Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1890-12-06

Crops OF 1853 ...................Bu Bu. Iij500fW
Salable value OF crops of 1850. !l,1sftG 90
Salable value OF crops Of 1850 y93 0D,0t0
Increase of crops OF 1883 over
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. l35' OO,pGV
Decrease In value Of crops Of
1888 from 1850. .................. l9}0O0,O00
'B 9TH ranges Of nric 8 are Illinois prIc s.
Thus it Is seen that while the crop in
aggregate has given an increase OF 1885,
100000 bushels, or 2S per cent, the
salable value is actually by Sl93 000, 600,
or 49, so per cent, less than in 1880. All
other cereals and such crops as potatoes
and sweet potatoes would not mater ally
affect this result for all these do not
amount to more than 10 per cent of the
staple crops above given
There is another important fact that
must not be lost sight Of in est mat ng
the weight of the above figures, Tho
farming population is now at least one
fifth greater than in 1880; and while
the money value Of the crop of 1889 was
enormously smaller than that of 1889,
it had to be divided among a much
larger number.
Let us see what their division would
give to each person engagec in farming
and in laboring on farms Accord ng to
the census of 1850 there were 1910, 900
such persons occupied in all forms Of
agricultural employment The total
crop of wheat, corn and oats, as above
given, was valued at 1856, 400, 900,
which would give to each person Sl53.
Now increase the number of agricult-
ural people by one-dfth; the result is
$500, 900 persons Among these we are
to divide the wheat corn and oats of
each year, which, as seen above, was
worth S993, 600 900. This allows to each
person S102, That is to say, these nine
million persons received an average of
S5l less last year than in 1880 OF
course no account is here taken of the
cotton crop nor of the wool crop, which
would cons derably increase the figures
for each of the two years compared, but
would not materially change the pro-
portion of loss to each person.
The average extra labor caused by
the tariff to each person engaged in all
gainful pursuits in the United States
IS equal to about forty days at one dol
lar per day. This can be shown to be
divided approximately thus: For the
Government to pay duties on foreign
goods, 10 days labor; to the foreign
manufacturers to pay protection prices
on their goods 80 days labor; total,
40 days. But the farmer, alas has
to do much more than his share, be-
cause most Of these protected classes con-
tribute nothing and the nom protected
classes are compelled to labor for them.
In view OF the unequal burdens thus
laid upon the peop engaged in agri-
culture, it is most astounding to note
the remedy which the Republican party
has just proposed as the cure for agri-
cultural depression That party says
that the home market for the farmers
products is not yet large enough; there
fore it will compel him to bear larger
burdens than ever in order to increase
his home market! And in order to do
this they enacta tariff bill which largely
shuts out the commerce of Europe, and
which is thus certain to narrow the
farmers market in Europe. The Me-
Kinley remedy is worse than the dis
ease of agricultural depression.