The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1894-06-14
TO the Rocky Mountain EayS

To the Rocky Mountain Sewa
a work ingna:l In the support OF him
self and his family Is confronted by Il
twofCid problem. namely. the rate Of
wages received and the decree of domestic
comfort ii viii procure.
His earning power, or tho wages which
he receives, is the primary .otrc. for his
domestic expenditures ard determines IT.
no matter how economical his domestic
expenditures are Whenever these exceed
the wages received debt or ruin must fol-
low. The wages received is. therefore.
the primary source for the domes'ic econ
Ory and determines its degree.
AS /: is with an individual, SO IL Ii Win
a nation. Nations too. hav" their p:i-
mary source Of income AID their seconda-
~ avenues for the expenditure Of that IN
come. To illustrate: EnEland's primary
source for materia. supper: IS in MANU-
features, and her secondary. agriculture.
That is. with the profits on manufactures
she Is enabled to buy her food supply at
home and abroad. In the United States
the condition is reversed. the primary In
<iustry in this country IS in the produc-
ton Of staple agricultural products. and
the secondary Is In manufactures. There
fore the volume OF manufacture In the
United States is limited TO q degree equal
t. the volume OF the net profits on staple
agriculture.
This statement is true or false. If false.
there Is end to further discussion; II
true. we may proceed.
1t Is true 1t is just as true OF the United
States aa is the example above given OF
the workingman. 1t IL therefore an Inn
portant matter for workingmen to inquire
into the profits y! staple agriculture. for
Il failure to DO this would be Il failure to
examine into the primary cause of wages
and its rates than which nothing is OF
greater Importance to the workinEman.
Let now examine into this matter with
the care and attention IT deserves and see
n it will not lead US to certain conclu-
eions.
Some writer's have asserted that civili-
cation is liable to destruction by an armed
Invasion Of Asia,ic horlcs. We need have
no fear ON tina, score. The probabilities
themselves more mischief with modern
devices Of warfare than they would in
fiict on the more civilized races. There
Is. however. every reason to fear that the
time is near at hand when civilization
will he mcnaccd with a danger more en-
during ana destructive than bloodshed:
changes that must occur as soon az labor
saving devices and machinery will DO
placed in the hands of the ,!ocilc cheap
labor OF hsia-the millions that have been
content from remote time to tn" present
day to work for the lowest rate OF wages
in the world.
danger. and yet it is real. The objection
that this class OF labor is not competent
and cannot work machinery will not hold.
We see in California that il cooie. with
Kay" machine and turn out as many
boots and shoes and Of as good quality
difference being that IN California the
roolie receives 81 n day. but In China the
same class OF labor may be had at from
limited numbers. why il it that labor
saving machinery has not yet been In
troduced in China and India for the man
Ufacture OF goods. l do not know. That
these will be introduced in, time there
can ne no question. II labor saving ma
chinery for the manufacture OF goods has
not yet been introduced into the Asiatic
counties. the same cannO. be said CT ag-
ricultural labor saving devices and ma
chinerv.
At the time England established free
trad" she had practically monopoly IN
the manufacture OF goods. The monopoly
consisted chiefly in the skill and technic
nj knowledge OF her workmcn. The quail
peer and so with her textiles and earth
enwares. Rye-and-bye Germany. France
and Austria established great schools Of
technique and the manufactures soon RI
vailed the skin Of the Ensl!shren. A.
result, the English wage rate declined
and to counteract this. English statesmen
cheap food for the English workmen.
This nctuated the taking OF Egypt and
the converting OF India into an imperial
form of gTvernment; With these changes
agricultural devices in Egypt. India and
the British possessions generally. and even
ENGLAND from securing the ARGENTINE re-
public. II did not prevent Englishmen
from buying vast tracts Of wheat land
in that country and supplying It with
modern labor saving devices.
Russia, too followed In these footsteps,
and the result Is manifest.
The two leading staples OF the United
States. wheat and cotton. have felt the
effects Of this line OF policy In a steady
decline in price.
Important to Every WOrkinRman.
This decline is the subject matter Of
our discussion. and Is Of great impor-
lance to every workingman In our coun-
try. for 1t concerns and bears directly
on the hours OF labor and the rate OF
wages. The unthinking worklngman may
see IN this decline cheap bread and cheap
cotton. hence a greater purchasing power
for the amount that he receives as wages
such a conclusion. While 1t Is true that
a. far as England and the English work
ingman are concerned. cheaper wheat and
the United States 1t Is just the reverse
for here cheap wheat and cotton means
cheap wages and heightened hours Of la
Dor.
This 1. absolutely true-as absolutely
true as that a diminution Of wages 90 a
workingman will affect his home expcn-
ditures. For at the start It was said
that where manufacture is the primary
industry. the profits Of manufacture de-
ter,nine the quantity or degree Of pros
pcrity of the nation. and In country
the profits Of agriculture determines this.
We have also before us the fact that
the primary industry q the United States
is staple agriculture and that the net
profits on agriculture determine the VOL
ume and quality OF manufacture II,
therefore. agriculture has its profits cut
down by reason OF the conditions stated
befcre-by the use OF labor-saving de-
vices IN the semi-civilized countries, en-
abling them to expand greatly the area
for cultivation-snd when this decline
affects the producer OF staple agrcul-
turai products TO the dgree that II Dies
in our country. there must necessaH y
follow a corresponding decline in the oua!-
itv ard volume In manufacture.
There is no escape from this conclusion.
Cheap bread and cheap cotton. IL they
mean cheap wages and long hours. really
mc.,n dear bread and dear Gotten. These
mean leveling toward the Asiatic stand
ard: hence Il lowering Of the degree OF
civilization. and il destructive not alone
60 the family. but TO the nation. \ saw.