The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-05-13
THE REMEDY STATE D.
Chairman C., w. Macune Before the
Senate Committee on Agricul-
| ture, April n.

ture, April 22.
Gentlemen of the Committee M Agr'cuI,
ture of the Senate Of the O"'ts@
SGteS:
address you in behalf OF Senate
bill No. 28O6. This bill was INTRO
du ,ed by Senator Vance, OF North
Carolina, by request. 1t emanated
from the National Far mer Alliance
and Industrial Union, an organlza-
ton of farmers now extending over
twentv.eight States, and which have
the honor to represent as chairman Of
its n national committee on legislation.
The president of our organization,
l.. l.. Polk, has already addressed you
in behalf of this bill, and has, | think,
sho wn conclusively that a depressed
condition of agriculture does exist. l
shall. therefore, consider this fact
established, and briefly review one o
the principal causes Of the depressed
condition of agriculture for the pur-
pose of showing the necessity that
makes the adoption of the measures
proposed by the bill in question i'm
perative at this time.
Much has of late been said and writ
tenas to the cause of the depressed con
ditlon of agriculture, and many efforts
made to trace this deplorable condi-
ton to a single cause. Some Of the
arguments have been very ingenious
and some absurd, but no effort to so
simplify the question that all the ills
could be attributed to one cause, and,
therefore, relieved by a single remedy,
have cont 4ined merit enough to gain
anything like a universal acceptation
by the masses of the people. Reports
from other nations show that the
farmers of America are not an excep-
ton, because the depressed condition
of agriculture prevails in all thickly
populated agricultural countries; in
high tariff and low tariff countries; in
monarchies, empires and republics; in
countries having a single gold standard,
q silver standard or a double standard;
in those of high taxes or low taxes;
in those with large standing armies
or small ones, large navies and mer.
chant marine or the reverse. All
alike must acknowledge a depressed
condition of agriculture in proportion
as they are properly classed thickly-
settled agricultural countries. This
great fact is commonly cited by writers
on this subject as a premise for the
conclusion that since it prevails every
where the causes are general and must
be attributed to a combination of the
general conditions of material prog
ress. Such conditions, though com
mon, do no credit to modern research
and discrimination. They show a
tendency to only accept such conclu-
sions as point to the remedies most in
accord with preconceived ideas. The
true conclusion to be drawn from the
admission that a general depressed
condition of agriculture prevails as
above stated, is that since it prevails
everywhere in all thickly settled agri-
cultural countries, in proportion as
they may properly be classed as such,
it must depend in all countries upon
like causes, and that these causes are
probably of two kinds, one uniform
conditions that prevail IN all such
countries alike, and the other local
conditions that tend to augment the
force of this general condition as
population increases and agricultural
pursuits predominant. The value and
force of this conclusion is augmented
by IN examination of history, which
will reveal the fact that this condition
has always prevailed in all civilized
countries during the past two or three
hundred years, striking proofs of
which may be found in the conditions
of France, Poland, and Russia during
that period.
The proper conception Of such con
ditions a prevail with certainty in all
thickly populated agricultural coun
tries at all times would, no doubt, &C
far toward furnishing a key to
proper solution of the problem. There
may be several, but it is only necessary
at this time to refer to one, and thai
is a uniform custom of having either
a medium circulatinr as money com
posed of material wing an intrinsic
value practically equal to it's exchange
able value, or a redeemable represen
tative of intrinsic value used as a cir
culating medium. The basis for both
has, with only a few exceptions, beer
gold and silver. It is not now neces
sary to question the wisdom of max
ing money from gold and silver or O
issuing paper money redeemable il
gold and silver. Such has been tn,
custom, and it is certainly safe anc
conservative. The point of interest il
this connection is, that the gross pro
duction of these metals is limited
and taken for a term of years to
gether, shows great uniformity AM
stability; therefore, a circulating me
dunn made from or based on thes
metals Vn11rA r l.. 80 IL -