Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1890-03-22
Tho Farmer Condition.
Kansas City Globe.

Il Ahubhb OitS OtOuos
The condition OF the agriculture II
the United States is not encouraging
Prices OF farm products are low and
the farmer has hard time to make hi
income balance his outlay &C the END
Of the year. It is no consolation 70
the American farmer to tell him that
his condition is not peculiar, that the
condition of this European farmer is
even worse than his. He naturally
feels that there is something wrong
somewhere and is inclined to hold our
economic system responsible for It.
He docs not stop to consider that the
farmers of England are in an infinitely
worse condition than he Is, under the
very conditions that the free traders
are telling him would at once, II
adopted in this country, relieve him
Of all his embarrassments. He is
coming to think, and this means the
less intelligent and least entcrprising,
that his prosperity or adversely de-
pends upon legislation. He does not
stop to consider that the great law oil
supply and demand fixes the prices OF
every merchantable article I'm the uni
verse. That whenever there 10 more
of any article produced than the world
needs for immediate consumption
prices naturally and inevitably fall.
Now it happens that just at this time
there is an Over-abundance OF food IN
the world. We have produced more
In the United States than we can con-
sumo and more than is demanded tor
the supply of the world. The condi-
ton of things in this country Is pc.
culiar, but not alarming. They are
not by any manner of means unprece-
dented. From 1857 to 1861 the farmer
experienced an infinitely worse state
Of things than exists now. They were
fruitful years and the farmer had an
abundance of everything to sell, but
he could get neither paying prices nor
money for his products. Corn touched
q lower point In the Chicago market
than It has yet touched this year, aud
wheat sold in that market for 30 cents
per bushel. This state Of things ex-
listed under practical FREQ tra,le, when
we were "buying in the cheapest mar
ket and selling In the dearest" 1t is
we'll not to forget the experiences Ut
the past and when We are told that
agriculture never was so depressed as
IL lie now, simply tell the man who
makes the statement that he Is mistak-
en- and not lose sight of the fact that
the same natural causes that revived
agriculture after these seasons OF de-
preston are liable to occur again aud
sooner than we expect.
For q correct appreciation Of the
causes that have conspired to bring
about the present situation Of agricul-
ture IN this country we must consider
first the situation of the country twen-
ty years ago, and then what has boon
done 10 develop its resources since.
While other nations have been hunting
after foreign markets for their prod.
ucts we have been engaged almost
solely in developing our own resources
until we have opened broader and
more productive field for the agricul-
turalist than The world ever saw, and
Of which it can form 10 conception.
Billions of money have been Invested
in railroads until now nearly all the
agricultural districts OF the country
are put in direct communication with
the great markets of the world. Mil
lions of acres of land that were twen-
ty.five years ago lying in their natural
state have been brought under cultiva-
ton. Is it really any wonder that the
farm land Of New England aud the
central states have deprecated In val
ne since the rich prairies Of the west
can produce wheat and corn at one
half the price that It can be produced
there? We are passing through q new
experience in this country ~ far as
production Is concerned, aud must
have time 10 adjust ourselves to the
new order of things. We are sure to
come out all right in the end when all
interests will be duly served ii we al
low intelligence and enlightened
craftsmanship to direct affairs.