The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-18
THE CoRN-FIkE CRAZE.

Jerry Simpson repeated the other day
the stale story concerning the burning Of
| corn for fuel by Kansas farmers. In q
| country without wood and coal, and with
| a vast surplus of corn, the burning of corn
as the cheapest fuel obtainable is no more
remarkable than the exceeding cheapnee
| of so valuable food fish as salmon would
! be in Alaska. The Republican party is no
more responsible for the low price of corn
in Kansas in certain years compared with
the high price of fuel than it is today for
the low price of cotton at the South.
Given Kansas farm, distant from wood
and coal, with railroad transportation
blocked by snowstorrns, and doubtless
corn has not seldom been the cheapest,
if not the only accessible fuel in sudden
cold "snap." but who is responsible for
the situation of these transiently snow
blockaded farms? Surely not the govern
ment, nor either of the great political
parties? In a snow blockade an ice
bound train has frequently been COM
PEELED to use the car seats for fuel, but
nobody charges the government or the
Republican party with any responsibility
for this transient hardship of the railroad
corporation.
When Jerry Simpson says that the Kan
sas farmer read the history of the Repub-
lican party by the light of a corn fire and
then went to tie polls and voted against
it, he presents the Kansas farmer in the
pItiable light of poor imbecile who sup
poses that if il had not been for the Revub-
lican party being in power the Kansas
farmer would have warmed his toes at
fire of wood or coal. The Kansas farmer
uses the cheapest fuel he can find; if corn
is cheaper to burn than coal or wood, or is
more accessible when the farm is icebound
and blockaded by SNOW. he burns corn,
and against this necessity no government.
no political party, no legislation could
possibly protect him, and nobody
ou: a knavs talking to fools,
or fool, touching elbows sympa-
athetically with fools, would ever
assume that congressional legislation or
federal executive action was responsible
for the economic situation which ever
made corn the cheapest or transiently the
only accessible fuel of the Kansas farmer.
A Kansas farmer would not naturally
wish to smother fire with his best over
coat, but if his wife's dress was in flames
he would not hesitate to sacrifice his coat
so rather than freeze when he is distant
from wood and coal he would make corn
fire, and if corn is the cheapest fuel he can
use who is responsible for that interesting
economic fact? Surely not the Republican
congress, nor Republican administration.
What must be the average intelligence
of the constituents of "Sockless" Jerry
Simpson when their champion seriously
on the floor of congress holds the Repub-
lican party responsible for the fact that
Kansas farmers have sometimes found it
cheaper TO burn corn rather than wood or
coal. Suppose q New England farmer
should say, 81 am obliged to use wood and
coal TO keep warm, while my cousin in
Kansas can raise his fuel in shape of corn.
Under all circumstances of navigation or
| land transportation my Kansas cousin can
always keep warm because he can burn
corn"
The New England farmer might further
say; 81 have to pay 30 cents pound for
salmon, but my cousins in Oregon or
| Washington can get salmon at very
small figure. D-n the Republican party 4;
! it ought to pass a bill to equalize tho
supply OF salmon and its price throughout
the country; it ought to pass law which
would red'strlbute the supply of wood,
coal and corn throughout the country. so
/ that if We wanted a cheap corn ire rather
! than dear coal ire in New England We
/ could have it."
This would be very idiotic talk. and vet
it is no more instinct With imhecility and
ignorance than the complaints Of the
/ Farmers Alliance speaking IN congress by
the mouth OF this Kansas Jack Cade.