The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-03-03

provide against the contraction of the currency;
ing on the amendment of Mr.. Stewart to the
amendment of the Committee Finance
Mr.. Mcconnell said:
Mr.. President: Ordinarily | should
keep silent and let my vote, when the
time arrives to vote, declare my sentl-
ments upon the question before us.
But there are occasions when it be-
comes the duty of man in public
place to speak tell why it is that he
is impelled to follow a certain line of
action, and in my opinion this is one
of such occasions.
Only a week ago took my seat in
this great representative bOdy-great
not only because of the fact that it con-
tains some of the foremost leaders and
thinkers of the age, but great because
all here are the representatives of a
sovereign people.
My first act in this body was to vote
to take up this bill That vote was
cast in opposition to the views of ma
iority of the gentlemen here with
whom [ am politically affiliated. l
have no apologies to offer for that ac-
ton. AS one of the representatives of
the youngest of the sisterhOOd of
States, | am responsible to it alone
and to my conscience for that action
[ voted to consider this measure, and l
shall vote to pass it because believe it
to be the best, the surest, the most
effectual remedy for some of the evils
under which the country now labors.
1t would be sheerest folly to deny
that there is an existing condition
which demands a remedy. 1t would
be worse than folly to deny that the
agricultural interests of the country
are in depressed and suffering cond1-
ton. When we consider, Mr.. Presi-
dent, that A. per cent. of all the per
sons, male and female, engaged in
gainful occupations, and rs per cent. of
all the males Of ali ages who do any
kind of work, are engaged in agricul-
tural pursuits, we can have some idea
of the magnitude of the interests at
stake.
Nearly one-half of the people of this
vast country who produce anything
are engaged in agriculture, and II per
cent. of the remainder are engaged in
transporting the products of one Sec
tiOn to the people of the others.
Whenever the interests of these 60 per
cent. Of our people is endangered the
whole country suffers.
Such is the condition. The farmers
are making no money. No matter
what they produce, whether it is wheat
or potatoes, cotton or sugar, whether
the SHOWS of the North are required to
make their grain germinate, or the hot
sun of the South to ripen their cotton
bolls, they are all suffering. The cost
of production and living is greater
than the price of the product.
Here is a fault. 1t is our duty, If
practicable, to discover the cause, and
most undoubtedly our duty to provide
the remedy, if within our power.
It is almost universally admitted
that the scarcity of money is the cause
of the depression. In fact, there can
be no other cause. Our farms are
producing abundantly. Our mines of
iron copper, silver and gold are yield
ING up their stores of metal. Our
manufactures are turning out finished
products of all kinds, and yet the peo-
pie are not prosperous. We have the
richest, the greatest producing country
in the world, and yet the people are
poor.
In the ten years just passed our
farmers have produced by their labor
from the teeming soil articles for food
and clothing valued at the enormous
sum of So, 1000, 900, 900. The miners
have dug from the earth minerals,
iron, gold, silver, lead copper, coal,
ETC., valued at S., 100000, and the
artisans engaged in skilled toll have
turned out of the factories and work
shops articles valued at $50, 900, 900, 900.
These figures are so enormous as to
almost stagger belief and pass beyond
comprehension, but they are true.
They come from the official records of
the country. Look at a few OF the
principal items of the farm production
of the country in these ten years:
Corn n.....................bu bushels. 16,O0,0O,0G
oats. do. 4900, 000000
Potatoes. gOE9 90
G9LTon G9T tons. 4OO0OO,OOO
Wool pounds 25O90O000000O99 00O9