The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1891-11-06

cali It wheat, and calculate that before
the contracts mature, the necessities of
the farmers will force the delivery OF the
actual grain, which VIII enable them TO
replace the wind with actual property
and make millions Of dollars by the
operation. The expect to be able 10 tire
the farmers out, aud get the wheat from
them at sixty five cents or seventY-hve
cents net busbel, which they sell to the
foreigners At large advance. And why
not7 II Is q game they hSve played
with almost unvarying success for q
dozen years. Why should Il not work
this year?
The short sellers point derisively to
the huge receipts of wheat al primary
receiving points, and say with fine scorn,
''see how the farmers are holding back
their wheat? Why the farmers are only
great disorgauized mob. They have
neither organization nor adheslveness to
hold together" And the board Of trade
man proceeds to smash the market with
au avalanche of wind wheat for future
delivery.
Something more substantial than pas
slve resistance will be necessary TO sue
cessfully combat the combination of
short sellers. They must be met on
their own ground aud Overthrown. 1t
can be done the farmers believe, etec-
lively and prohtablv.
No plan for enabling the farmers to
fix the price at which they will sell their |
wheat can succeed unless an organized,
intelligent and concerted movement is
made to sustain prices on the Chicago
market. The price of wheat for the
world is made on the Chicago board of
trade. The farmers do not understand
the Importance of protecting their prop
erty from the attacks of the short selling
wreckers and therefore gamblers are
enabled to mark down prices for twenty
To thirty per cent below their patu-al
values. Il Is the short sellers, therefore,
who make tue prices for the farmers,
and then turning upon their quivering
victims dcfiautly ask, in the language of
Tweed, what are you gong 10 DO about
it?'' ..
The suggestion Is that If each local
farmers organization in the country, or
the strong members of such organiza-
tions were to buy in the Chicago beard
Of trade 5000 bushels each of wind
wheat when offered by the short sellers,
the time would come when the whole
brood of professional gamblers would DE
routed and Instead of getting the farm
er's wheat twenty five cents bushel less
than they had contracted to deliver 1t 10
the foreigners, the wheat SELLERS would
have To pay twenty-five cents more n
bushel for It.
| Instead of Sixty-tiYe and seventY-tive
cents net "A bushel for their surplus
wheat the producers would get 81 %
bushel, and that would mean an actual
difference of fifty cents a bushel, or a
total OF about $3.50, 900, 900 on the crop of
$50, 900, 900 bushels spot wheal the real
substance. Not only that, bur IL would
strip The gamblers of the enormous
profits which they make at tie expense
of both the producer and consumer.
This may sound like a wild PROPOSE
zion. but the plan i believed 10 be prac
ticable. Il must not be understood that
the farmers are In favor or making grain
speculation.a part of their business, but
there are times when the meaus should
not be too closely scrutiuized so long as
AN enemy may he defeated in IA nefari
Ous game by the use nf its own weapons.
The principle is The same as though
{ gang Of land pirats should sweep across
the country contracting TO sell their
farms from under their feet without so
much as saying by your leave" It is
Just as IN Ich robbery for the gamblers 10
contract TO deliver their wheat before
they are READY to sell IL as it would be
for them TO contract to sell their farm
without their consent aud compel them
to accept his price. In either case his
property interests are IN vital danger.
He Is threatened practically and is
nbundantly justified in adopting heroic