest labOrer,
received more wages and more constant
employment, and they purchased more
freely those articles that go to supply
the necessities and comforts of every
day life. This stimulated and increased
the mercantile trade, and made heavier
demands upon all kinds of manufacture
ed commodities. The farmers who re-
ceived the proceeds were able to reduce
debts upon their farms, to buy more and
better implements; to pay up their store
debts. and to buy more freely from the
merchants. The merchants and shop
keepers were in turn able to pay up their
debts to wholesale houses, brokers in
manufactures, and importers, and to buy
large stocks of goods for cash or on
short credits. The carrying of these in
creased the transportation business, and
stimulated the building of five to ten
thousand miles of new railroads per
year.
This brief glance at some leading
points shows the great and far-reaching
influence of prosperity to farmers. On
the other hand, the unfavOrable winter
and spring and summer droughts of 1881
cut down the surplus wheat and corn
and dairy products, and cotton, many
score millions in value. This, of course,
diminished exports, and has started gold
abroad; it has decreased the ability Of
farmers, and all classes of workers, to
buy goods and manufactures. The de-
cline in the demand for iron and steel
and the fall in prices, prevent the pay
ment of the wages asked for, and there
is now prevailing one of the greatest
"strikes" ever known in this country, of
labOrers who demand higher pay to
meet the increased cost of living, due in
part to the advance in breadstuffs, con-
sequent upon the lessened crops of last
year. Is it any wonder that this state Of
things has opened the eyes and enlight-
ened the understanding of that half of
the people who are not engaged in agri-
culture, and who have hitherto been in
clined to look upon farming as of inferi-
or importance, and suited for clod-hOp-
pers? Farming has come to the front,
and it is going to stay there.-Amertcan
AgriculturiSt.