The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1891-05-30
fCasattnaed from The third paae.l

h0UReS@s0ESt0C ~ VNt ItC kEGYb UUVGsj
sner aspires not to the indulgence of
lnxuries, but is happy if by any
means he may secure TO himself and
family the enjoyment of the absolute
lecessaries OF life.
Let us look iato this boasted pur.
chasing power of the dollar from the
farmer standpoint. lie buys a dress
fabric for his wife at 20 cents per
yard. which twenty years ago would
have cost 40 cents. The broker to
whom he sells his cotton makes. his
usual profit, the New York broker
sells it to a New Hampshire manu-.
iacturer and makes his usual profit.
the road transporting it to the New
Hampshire mill makes its usual profit
the manufacturer manipulates it into
q dress fabric, sells it to a New
York jobher and makes his usual
profit with a bonus Of IS per cent in
the shape of an import tax called
protection, the road transporting it
20 New York makes its usual profit,
the New York jobber sells it to the
wholesale merchant and makes his
usual profit, the wholesale merchant
cells 1t to the merchant of the far
mers in the South at his usual profit
the road transporting it to the South
ern merchant makes IT'S usual profit,
and the Southern merchant cells it
to the farmer who produced the cot.
ton at his usual profit. Thus we see
hat from the time this raw cottont
leaves the hand of the farmer and
comes back tohim, ten separate and
distinct profits a protective tax Of
IS per cent, has been realized on it.
Bnt was labor the gamer by il?
Who reaped the profit Every man
through whose hands it passed. Who
were the losers? The man who
produced it and sold it at q price
barely covering the cost Of produc.
ton, and who, in its final purchase,
paid all these added profits. Who
else? That frail aud. pale faced
girl. who stood on her weary feet
for 70 to IA hours per day in manu-.
factnring it ard who vas forced TO
receive her pay in the scrip Of the
firm, that must be honored at the
store Of the firm only at d heavy dis,
count, and which reduces her wages
below rates. Is labor benefited,
when a dollar will purchase nor Of
its products than ever before?
Away with such fraudulent and
hypocritical assertionsi Ii IL not so
much in the purchasing power Of the
dollas that the farmers r interest
ed. but he is profoundly interested
in the debt-paging power Of the dol
lar. Will this dollar, which cost
him Two to four times as much as
when money was plentyifal-will it
pay more debt? Will it pay more
interest? Will it pay more on his
mortgage7 Will it pay core to-
ward the education of his children?
These are the questions which deep
~ concerR car depressed, oppressed
and deht-ridden people.
/ have thus briefly adVerted to
some Of the prominent causes and
conditions which have forced ifto
being, one of the mightiest revolu.
tons ever known to the world.
The advocates and promoters Of
this great reform movement, make
war on no legitimate Interests and
extend the cordial right hand Of
fraternity and friendship to all men
who are ernestiy striving to make
an honest living in the world. They
seek to rescue agriculture and re-
store it to its just position among
the other great industries Of the
country. They are not begging for
for charity, but they = demanding
simple Justice. They ask for no
class legislation in favor Of agricul-
ture, but they demand for it only an
open field and an equal chance with
every other great interest in the
race Of progress. They see in the
perilous conditions confronting them
lin the class Legislation of Con-
gress, 10 the monopo,istic combina.
tions Of money power. that we have
demonstrated to the world that this
government can be ran in the litter
est of the few. They propose to re.