San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1886-11-18
FARMERS ALLIANCE.
Interesting Letter from the Secretary
OF Hays County Alliance.

IubhS SOllc oDoOi'"t'Oh"' "N'
states as the result OF conversation
With many OF our most intelligen
farmers, that the main motive Is t
raise the price of the latter's produc'
and to lower the price Of what the,
buy. To this ] reply that anyintelli
gent person is fully aware that tho
law OF supply and demand will always
in the main regulate the price OF every
description of goods and property
The grievance is that the "specula
tor and the commission" merchant
absorb the bulk of the profits instead
of the producer. Take cotton for in
stance: On the date mined Oct 18th
middiing cotton was quoted in Aus
tin, at Y cts; Galveston 81 cts
Liverpool, std. to 5ad. Take the
latter. Five pence half penny is
equivalent to II cents, a difference oil
81 cents per pound between Austin
aud Liverpool, Or SIG on 5OO.1
bale. The Galveston paper, same
date, gives freights from thence to
Liverpool, per steamer, l1-32d.; sail
Sled. per 100 pounds. The former
sum is fraction less than 70 cents
but for ease we will take it at I'D. OF
25c ents, whilst the sailing vessel Is
but fraction over 10 cents per lOO
pounds for the nautical trip OF 55OI
miles. The freight, per steamer, Oh
500 tb bale, $1.25; deduct this from
the SIG, leaves S14.75; from this we
must still further deduct the railway
expenses to port of shipment and the
transmitting from cars to vessel. This
with any other incidental expenses
ought to be moro than covered Will
the $4.75. leaving a profit of $40 pei
bale, and for whom? Certainly not
the farmer. In conversation with
Mr.. Iglelart, one of Austlns leading
commission merchants, he stated lie
had a through rate from Austin to
Liverpool of S135 per 100, or say
ST per bale. This / contend is too
high; but accepting it for argument,
there is profit of 50 per bale; l
may here state cotton does not lose
in weight in its voyage across the At
lantic, whether in the hold, or on the
tween or main decks, and those are
the usual places for slowing it for an
ocean voyage; but were it placed on
the spar, or even the hurricane deck,
the shipper would be gamer instead
of loser by the journey.
Now, respecting those articles that
the farmer requires to buy. This
opens n much wider field for discus
sion, and must not be laid altogether
to the large profits of the merchants.
To the tariff laws of this country must
great deal of the dearness OF most
articles be charged. Every manufac
turer of foreign production is taxed,
some to the extent that may well be
termed prohibitive. Woollen goods
can be Obtained in London tor less
than half they are to be had here
In cutlery there is as wide differ
ence; also hardware of every descrip
ton. Agricultural implements and
machinery pay II duty OF 80 or 80 per
cent, and so on with almost anything
You can mention. Let me quote an
Instance that has occurred within the
last six or eight months: A gentle
man well known to the writer had an
order for agricultural implements,
which be could have placed on the
American market for $500 or its
equivalent, $500, but the duty on
landing ut once raises the price to
$1,000. Need I ask who pays that
duty in the long run ? But it may be
said, we must protect home indus
tries, and the country must have a
revenue. Then, ! answer, tax us d.
rect and we shall know how much we
pay. The rs OF so cents now charged
on the 800 is simply dust thrown IN
your eyes. Your indirect taxation
makes you the rival of the heaviest
taxed people in Christendom, save
conscrlption. And as to your manu-
facturers, must the majority pay to
enable very small minority to keep
open their factories? Romenber, the
operatives of your protected indus
tries are no better paid, and i'll some
instances not as well as, their breth-
rem in England. The classes that are
better paid here than on the other
side of the Atlantic are bmcksmiths,
painters and decorators
and the daily laborers, the very peo-
pie who are not protected. There is
much more that could be said, but
for h. present we must defer it.
To the farmers we say, the ALI
ance is TO assist in educating the
farmers TO see fncts as they really are,
and by amalgamating and co-operat-
ing you will accomplish that which,
singly and alone you could never do.
Bv concentrating the trade of the Al
lance with certain houses at conven-
lent points. we can obtain much bet
ter terms than those we now deal un-
der. Make an effort to get out OF
debt, and do away with the evils OF
the credit system. 1t will cost much
self denial. but you had to practice