Wichita eagle., 1890-03-04
c. WOOD DAVIS RFJoINDER
To Shannon and CampbeIl-Some Facts
and Figures.
To the Editor Of The Eagle.

L lnfer Cnal he lhlnkS permanent relfel
| from a state of industrial depression can
/ come only from such social upheaval
as will bring about a redistribution OF
| the products of labor and commends Dir.
Henry Georges theories to our consid-
Grafton. l have given much attention to
the theories of Henry George and think
them visionary IN the extreme and, il
| in operation here. would have the same
effect as in Southwestern Siberia where
! the government owns ali the land and
the improvement and the rate of progress
is expressed by the one word mi.
We certainly shall not try Mr.. Georges
theory in the United States for some
time. and should we re-distribute prop
erty the result would be but a repetition
of what took place after the several re-
distributions made under the Agrarain
laws Of Rome 1t was there found nee
essarv, after brief intervals, to make a
new divide, and human nature having
since undergone no material change, we
should also find the property again
gravitating into few hands in spite Of
statutes seeking 10 prohibit it, but do
not Dropose to controvert or question Mr..
Shannon's positions any further than is
done by statement of other or addi-
tional facts bearing upon the conclusions
have reached.
Referring TO the recent article OF Mr..
G.. Campbell, would say l am very de-
sirous that the volume OF currency
should be greatly enlarged, not from any
expectation that such enlargement would
bring appreciable relief. but in order TO
satisfy many earnest people who think
it would, and | think the result from
such an increase weuld direct attention
to the real cause OF the present trouble.
Mr.. Campbell says if | am correct we
should be better off to sow less. [ think
we should, and could we, for three years,
reduce the area in cultivation ten per
cent we would see the war prices Mr.
Campbell so much desires. Mr.. Camp
bell further says that there can be no
over production of cattle, as 1--WE have
now, in proportion to our population,
about thirteen per cent less cattle than
we had in 1884" If this is the fact it
has escaped the notice of the United
States department of agriculture, and
every one but Mr.. Campbell. The re-
ports OF the department show that
at the close of 1885 there
were in the United States 42,547,-
307 cattle of all kinds, and
Prof Ellott's tables-adopted and used
by the treasury department-show the
population in 1884 10 have been %, 556,-
600, the ratio'of cattle being as 1G4 to
1000. In 1889 the population had risen
to So. 500. coo and the number of cattle
81 I,,1
not included in the department report
had increased to 80, 931. .042, being in the
ratio OF S02 to each !, 600 people. and the
best way | can figure it, showing an in
crease of 4. SO per cent instead of the de-
crease of about IL per cent, as stated by
Mr.. Campbell. If the mich COWS are ex-
cluded from the account in both 1894
and 1899. the increase is still greater, be-
ing 1.21 per. cent, and this is easily ac-
counted for by the fact that the increase
has been almost wholly in the range cat
tie where there are few or 10 mich cows
kept.
Mr. Campbell next cites as a
reason why too much grain can
not be possible the fact that there
are certain number of pauperS in New
York and Chicago, but in the name of
outraged logic what does that prove:
Are there not given proportion of pau
pers in large cities the world over: When
the people of Rome were fed from the
public granaries by the procurement of
seif-seeking politicians all the freemen
ceased to labor, and nearly tie whole
voluntarily became turbulent rabble of
paupers ready for any mischief. While
there are many deserving poor who
would do work they are not always able
to find, vet there is, and doubtless always
will be. given proportion of mankind
who will not work if, by any possibility,
they can secure food without 1t. If | am
rightly informed it was Christ who.
nearly 2,000 years since, remarked, The
poor We always have with you," and He
is presumed to have been as correct In
this as in other matters.
Next, Mr.. Campbell says: Suppose
we could take the wheat out of the coun-
try untii there was less than half enough
10 do the people until harvest, other con-
dItions remaining the came, is it not evil
dent wheat would be very high:' This
is exactly the position | hold,
and when home requirements are
such as To absorb more than is pro-
duced at home, and we have to enter
the markets of the world for even a
very small part of our supply wheat.
ana all other farm product will sell at
higher, much higher prices than now,
and the farmers have money which they
can offer the pauperS of New York and
Chicago to make textile and other fab
RIGS for them. The towns people nave
fabrics of various kinds to sell which the
farmer wishes to buy, but cannot until
his own products sell for somewhat
more than they cost.
This argument does not, however,
apply to money, as Mr.. Campbell claims.
Food and fabrics disappear in using. In
other words. they are produced ex-
presslv for consumption and are con-
sumed as intended, while money, on the
contrary, does not disappear or waste in
uslng-most people desire it to increase
and many manage that it shali-but, like
the brook of TennysOn, it ''goes on for
ever" and continuously. from hand to
hand. performing its legitimate and only
function as a medium of exchange
When money is not in active use it goes
to swell the bank reserves, and such re-
serves are drawn down when the an
nual crop movement becomes most
aCtiNt, duI ulOAtN - never hepl
idle when the owner thinks he can
loan or use it safely and profitably as it
cannot increase except by use, while
products may increase greatly IN value
while lying Idle in the warehouse.
The next is Mr. Campbelrs yellow
( legged chicken argument. When this
description Of chicken is scarce they sell
most readily at fair price. but when
every farmer wife IS rushing them on
/ the market they become drag; grocers
refuse to buy them and the good wife
m1st hawk them from housa To bousa