Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-02-19
Stamntors Spectator.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10. 1890.
''RObbing Peter To Pay Paul"

trate many and diversified situations in
life, is especially applicable at this time to
nearly all sections of our whole country de-
pendent upon agricultural thrift. The re.
sort to that method of economy is 80 gen.
orally prevalent that the exceptions are
rarely found, but they do exist, and we
venture the assertion that such necessity
has fewer experiences in the Valley of Vir-
ginia than in any area of contiguous terri
tory in the United States, which, for its re-
lance for prosperity, is dependent upon
soil production.
The prices of our agricultural products
are now about as low as they ever were,
whilst the law of supply and demand is at
the same time governing them. The
@Job's Gomforters" who come along with
their advice and lead US eff to adopt some
expedent of relief, very often in the shape
of changing methods and forming organi-
cations for outside pressure, only to real.
ize that we are robbing some department
of our economy to sustain another, without
seeking to find the root of the trouble and
applying the remedy for the benefit of the
weak point.
Statistics show that the chief burden
upon farming pursuits in the United States
is the difficulty to meet the interest and
provide means for the gradual reduction of
the principal of indebtedness in the shape
of mortgages upon agricultural lands
With climate and soil and farming meth
DDS and economy in essentials not inferior
to any country, it is truth that with these
advantages practically utilized, as they are
here, the farms of the Valley are less in.
numbered than they are in any other
section of equal extent. If then here we
are occasionally obliged to make shifts of
expediency, by "Robbipg Peter to pay
Paul" because If the low values for our
products, what must be the condition in
other sections not so favorably situated,
and, in designating them, we co not omit
the communities of the fresher coils and
larger yields Of the Western States. A
writer on the situation in the West re-
marks that after meeting the necessary ex-
penses of reaching market but few farmers
are realizing enough from the sales of farm
products to pay the interest upon the in
debtedness resting upon their possessions,
and predicts that state of things will
exist at no distant day which will SO i'm
poverish farmers that many will become
mere tenants upon the lands that ought to
make them independent. The same re-
viewer goes on to show that the failing eX-
port-demand for our bread -stuffs as we'll as
provisions, is chief cause of the depressed
values of farm products. Continuing, he
proceeds to show that the insuff1ciency of
American shipping-interests is a national
calamity" which will rest like an incubus
upon our agricultural prosperity till the
proper remedy for relief shall be provided.
That remedy is not to drop our natural and
proper pursuits, and TO take up with shifts
and mistaken expedients. The policy of
the government should be vigilant in seek
ing trading opportunities for the exchange
of commodities of foreign countries for our
own. The production is not too large, but
the fields we occupy in foreign commerce
are not large enough, and are actually
diminishing, icstead of increasing. For
the six months ended December, 1886,
we exported from the United States 81,
$50, 564 bushels of wheat, and 1851 ,444
barrels of -four, and for the same time in
1889, the export was %, 365, 1893 bushels of
wheat and 5,927, 1877 barrels of -four. We
sustained ourselves only little more in
the amount of -four for that time last year
as compared with the former 1885, which
is nothing like what the increase should
have been in view of our increasing pro-
duction; but the falling off in the export
of wheat was, indeed, TO be viewed as a
t'National calamity"
English com mercisl policy never fails to
strike the interest of our agriculture blow
when the opportunity presents itself. The
most Efficient weapon for its antagonistic
purposes is found in bringing into play all
the methods which circumscribe the field
of demand for our breadstuffs and pro-
visions, taking care at the same time to OBJ
tain all needed in the United Kingdom as
far as possible from other exporting coun-
- tries, especially from those which are
newly developed, and increasing under her
own policy, which closely connects her
craftsmanship with her commerce. Our
craftsmanship and the policy of our gov
ernmentbave been different for some time
in the past, otherwise tie agricultural
products of the United States would not be
forced to employ British vessels in seeking
Q market. We refer at this point as an
example to the Port intelligence of San
Francisco, California, on the 9th instant,
which may be taken as a fair illustration
of the poverty of our great country in its
depressed ability to favor it's own COM
merce. On the day named, there were
about 70, 600 tons of grain for export. and
the vessels listed to take it abroad in their
nationalities stood thus: British, 35 !;
United States, 5; German, 3. But we are
getting on ground where we have often
been before, but at the same time it pre-
sents sad illustration of how our farming
interests are forced to borrow of one interest
to sustain another, when all should be
equally prosperous.
THE New House RULKs.-The House of
Representatives Friday by vote of 161 to
145 adopted the new rules, with but few
Insignificant changes fcom the report as it
came from the committee.on rules. All
amendments intended to secure protection
for the minority were defeated by strict
party votes, aud Speaker Reed now finds
was ever conferred on any of his predeces-
sors. From his arbitrary action since his
elevation to the speakership, Mr.. Reed may
be expected, says the Bait. San. to ase this
power for all it is worth. But there is a