The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1893-08-22

ened their clutches upon. In this
country, no doubt, when they have
swept all the farms and homes from
the producers, and once in possession
of them, to rehabilitate silver, and en-
hance not only the value of the lands,
but of the products of the lands and in
that way fatten off from the advan-
tages they have taken, by first putting
it beyond the power of the producers
to pay their debts, and then dispossess IS
them of their homes.
The farmer and planter might pay
easily enough 10 per cent. interest if
silver was restored, and cotton at 16
cents per pound, and wheat at 81. SO
per bushel; but at the same ratio with
wheat and cotton at the present prices,
they cannot pay more than one third
of 10 per cent. but, as matter of fact,
they are unable to pay any per cent.
whatever, for the reason that the crops
are now produced at 1esa than cost of
production; done at the instigation and
in the interests of the gold lords
Instead of calling a convention to de
crease the acreage of your crops, call
a convention to give notice to your
members in Congress that if they do
not vote and work to restore silver,
that it will be unsafe for them to re-
turn to Texas. The crop of all the South
should be diversified. The only piece
of legislation that has been enacted for
twenty years in the interest of the pro
ducers, was the bounty on sugar. And
strange as it may seem, you people of
the South generally are opposed to that
bounty.
The people of the Eastern or manu-,
featuring States entered into a con-
spiracy with the gold lords of the Old
World to rob the farmer of the West
and planter OF the South of so per cent
of their products. About 80 per cent
of this robbery goes to the Eastern or
manufacturing States, and the remain
der to the plutocracy of the Old World
Of course the gold lords of the Old
World could not control Congress
without the aid of the Eastern States
The Eastern States consume the pro
ducts of the Western States at least
$3.50, coo, 600 per year which by reason
of the demOnetization of silver they
buy at 40 or so per cent. Of its value.
That is why the South and West are
so fond of the East,
The wheat crop Of 1892 was six hun
dred million bushels. With silver re
stored it would be worth 81 so per
bushel or 5000, 900, 900, but at the pres
ent price Of silver we get only go cents,
aggregating 1850, 900, 900, a loss to the
wheat grower of $54O,OOO,OOO. The
cotton crop was about three billion,
five hundred million pounds. With
free coinage of silver, this would GER
tainIy bring Is cents per pound, aggre,
eating $3.50, 100000 But at z cents,
the present price, it brings only $245,
100000, a loss to the cotton producer
of 1915, 600, ,OOO The loss on corn, oats,
dairy and other farm products aggre-
Safes 1896, 900, 900, making total loss
to the producers of this country of
81, $50, ,OOO,OOO annually.
IL silver was restored as money,
England, instead of buying silver bull
lion at SO cents and forcing down the
value of our farm products 40 per cent.
or more would buy products direct in
this country, and it's trade with India
would cease, and that country would
no longer be a competitor.
Both Francs and Germany en-
couraged the sugar industry by boun
ties and other ways. We send out OF
this country annually $165, 100000 fol-
beet sugar alone. The sugar we con
sumo should be manufactured here
and Southern States sould join in
memorial to Congress to enact law
to definitely settle the repeal of the
present bounty law. The law recites
that it shall not be repealable for six
teen years, but there is some question
in regard to that matter. Of course
those who have engaged in the manu-
facture of sugar claim that they have
acquired rights under the law that
cannot be disturbed without the gov
ernment being held for damages; bu
they are cautious about erecting more
factories for fear that the government
might repeal the law and they be com
PEELED to litigate with the government
to collect the bounty.
The amount of sugar imported by
this country is one million, six hun
dred thousand tons, of beet sugar alone
The two cents per pound bounty would
amount to $72 $50 COO That money