The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-04-14
"uNCLe JERRY"
what the Late secretary of Agriculture
k..u. Absuf farming


k""w. Ab.ut farming
Uncle Jerry" Eusk. just before he
left of theoretical a. again begin prac-
teal farming gave rs in the North
American Review for March. some pre-
dictions as to what may b. expected OF
American Farming Hundred Years
Hence" His long and varied expe-
ricncc aud his exceptional facilities Tor
studying past changes, together with
his undoubted powers Of analysis and
prophecy. make il obligatory for rs To
consider his words as those OF an ora
Gle. Hence il il with great concern
that we read what he has so say about
our great foreign commerce, and cspe-
cially abou, that part Of our exports
about three-fourthsl that comes from
our farms
He thinks our foreign commerce VIII
soon vanish. and that Our trade rcla-
,ions. probably. will not exercise 80
great an influence in the charges of the
future as they have done in the past
The plain English of this oracular
language proba bly, is that when we
have no foreign trade 10 speak Of, the
principal issue between the two great
parties will not bc one of low or high
duties-of protection or free trade. But
think what this means TO our farmers
Our seer tells us that"I am Of the opinion
that long before hundred years have
rolled by we will have ceased to export
food products to foreign countries. with
the exception Of a few products in con-
centrated form. Our trade in foreign
products will hoolce be Interstate. not
international. and will be regulated by
the growth Of our population and the
consequent extension Of our home mar
kcts'
a half century ago there lived an
other great protection" and home
market" prophet lie dealt with this
same question and the similarity IN
thought almost leads TO the conclusion
that our ex-secretary of agriculture is
guilty of plagiarism: and certainly the
striking fulfillmcnt of Henry Clay :
predictions would tempt man with
less reputation to lose than Uncle
Jerry into the field Of prophecy. Our
exports of cotton. breai>suffs and To-
bacco have increased about 1000 pei
cent since 1870. Here is Clay's wonder.
full prophecy made in the house OF rep
resentativcs on April ~. 1870:
IL believe that we are already pe
ginning To experience the want of ca
pacity in Europe 20 consume our sur
plus produce. Take the articles of cot
ton. tobacco and breadstnfs For HI
latter we have scarcely any foreign lie
mand. And is there not reason To be
icve that we have reached. il we have
not passed. the maximum If the foreign
demand for the other articles? Con
siderat.ons connected with the cheap
ness Of cotton, rs a raw material. ane
tine facility with which il can be fabri
Gated, will probably make il to be NOR
used rs a substitute for other material
But. after you allow 70 the demand fol
il the utmost extension of which IL i
susceptible. il is vet quite limited
limited by the number of persons VIII
use IL. by their wants and their ability
To supply them. II we have no
reached. therefore, the maximum of tn
foreign demand las believe we have
we mist soon fully satisfy it. With RI
spect To tobacco. that article affordin,
an enjoyment not necessary. rs foo
and clothes are. to human existence. tn
foreign demand for il is still more pre-
carious. and | apprehend that we hav
already passed its limits 1t appear
TO me. then. that if we consult our in
tcrests merely. we ought To encourag
home manufactures"