The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1891-12-04

letters to the leaders of the Kansas
alliance the following extract from an
article in the Topeka Advocate of
September 16 by George C. Ward, of
this city, probably had as much infu-
ence on the alliance as any other:
"And now, Mr.. Editor, let us elimi-
nate from this discussion the supposed,
or, perhaps, should say the desired(?)
antagonism between the laborers in the
cities and the toilers on the farms.
There is and can be no antagonism.
The interests of honest, legitimate
labor are identically the same every
where. Specially is this the case with
the farmer and the city laborer. With
them price is simply an exchange of
products. All industries are based upon
the farming industry and the farmers
and their dependents form two fifths of
the consuming customers of the city in
dustries. A prosperous agricultural
community always builds up and main
tains prosperous city or town. The
more money the farmer has the better
customer does he prove to the city
manufacturer. This is not a fight be-
tween city and country labor, but a
fight between united labor on the one
hand and usurers, gamblers, specula-
tors, exploiters and labor's despoilers
and oppressors generally. Whatever
of good the farmer gains will result
beneficially to all those engaged in
honest, legitimate labor, whethre of
production or distribution.
1.-THE farmers and their dependents
number at least two-ffths of the popu-
lation of the United States, and an
other two-fifths depend upon the pros
perity of the farmer for means of sub
sistence. The farmers, if all enjoyed
equal opportunities and privileges,
should purchase. use, consume and en-
Joy two-ffths of the total products of
manufactured goods and merchandise
produced in the United States, and the
same proportion of all imported goods.
For these commodities the farmer has
nothing to offer in exchange except the
product of his farm (grain and stock).
When the farmer ceases to produce, all
trade and commerce must also cease, as
the product of the farmer feeds the ma
ton and pays for all goods, wares, mer-
chandise and commodities consumed,
used, worn and enjoyed by the whole
people. Whatever portion of the farm
er's produce is diverted and absorbed
from the direct channel of commodity
exchange, while it may tend to enrich a
few individuals, has tendency to i'm
poverish the bulk or masses of the peo-
pie. Why? Because Of one simple fact
in political economy, i e., that were all
labor profitably employed, there could
and would be no surplus In other
words, there is no such factor as ''over-
production. The trouble is faulty dis
tribution and under-consumption. The
interests of all are reciprocal. The
amount of merchandise, commodities,
ETC., that the farmer can consume is
gagged and limited by the amount of
net proceeds he realizes for the products
Of his farm. The more he buys, how
ever, the more work Is furnished the
laborer in manufacturing pursuits. It
even takes more clerks to wait upon
prosperous than unfortunate farmers.
On the other hand, the laborer's ability
to buy and consume farm product Is
is limited and gagged by the amount of
work he procures and the wages he re-
ceives. But the root and basis Of this
whole reciprocal arrangement is the