The Osceola times., 1888-03-31
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EDITOR Os,FoLA TINES, Dear Sir;
Following you will find arather long
extract from private letter address.
ed to me from friend, at Memphis.
The letter being private and the
writer having no idea of It's publica
tion, you will please withhold his
name from the public, in case you
find the article worthy.
J. II. WILLIAMS.
ain regard to the question to
which you alluded "to wit" the
Wheels and Alliances, we think we
are pretty we'll advised having met
and conferred with many Of their
leading men. The theory of coop
peration is good and we think vital
ly essential to the success of the far
mers, in a. much a. all other trades
are organized for their mutual pro-
teotion.
We will instance the nail manu-
facturers; when nails get SO low as
to make their manufacture unprof.
table they instantly call meeting
and order the mills to shut down for
800 or 30 days, as the case may
require in order that the consump-
ton may catch up, and nails instant
ly advance. So it is with Glass,
Queensware, Barbed wire, and many
species of manufactures throughout
the whole country. They have drift
ed into trusts, syndicates and through
the operation of protective tariff,
which drives out foreign competitors,
makes these same manufacturers to
grow fat. Now il it was the object
Of the Wheelers to fight those fel-
lows with their own weapons it
would be magnificent sweep. For
instance, we will suppose the far
mers thoroughly organized, and once
year, say January or February
they oall a National Convention,
send up their brniniest men to rep
resent them; let the convention take
mp the statistics of ALL the agricult-
ural products for the previous year;
also get the amount Of the same that
will be required TO supply the de-
mands Of trade and consumptions,
take into account surplus or deficirn-
cies, then order a decrease or in.
crease of acreage as the circumstan-
ces warrant so as to adjus, the bal
snce between supply and demand.
and it would require but few years
Of industry and economy on the part
Of our farmcIs to grow rich.
Now we assume that prices are
regulated by that influential law Of
supply and demand, we also assume
that FIVE million bales Of cotton will
bring As much or more than Z mil
lions; now under this assumption We
GIVE the manufacturers two million
Of bales free gratis, without realizing
one cent for it. Now it requires
four million acres TO make the two
million bales; the four million acres
would give US e,ghty.million bushel.
Of corn, # cultivated in corn, so we
would have a much money for our
cotton and eighty million bushels Of
of corn besides, that would cost us
nothing, ~ the cost Of cultivation in
corn would be nothing compared to
that of cotton. Now the true theory
is, to diversity crops. and bring con
sumption and production together.
Now, il the Wheels could accom-
plish this, their prosperity would be
assured; but, is it their object to do
this! alas, we fear not.
From what we CLEAN Of their pur
poses, 1t is to make war upon legiti-
mate competition. (7chieh is esta6-
HsAing monobOIy), to knock out
middle men, commission men, retail
ers in every department of trad, ;
such, for instance, az the man who
buys bolt Of goods and sells pat
tern of to you who don't need more.
Now in Memphis, there are, per-
haps, twenty Wholesale men, the
balance Of its population are retail
men, middle men, and others, who
are engaged in pushing the wheels
If commerce; suppose they are knock
cd out, what will become Of the thrift
ty and growing city Of Memphis?
she has population Of 5000; they
must live. The result would be, 90
to the country and draw upon the
resources Of mother earth for their
sastenance and support. Then where
would the farmer find market for
his surplus prodsct?
We would soon become a nation
OF producers without a single mark
ct to sell in; we would simply make
the necessarics of life, and sit down
and enjoy them at home; it would
MT ranuira ,pu,h tbo,,,,bt 20 ,., a.