Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1884-07-18

The very fiat condition of the wheat mar
ket and the unusually low prices of that pro-
duct is source of much comment among far
mers, and the outlook for advantageous dispo-
sition of this years crop is at this time by no
means encouraging. 1t is said that the price
Of wheat has not been so low in Baltimore as
at present within the last thirty odd years.
The highest price obtained on Wednesday was
lO2 cents for longberry, and 81 per bnshel for
Ful,z Ordinary lots sold as low as so cents
One of our observing farmers estimates that the
cost of producing bushel of wheat in this
county is 81. He says all obtained over that
amount after deducting expenses Of transpor
tation and sale, may be regarded as profit
Assuming this estimate to be correct there can
not be any profit at all in the growth of this
product here at present; but on the other hand
there must be loss sustained by those who
grow it, for it is clear that 81 per bushel, nett,
cannot now be obtained for wheat.
The causes which have led TO the present de-
pressed condition of the market for agricultural
products are several; but the chief ones may
be justly Summarized in the most unjust policy
of the protection to the few manufacturing
monopolies of the country at the expense, and
to the direct and permanent injury Of our vast
agricultural interests, which has been main
tanned by the Republican party in the last
quarter of century. By erecting and main
tanning aChinese wall around the country in the
shape of prohibitory tariff, foreign trade has
been effectually and almost entirely repelled
from US and the American merchant marine
driven from the seas. The wheat consuming
CO ntries of Europe being thus prevented from
sending their manufactured goods to US do not
find it economical to send over empty ships to
buy our grain. The cost of the transportation
of grain across the seas would thus be more
than doubled and the price on this side cores
pondingly depressed. 1t is this very swindel
policy of protection to home industries that
has encourage the grow eth of W heat in India and
elsew here to supply the markets formerly sup
piled by our American grain The reciprocity
of trade has been most wickedly destroyed in
the interest of the few manufacturing and other
menopolies that control the Republican party,
and the result is the destruct ion at the same
time of both our merchant marine, which had
gro aninto such fair proportions under Dem
cratic onte-tellum rule, and of our grain export
trade, which is the very life Of the agriculture
of the country and has operated TO open out
sources Of agricultural competition which other
wise would probably never have come into exis-
tence. Thus has this most unjust and iniqui-
tous policy operated in a two fold manner TO
work wrong and injury TO the agricultural
interests Of the country First, they are COM
PEELED to pay excessively for almost every thing
they consume and secondly, they are dep ired
Of an unrestricted market and fair cempensa-
ton for their p. educis Of their toll The ques-
ton appeals strongly to the minds of the think
ing people of The country /; how much longer
will the American people sui init TO this out
rage.