The sun., 1893-09-10


Mississippi at from 80 to 20 cents . bushel.
The relation between the price Of wheat,
the lack OF power to buy corsets. and the
idleness and inability OF the women OF
Bridgeport to buy bread. is as obvious as
that between the earth's movements and
day and night.
However people may have disagreed
about the late ZACH CHANDELIERS states
manship. no one questioned his success as n
merchant and this was due as much to his
power OF discerning economic conditions
affecting his customers as to the uuerring
judgment with which he provided salable
goods. Soon after the close OF the civil war.
being asked IL he could find sale in the
farming districts for lot OF rich dress
goods. which no was shipping to small iu-
land towns. his reply was characteristics:
.sei thomi Sell them why. tho women the
farms OF Michigan have discarded homespun and cali.
for silk aud merno, and no farmers son now
thinks OF going out to plough unless dressed in doetkn
trousers and calfskn boots Don't you know that
wheat is selling for 81 a bushei'"
Such was the late Mr.. CHANDIER's way OF
stating the operation OF that economic law
which enables people to buy literally OF tho
products of others.
unable to buy bread. because large part OF
the 3O.OOOoOO inhabiting the farms have lost
their purchasing power: the purchasing
power has been lost because the products OF
the soil have. over wide areas. sold at or
below the cost of production; farm products
bring inadequate prices because. primarily.
Of the existence during recent years OF
cultivated acreage in excess Of the worlds
requirements; aud there are those who be-
lieve that the depressing influence OF this
excessive acreage upon prices has been
intensified and augmented by methods
employed upon the Produce Exchanges.
When we reflect that had the AGO. 100000
bushels OF wheat exported since July /.
1891. brought but fifteen cents more BUSH
ell. the corn exported ten cents more. and
the cotton exported only four mills more
pound fully 800. .OoO, 900 less in gold would
have gone abroad. and many millions less in
American securities have been sent back, we
can understand that the purchasing power
OF the farmer would have been enhanced
by several hundred millions. as like ad-
vances would have been secured on all SIM
liar products sold at home.
Such an addition to the farmers power to
purchase would have kept the mills and
furnaces employed: the operatives. having
constant work at high wages. would be able
to buy bread and their power to purchase
Of the products Of their own labor. as we'll
as of the products Of the labor OF others.
would be vastly increased: gold would be
abundant. confidence unimpaired. and pros
perity still be the ruo.
With prices Of farm products again such
as to afford fair remuneration for the labor
and capital employed in production. as they
presently must be by reason Of the eliminn-
tion OF the worlds acreage excess the pur-
chases OF the 3o,OOO.o0O upon our farms will
help to keep every spindle busy: labor in
the towns will. at least for time. be well
employed: boarding will cease. confidence
will be restored. money become abundant.
and an era Of prosperity will result from
the operation Of that natural law which
is the ultimate arbiter in determining the
price OF nearly every product Of labor.