Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-10-05

WE propose 10 address few words
70 the farmers and ask that each one
who reads after us FIRST disabuse his
mind Of all political prejudice, whether
he be a democrat or whether he be
republican It's fact that farm prop
erty-meaning farming land-has fear
fully deprecated in value during the
last twenty years This fact is not only
widely known to them who own farms,
but iteis patent to every intelligent
man in all vocations, east, west, north
and south. There must be reason for
this depression, and II is the honest
duty of every man to discover, If possi-
BILE, that reason. Let each farmer
ask himself the following ques-
tions, and answer them to HIM
self with manly courage: "What could
! have sold my farm for, per acre, in
1S70?" what can l sell 1t for, per acre,
to-day?" If In 1870 he could have sold
for 800 per acre, to-day he can not sell
at $40 per acre If In 1870 he could
have sold for. $40 per acre, to-day he
can not sell for $50 per acre. These are
reasonable, truthful propositions They
show that depreciation of so per
cent has taken place. Then let him
ask why is this so? Is my farm less
productive than It was twenty years
ago? Is it more difficult to till?" He
would have TO answer negative
~ each of these questions.
"Why, therefore, should my farm
be worth thirty per cent less than it
was twenty years ago? Is 1t because 1
have home market for my products?
A what? A home market. have not
a home market. Why have not home
market? Because we farmers raise
more than home market can consume,
foreign market What effect has the
sale of this surplus In foreign market
on the value Of my product in the home
markete 1t fixes the value--that is, it
fixes the price, per bushel, on every
bushel of grain which sell. If the
foreign market fixes the price of my
products in the home market how can
it truthfully be said that have home
market2 have no home market so far as
the value of my product is concerned.
why is not the foreign market as
good as It was years ago? Is it'be-
cause other countries have largely in
creased their productions? Let us ex-
anime some statistics to see if this is
true, Here is table which shows
that In 1890 Russia raised of wheat
$50, 600. 900 of bushels, and that in 1899
she raised s42, ,965,ooO bushels, and of
this there are 97,s9s,o0o bushels of a
surplus. What kind Of labor does Rus
sia use in cultivating her fields? Serf
labor. The farmer must compete with
this 97, s9s,0o0 bushels of Russian sur
plus raised by serf labor. Here are
the statistics for India, one of the CO.
lonial possessions OF Great Britain.
In 1870 India raised 10000, 600
bushels of wheat, and in 1899 she raised
274, 600, 900 bushels, OF which 102, 900, 600
bushels are surplus. What kind of
labor was used in the production of the
crop in India? "Lower caste'' who
live on -FOUR CENTS per day per person
TIL farmer must compete with this
pauper labor in the markets of the
world in the sale of every bushel of his
wheat, whether it goes abroad or
whether it is consumed at home. Why
are you not protected against the COM
petition of this pauper labor? Because
the farmers raise more wheat than can
be consumed by the people of the
United States. Our surplus must find
sale in foreign markets, and there it
must meet in competition the products OF
serf and 'lower cast" labor. Why has
there been such large increase in the
production of wheat in India? Foreign
people, on accountof the high protective
duties imposed by the government of the
United states on their manufactured
articles so as to prohibit, almost, their
importation into this country, have
been compelled to seek other pursuits
for the investment of their capital, and
consequently they have selected the
vast plains of India for the growing Of
wheat. When we were boys we were
taught that the principal products Of
the fields of India were Indigo and rice.
To-day the indigo fields have been
turned into wheat fields, and the rice
swamps have been drained SO that they
wave with golden grain.
Let the farmer take one step further
in the inquiry. Let him ask himself
"Haye the manufacturing interests de
creased in valuel" The answer to thai
is-"No. They have in twenty years
increased two HUNDRED per cent. aWhy
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