The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1894-06-14
t,on with sue cost OF transportation q
tha Crcaf R,ifain market"


the Great Britain market"
Dry Goods Economist (New York;.
Feb. Il. "a. says: As cotton is OF the
South, wheat is the money crop OF the
West Year by year the acreage de-
vsed to wheat has increased with the
growth Of population. and the surplus
while We have been charging our sur
plus other countries have been going into
wheat production tor the purpose OF
poured into the European market in
competition with US. with the effect OF
m rsr and takne rom our grain
their virtual monopoly OF supply which
they once enjoyed: Instead of having
Russia only. the American grain grower
| has to-day to compete with Russia. In
dia. Australia: and lastly .s OF Erea. and
The San Francisco Evening Bulletin:
| March II. "a, says: The production OF
wheat in Argentine Is increa sins; by rapid
| bounds the wheat exports jumping from
! 1000 tons in 1850 TO million tons in
/ lS.,:. 1t is claimed the exports the cur
rent year will reach 2.Ts'."D tons"
| II has been suggested by some writer's
| that wheat and cotton raising be aban-
! donei or diminished. This seems SIM
pie remedy. but is practical to
| have the shoe.nakers and cigarrnakers OF
| our country abandon or diminish their
| industry or try some other.
| Simple Answer to II Problem.
We must always bear in mind that
! wheat and cotton are two OF our chief
exports. with which we pay for our i'm
| ports, and must continue TO be until
| the time will come when France will ac-
cept our millinery and England our knives
in place of our wheat and cotton.
To pay for our Imports in gold must
speedily impoverish US.
Objections have again been offered as
to how it would be possible for the gov
eminent to pay the necessary sum to-
| wards the reducing of the cost Of trans
portation when 1t has scarcely enough
money in the treasury to meet current
expenses, and was but recently compelled
to issue interest bearing bonds to the
amount of S1O.OoO,oO to meet current ex-
penses The answer is simple. When the
profit to the staple AGRICULTURAL produc-
ture and imports are brisk and the custom
house receipts swell the revenue with
out special effort on the part OF any one.
Such was the case a few years ago when
staple products sold at fair prices
The question was then. What shall we
| do with surplus revenue? But now
when the staple products sold at a
price barely leaving a margin of profit,
| the purchasing power Is diminished, man
ufacture and imports decrease. the treas
ury and custom house receipts have
correspondngly diminished. The compe-
tition in the production Of staple farm
products has caused great shrnkage
in the purchasing power OF the people OF
This shrirkage has entailed orders for
manufactured goods to an amount caus.
ing an unstealiness in the labor mar
ket which must result in a permanent
decline Of wages should this condition
be permitted to continue. A like result
must follow with the elimination of fires
hold farmers and their replacement by
renters. should conditions remain I'M
changed. and which will further diminish
the purchasing power for goods. This
VIII again reduce the price of labor and
we Will continue to go around in the
sam sam deter, dete1ri"rating circle until we have
peen ieveled down to the standard aver
age that the law Of cause and effect will
permit us to reach.
Free trade would at once relieve staple
agriculture from it's oppressive yoke, for
the lessened government tax and greater
security would enable the American pro-
queer or staple products to cope for a
| Queer.
The removal OF the burden of protec-
tion would however. bring an evil fully
1t would bring the Austrian wage rate
with 1t. and. in time. the Chinese wage
rate Tor labor. For. with free trade. there
er starting workshops and mills In
China with Chinese laborers at Chinese
Wage rates. and sending his product to
New York and San Francisco. That this
Is not done now. does not follow that /,
may not be done
Idle workm-n.
Those who are inclined to treat this
matter joke should account for the
vast number of idle workmen in GU,
country. They who attribute this enforc
ca idleness to the demonstration Of sill
yer are IN me sure right. but only II
compel England to adopt that money
Stanoard most conducive to our 1nteres
II Will be in vain to attempt to modif,
the price that England fixes. upon oul
product by any standard that We ma.
adopt. for II double standard would
ADVANCE the price Of wheat in our coun
Try. ENGLAND. with a single standard
would buy her supply from Argentine
from India. Egypt and Russia. and leav,
us our higher priced wheat and cotton
Tor the time being. until we would b.
willing. Of our own accord. to sell it a
the price she wishes to pay. This Is thu
Fear Of tariff changes has, TO a Unite,
. extent. curtailed the volume Of work
. put were the demand for manufacture
brisk work would have continued unir
terruptedly in spite OF any probable TART
! | changes. The real cause is centred 1,
the fact that the principal customer o
American manufacture could not affort
to buy the quality and quantity Of man
ufacturas that he formerly did. becans
he could not afford II on account Of
much lessened net profit which he made
. tn. same cause must produce the sam
| until remedied
Would there be a great difficulty I,
having the remedy herein advocate
adortedc No: not II the majority wan
II. There should be no greater difficult,
IN Its adoption than Is involved in chang
Ing the tariff rate on any article Of i'm
port.
. This Is meant to be a protection to sta
pie farm products in the only way !,
, which exports can be protected. Fo
. | imports. protection Is effected by a tariff
Tor exports. 1t is only possible to rroduc
> the same results by a reduction in cos
. | Of transportation.
This is a fancy sketch or a reality. I
fancy sketch. the workman has no bus
mess TO give 1t serious consideration:
reality. what then? leave 1t to the in
telligence OF the workmen Of this coun
!: try, more especially to the intelligen
:. ahor leaders, to decide
: Let them probe this matter and whe,
| they have once decided that II Is In thef
! Interest. we may then expect that cours
l OF action that will tend to bring max,
mum benefit. n. LrBI<.
Sacramento, Gals
buys = Crown.
4 Irs. Vanderbilt has purchased. it i
: said. The imperial crown Of Ex-Empres