Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-06-15
Democratic Northwest.
SECRETARY MORTON'S
View as to the Outlook for the
Farmer.
HE is NOT IN so DEPLORABLE A
SITUATION AS HAS BEEN REP
RESENTED.
A Broad Discussion ofthe outlook.

RESENTED.
A Broad Discussion OF the Outlook
J. Sterling Morton, secretary Of ag'
riculture, recently discussed the out
look for the farmer In this country
with Mai. Carson, Washington cores
pondent OF the Philadelphia Public
Ledger, and finally consented to put
his views in the form of an interview.
Here Is the result: 1t has been alleged
that the general condition of agricul-
ture the world over Is much worse than
10 years ago, and that this Is true OF
each country almost without excep--
tion. 1t Is true that the profits OF
agriculture have declined In the United
States very materially during the last
10 years, and while very much OF the
depression among farmers may be log
ically traced to the protective tariff,
which compelIs them to buy In mar
ket where the competition of the world
Is free to come in, yet principal cause
of the decline of the profits of the far
mer may, think, be found further
back.
In 1866 the Homestead law came in
to operation. During that year the
first homestead was given away. Un-
der the operation oi that law in the
last 90 years, because of the landed
gratuities of the government, the
plowed area of productive land In the
United States has about trebled, but
the market has not trebled-that is TO
say, the supply has increased with
more celerity than the demand. In
addition to the increased area Of titled
fields, implements have improved so
in the last quarter of century that
one man, with the improved machin-
cry of to-day, is capable of producing
all the staple food products of the farm
as much as six men of % years ago.
And while foreign governments have
not copied the homestead laws of the
United States precisely, all have emu
lated them, so that England has been
given homesteads to her colonists in
every part of the habitable globe. In
Australia and everywhere else the
British government Is bestowing land
and gratuities upon colonists. So far
has this gone that even little Belgium
Is giving them In the Congo state.
Thus the whole world has powed up
ard planted more than ever before,
and the improved implements are in
every country. The world is better
and oftener fed to-day than ever, and
the profits of agriculture have declined
because supply has run ahead of the
demand. This condition merely DEM
onstrates the truth of the economic
axiom that the relation of supply to
demand is the sole regulator of value.
But while the farmers profits have
declined, the world has not suffered.
The producers, to be sure, make smaller
profits, but the consumers have less to
pay for everything that enters the
household as staple food, and cannot
say that this is bad thing for the race.
The fact is, the profits of all other legi-
innate vocations have declined, except
where artificialy raised by protective
duties or other class legislation. The
heresy promulgated by the propaganda
of protective tariff has taught the pub
lie mind to consider almost always
producers as the only beneficiaries of
government. OF course the money
fallacies come In here and play their
part In the general diabolism of the
Populists and other vagarists, who
would have citizens all look directly to
the government for extrication when
ever they are In difficulty, financial or
otherwise. Thus the farmers In the
west and south have been made to be-
lieve that there was not enough money
per capita in circulation, and that was
the cause of low prices. They COM
plain that the money Is concentrated
at New York, Chicago, Boston, Phila-
delphia and other populous centers, but
money is O meer measure of value and
medium of exchange, and 1t seeks al
ways the places where the exchanges
are to be made and values are to te
measured. During the year 1887, when
town lots in Kansas City, Omaha and
other booming municipalities along the
west bank of Che Missouri river chang
ed hands two or three times week al
ways at an advance, there was no COM
plaint that there was too little money
for the amount of business being trans
acted-on the contrary, there was plen-
ty OF money with which to meet the
demands Of all exchanges-bu the real
estate speculation Of the west stopped
because the confidence in the high
prices which had been reached could
not be maintained. Then the money
undoubtedly sought other avenues of
trade and commerce. There never has
been farmer having pork, beef and
cereals for sale who could not find
money that desired to purchase them.
What the South and west need is not
more money so much as more commo-
dities or products with which to buy
money. A prominent fallacy Of the
Populist Is that money Is end-all and
be-all Of human effort and desire. But
money is the one thing for which men
struggle that never c0nfers blessing
until 1t leaves us. All through the
south and west to-day money is to be
had at lower rates OF interest than ev-
er before la the history of this country.
Everywhere money Is as anxious to be
had as the people are to have 1t, and
everywhere IL Ii obtainable upon good
security at moderate rates of interest.
In Nebraska I have seen money loaned
frequently on high grade Of real estate