Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1888-09-12
PRICES IN 1858 AND IN 1888.

Calhouns disciples have started out
This year Of grace, 1888, 10 turn the
country upside down ON the presumption
that the United States contains go, 900,
600 people mostly fools OF these go, 600,
O00peoplethey regard the farmers as their
natural prey To these long trades on
the costliness Of the protective tariff are
addressed Every prejudice is artfully
aroused by the misrepresentation Of
figures and every prudent consideration
Of this class Of the community IS being
inhamed into a jealous contemplation q
their alleged wrongs. Here and
there they make convert.
wherever they find a weather
stained barn. 4 tumbledown front porch,
or dismaatled lines Of fencing they halt
to pick up a recruit, Wherever they
meet farmer whose native shiftlessness
has Brought him face to face with the
sheriff, they confidently expect to win a
follower. Where land is the poorest,
crops the thinnest and civilization at the
lowest ebb, there Messrs, Mills and
Breckenridge look for the biggest MAORI
ties.
The farmer who has enough brains and
energy TO make things CO. knows well
enough that he is better of to-day in 1888
that he was off thirty years ago under the
low tariff rates which banRrupted the
credit of the United States in 1858 II he is
in the prime Of life or older he recalls
wildly enough TINT when the hnanciers
Of the School, to which Messrs. Mills and
Breckenridge belong to-day, could not
borrow few thousands of dollars upon
the credit Of the country without allow
ing discount Of II per centum, he was
selling what he raised at prices from 10
to so per centum lower than what he is
getting now, and was buying what he
could not produce at prices ranging from
10 10 100 per centum higher than he is
paying to-day for the same articles. He
remembers very well that in 1853 he sold
his wheat for 65 cents and paid
from 10 TO 10 cents for his sugar,
while to-day he is selling his wheat for 80
cents and paying from 6 to s cents for
his sugar that ID 1868 he sold his butter
for Ii cents and his eggs for ) and 8 and
paid l2i cents for calico, while to-day he
is getting 90 and % cents for his butter
and as much for his eggs but is paying
only cents for his calico; that in 1855
he sold his corn at 30 cents and paid
81. barrel for salt, while to-day his
corn is bringing so cents and salt costs
only 81 barrel; that in 1858 oats
brought only e5 cents and sacks cost 30
cents piece, while to-day oats bring 40
cents and sacks cost only 20 cents
that in 1858 hay brought no
more than SO ton, although
farm wagons cost over 500, and that to-
day hay is selling at Sl2, while farm
wagons just as good can be bought for
$50. He knows that horses and cattle
and, indeed, almost all other animals
raised on the farm bring twice as much
to-day as they did before the war, and
that his agricultural implements, his
household utensils and furniture cost
much. less. II he has forgotten it, his
wife win recall it for him that in 1858
they paid IS cents gallon for syrup
which they buy now for 40 cents; that
ter cost 81 pound then, which may now
be bought for 20 cents; that set OF
cups and saucers costing then 70 cents
costs only 45 cents now that dozen
tumblers may be bought to-day for 60
cents which then cost $150
Did the protective tariff bring about
all these changesl Well, we had hardly
any tariff then, on many things, such as
salt, glassware and table ware, none at
all, while Today we are enjoying low
prices after twenty-five years Of pro
.teciive tariff. It Is not unreasonable To
infer that all these changes are due
directly to the changed economical sys.
tenn Of the country, a change which
created home market for farm products
and which scattered manufactures over
the land as if by miracle.
Mr.. Mills may convince the farmer who
leans serenely on the gate with broken
hinges, but he is not calculated to make
much impression on the farmers wifi,
who is making shirts for the boys out Of
muslin that cost only cents a yard, for
she remembers that when Mr.. MiIls's
ideas last prevailed in this country she
paid l6 cents a yard for muslin not a.