The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-03-26
A-r.nnIrnrnI prn,neritr.


Agricultural Property.
The farmers OF the United States COM
prise nearly one.Atth Of the entire pop
ulation. II they all raised surplus Of
the same products over their own CON
sumption the other four.afths Of popu'
lation could not possible afford them q
profitable market. 1t is the fact OF the
increased liberalization Of farm produc'
ton that enables the home market to
take nearly 90 per cent OF the agricul'
tural production OF the country.
The strenuous effort Of the Agricul'
tural Department of the Government
has been to seek out and recommend
new channels Of production. One Of
the great advances made by the last Con-
gress was the giving Of bounty Of two
cents per pound on beet sugar. There
is no doubt that beet sugar is to become
in the United States a greater crop than
It has become in Europe. In q few
years, under the present stimulus, our
home demand will bs supplied by the
beet sugars OF the Western States and
the cane crop Of the gulf coast. Wewill
be independent Of the world for our
supplies Of sugar.
And as in this respect 80 in others.
The government has established agricul-
tural experimental stations all over the
country (haviug one here in West Viz.
ginia) with view Of determining the
most promising and profitable diversif'
cations OF production in each OF the
States. The intention is to lift the agri.
culture Of the United States out OF the
old ruts as far as possible, and to supply
from our own soil very much that has
heretofore been supplied from abroad.
At the last session OF Congress the du-
ties were increased all along the line OF
agricultural production in this country.
Nothing escaped revision in the interest
OF the American farmer. And now, as
the most recent achievement in the in
terest OF the farm products Of this coun'
try, the arbitrary restrictions on Ameri.
can cattle and hogs are being abandoned
both in France and Germany.
There Is a better future before the
American farmer under this wise policy
Of the government. We will not plant
an undue proportion OF our soil
in exhausting cereal crops. The growth
OF our cities and towns is such, as com.
pared with that of the co untry, that a
constantly increasing demand for the
products Of light tillage, such as the
fruits and the horticultural crops, the
products Of the dairy, poultry and eggs,
&c., will play a more important part
than ever before.
As far back as 1900, as shown by the
census OF that year, only one person in
every twenty-five Of our population lived
in cities, whereas the census Of 1890
shows that one to three OF our present
population are thus domiciled. This
makes an immense difference to the far
mer. It ia the result in large part OF
the policy Of protection to American in
dustries. It has given the farmer Of to-
day a vastly different experience from
that OF the farmers OF the first five Gen.
sus periods Of the government. There
was a time within thoseiperiods when
the American farmer sold his wheat for
40 cents per bushel and paid rs cents per
yard for the cotton goods that he gets
today for 7'cents.
Had we gone on importing goods in
stead OF manufacturing them, as we
were doing in those days, greater pro.
portion OF our population than one.tlith
would to-day be competing with each
other in agriculture, and much lower
prices for farm products would BIO the
experience of all who tillthe soil.
1t is the wisdom OF the American
farmer, whether he lives in West vir.
ginia or elsewhere, not TO be led OF by
specious promises, that are simply i'm.
possible to redeem, into unknown and
untried organizations where liberty OF
action ia surrendered. On the basis OF q
sound currency and on the principle Of
protection to oil American industries,
the divenification OF farm products will
advance hand In hand in hand with the
liberalization Of all other branches Of
employment. This is the true iouuda.
ton on which American agriculture
must rest its prosperity in the future.
DsafnesS Can't be Cured