The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-04-04


In the last number of the Forum, G. Wood
Davis quotes as his text the remarks Of the
Hon. John g.. Carlisle. that "the American
farmer. although Doe cultiYates the most fer
tile soil in the world, and ought 20 Doe the
most prosperous member of the community,
is barely able iO support his family, educate
his children. pay his taxes and keep ont OF
debit Alr. Carlisle attributes this cOndi-
! tiOn OF things in "a large measure 90 ihe
tariff and tO lho multitude of eNactlons 10
imposes on everything lne farmer wears or
uses. Mr.. Davis asserts. by implication,
! that the tariff has nothing 10 DO
with it, Out that the reason why
| the farmer ]. not prosperous is because
his production is in excess of population.
/ he gives statistics running through
several decades To- show that "the troubles
OF the farmer are due 20 the fact that there
are altogether too many farms. too many
cattle and swine. Zoo MANI bushels of wheat.
oats. barley. huckWheat and potatoes, and
too great production of nearly an other
/ farm products for tlc number Of consuu-
crs. Estimating the population 40 O1,-
OOoOlu, and comparing li with the ag-
gregate farm products 0l 1850, Doe holds that
| the present supply of beef les sufficient for
| l.uOO.OOD people. ol swine for l6.OOOOOO. of
wheat for lg.OOl.O0O. of corn Cor lO.JOO,UlO.
ANA of oats for more than l0l.OJJOUl."
ile states That the cost of growing
wheat aud the other farm staples.
and quotes Mr.. Atkinson as his authority.
has not been reduced by labOr-saNng mae
chluOry more than from six 90 ten per cent.
boo twenty years. while the reduction iu the
prices Ol those staples during the same pee
riod has been an annaul net loss OF revenue
| 90 the farmers of tWentN-seNcn per cent.
That oyerproductiOn has Ted % the lower
ing of prices may be conceded. but this is
hui one of the causes of the farmers imp0,-
eri-hment. Mr.. Carlisle's argument still
holds good that the farmer suffers more than
any other class from a tariff that gives am
average protection 90 the manufacturer OF
! lorty-seYen per cent, which the farmer has
% pay, while 10 shuts him out from
markets where De could exchange his
/ products for fhc things Doe needs at 20 saving
of the entire cost ol the ihrty-scNen per cent.
tariff tax, less the cost of transportation 10
his home. Mr.. Davis admits thai. year by
year, the farmer IFS getting more and more
! impoverished. and he can only find a remedy
for his ills in the enrichment of production
"a thing that would be utterly impossible
10 accomplish except by general agreement.
! The manufacturer when ONcrstOcked can
shut down his mills until he has sold Oh
bis surplus no good prices. hut the
farmer must sell his products az what
ever prices they viii fetch. In the
meantime lhe burden OF the tariff is
weighing heavily upon him. and for tenn
porary relief he has 10 resort 90 mortgages.
little book On American Farms by j. r..
Elliott. just published, In Puinam's series
Of Questions Of The Day." gives some idea
how the mortgage OF farms is spreading AN
over the country. the New 0rk State
agent says vaguely that large numbers Of
farms are mOugased DID that state, and that
the average depreciation IN the value Of
farm lands has. been thiriy-three per cent. in
ten years. The State of ohio has .gl 900
mortgages. lut "a large proportion OF these
Is other than ON farm lands. The farm
mortgages of Michigan. as reported by the
commissioner of labor statistics. amount %
ihiriy-seYcn and a-haif millions OF dollars
"Ihey operate Doe says, "as a sponge on
the labor of She 0wners." Illinois has
farm mortgages 20 the amount of one hum
drcl and tNcnty-thrce millions Of dollars.
according tO tls report Ol The bureau OF
labor statistics for that state. >eyenty-iie
per cent oithe Dakota farms are mOrtga-ed
O. a1l aggregate amount Of illy millions 4
dollars. The volume OF mortgages i'm Kan
Sass Nebraska. Minnesota and Dakota. has
reached. saws Mr. Mcdonald. the sum of one
hundred and iiiy millions of dollars yearly.
We might continue the list and show the eX-
tent 90 which the farm lands OF an the
states are shingled over with MORTGAGES. but
enough h2- been given 90 indicate the steady
and increasing imp0ycrishment Of The farm
ers, the cause ot their rcstlcssnoss. and the /
almost helpless condition to which so MANY
vi them are reduced Baltimore sun.