The advocate., 1890-06-25
sILHER nuLLI0N cERTIEINATEs.

r. Williams, Of Illinois. in the house o
representatives June 8, 1890:
Mr.. Speaker, these people are beginuinl
10 realiZe that they have been oppressed b.
unjust legislation, and are now demanding
relief at our hands. Sir, we can not ahOr'
b disregard the complaints OF these people
they are entitled tO a hearing in this house
Upon the success and prosperity Of our farm
ers depends very largely the growth and de
yelOpment Of our cOuntryj their busy hand
| have transformed our country from "A vii
derness OF timbered lands and wild prairie
into productive fields and fruitful farms
their untiring labor and industry have mad,
this republic the garden spot of the world
their sweat and toll furnish daily food 20 oul
whole sixty-Aye millions Of people and senC
balances abroad 10 increase the wealth O
our nation.
When we recognize, as we must, the abBo
lutte dependence OF all other classes upon th'
industry, energy, and success OF the farm
ers, II does seem Co mo that they shOulC
have nj least an equal share In the benefits
OF legislation, and that we should not fail u
consider their rights and interests in logisla
tion upon the question OF finance now bo
fore this house. | have said the condition
Of the farmers Is not healthy one, nor do
believe the fault IL theirs. know the farm.
or, his wife and children have been working
hard 20 feed aud clOthe themselves, and
keep tho creditor from the door, but In spite
Of all their sweat and energy the creditor
has come I'm and In many instances their
home Is gone.
do not agree with those who claim that
the farmer is suffering from an oyerpr0duc-
ton OF crops, that no has been 40 indus.
trious as 20 work himself into the poor
house. Yet, sir, In the midst OF most
abundant harvest, with barns loaded with
wheat, corn, oats and other agricultural pro-
ducts; with pastures filled with cattle, hogs
and other stock, we hear the same sad COM
plant OF the farmer from every section OF
our country, and we SEQ him forced 10 sell
in that beautiful home market for which hC
has paid 10 dearly in the past many Of the
various products OF his toll nj much less
prices than IL actually costs 10 produce
them.
In fact the great staple, corn, has become
40 cheap that during the past winter many
western farmers have been burning IL foI
fuel because IL was cheaper than wood on
coal The average price Of wheat in the
New York market for the year 1873 waf
$l.67 per bushels ut 5he beginning Of this
year IL was worth in the same market about
30 cents per bushel, loss TO the farmer who
has n thousand bushels Of wheat TO sell Oi
$40, or " cents on every bushel, and the
decline has been about the same in all The
products which the farmer has TO sell. Let
us see IL this is the result of OverprOductiOn
The increase in farm products during the
past ten years has not equaled our increase
In population, and yet there has been q
steady decline in the price of farm products
during that period.
The average acreage of wheat in this
country from 1880 20 1884, inclusive, period
of 1--we years, was H,72l ,N3 acres, while the
average acreage from 1885 to 1889, inclusive
n period Of Eve years, was 36,Sl8,442 acres
the average annual yield in bushels during
the first Ave years was 463,073, III, while the
average annual yield during the last five
yearR was 436,l70,000; the average export
price during the first five years was $l.l4i
pOT bushel, while the average export price
during the last i've years was 87,4 cents
per bushel, fall of over u cents per buahel
The entire yield Of wheat in this country
in 1879 was 4A6,756, ,830 bushels, and the aver
age export price of wheat for that year wat
St .88 Der bushel. In 1883 our total yield OF
wheat was 416,86S, 600 bushels, and the aver
aye export price of wheat for that year was
S5.8 cents per bushel. In 1880 our tOta
yield OF wheat in this country was 498, 549,
1868 busels, and the average export price fOl
that year was Sl.243 per bushel. In 1889 OuI
total yield was 490 $4,000 bushels, and che
average export price for that year was s9.i
cents per bushel. That is, the average OK
port price Of wheat was about 30 cents lesi
per bushel in 1880 than in 1880, although W.
had about 100000 bushels less in 1889 thar
we had In 1880 and our population was Ovei
100000 moro. have given two success
sive years at each period, no that IL can MOI
be charged the price In 1880 and 1889 were
effected by the years Immediately preced
ing. Our yield as shown was less in 1885,
than in 1879, and in that respect our make
in 1889 had an advantage OF the market IL
1880.