The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-03-11
THE FARMERS OF THE WEST
SPEAKING TO CONGRESS.

NHE Illinois state board OF Agrl-
culture seems to have al idea
that it was established to look after
the interests of the farmers of that
State. On last Tuesday Mr.. Fithian
introduced the following resolutions
into the House of Representatives
which had been adopted by the ILL
nois State Board of Agriculture and
forwarded to him:
WHEREAS, The report of the State
Board of Agriculture of the STATE of
Illinois for the year 1889 shows that
the total cost of the production of the
corn crop for the year 1889, in the
State of Illinois, vas sos, 279, 862, and
that the total value of the same was
$58,337,O 49, making a total loss on
said corr crop to the farmers Of Hi
nois of So, 1886, 1913; and
Whereas corn is now being con
sumed in several States for fuel for
want of a remunerative market; and
Whereas several bills have been in.
troduced in this Congress to pay a
subsidy of 80 cents per registered ton
for every 1000 miles sailed by an
American vessel between any port Of
the United States and any foreign
port, and between foreign ports, and
the same rate for fractions Of less than
1000 miles; and
Whereas without the product of the
American farm subsidized ships woald
be useless to American commerce.;
therefore be it
Resolved, That the Committee on
Merchant Marine and Fisheries be,
and they are hereby, instructed to in
vestigate the facts set forth in this
resolution and report to the House the
~advisability of adding an amendment
to any bill that may be favorably re-
ported to the House giving subsidies
to ships, to pay to each farmer a
reasonable subsidy n bounty for each
bushel of corn produced, to the end
that the further production of corn.
may be pro6tably engaged in by the
farmer and the subsidized ships may
have something to carry"
We wish that other agricultural
boards would vlnce a like interest in
their people.
There are two significant points in
the above, to which we direct atten-
ton. The first is that in the great
corn State of Illinois the farmers lost
on their crop of, 1889 the sum of mine
millions mine huadged and thirty Jfve thou
sand eight hundred and taUenty fVe dol
Grs-that is to say, their corn crop
was worth that much less than it cost
to produce 1t.
The manipulation of the markets
by money jobbers and spectators is
now an easy matter, since banking,
bondholders, railroading and boards
of trade, all conspire to make the
price OF money rs high as possible. If
as they now are doing, they can put
the price of the dollar, through con.
traction, SO high that they get for it
eight bushels of the Illinois farmers
corn or two bushels of his wheat, they
r happy. Is it any wonder that the
farmers all over the land are harassed
and oppressed with bankruptcy star
ing them in the fac and seeing new
schemes devised every day for further
plundering and robbing them, should
rise and demand relief? The great
wonder is, that they should have beer
SO patient under such trying oppres
sions. ~
The second point in these resolu
tons is well worthy serious consider
alton. By q narrow and selfish anc
discriminating policy on the part o
our government, our merchant marin,
has been swept from the high seas
Only thirteen per cent of of all GU
foreign trade, import and export, i
carried on American vessels and thu