Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-08-21
Scaling DEBTS.
A KANSAS MANS VIEWS ON FREE
COINAGE AT Is TO l.
He Shows That Prices of the Staple
Products of Kansas Are Higher
Than Before the ''Crime or
IS73'-He Gives Some
Sound Advice.

The editor of the Kansas Star csked
Nj. George L. Douglass, of Wichita,
Kan. for his opinion OF the agitation
in Kansas for Stree silver at 16 to l."
The following is a part of Mr.. Doug
lass's excellent reply:
The argument for scaling debts IS so
thin that it should impose upon no.
body. 1t is said that the money price
of many commodities (but principally
wheat and c%otton) has fallen one-half
in twenty years; that thereby all debts
have been in effect doubled and that
to ''even things up" and fright the
wrong of 1873" we must reduce the
value of the dollar about fifty per
cent. and thereby enable ourselves to
to pay our debts with one-half the
amount of corn, labor, wheat or other
commodity which is nov required.
The worthlessness of this argument
has been demonstrated a thousand
times. Bat if the argument has any
force or weight anywhere, Kansas is
one of the last places on earth where
it can be honestly used. Why? Be-
cause the great staple product ofKen-
sas is corn, not wheat or cotton. Be-
cause we raise, on an average, nearly
five times as much corn as wheat; and
for five years past the average price of
corn, in Kansas (which is the price that
interests farmersl, has been more
than fifty per cent higher than it was
in 1872. just prior to the 'crime OF
'73"-which these ~agitators tell us
ruined the farmer. The average price
in 1872 was - cents. In 1895 II has
been more than double that. Bat,
with the present great crop prospect,
a decline must, of course, be expect
ed; for supply and demand regulate
the price of grain aud the chinch bug
has far more to say about it than the
"gOld bug"
PRICES OF KANSAS PRODUCTS.
Excluding 1S74-the "grasshopper
year" when corn wentto an abnormal
figure owing to an abnormal causel
the price OF corn, in Kansas, from
1872 to 1877, as shown by a statement
sent me by the State Boarl OF Agri-
culture, was: In 1872, p cts. /; in
1873, 81 cts. /; in 1875, $3.50 cts. (; in
1876, 1884 cts. ; in 1877, 1875 cts. ;
the average for the five years being
23.S0 cents per bushel.
For the last five years the average
price per bushel has been: In 1890,
A. 6 cts. {; 10 1891, 34.4S cts. in 1892,
1895 cts. /; in 1898, 27.50 cts. /; in
1874, 1886 cts. /; an average for the
five years of 3l.4j cents; OF fifty per
cent. higher than it was twenty years
ago. If reckoned in gold the increase
is still greater.
In 1892, 1898 and 1891 the Kansas
farmer received thirty per cent. more
for hogs than he got in 1872, 1873 and
1874; and, if reekoned in gold, near
ly forty per cent. more. Oats last
year Il sold some MYSELF we're far
higher than the average price of 1872;
AMI the like is true of other great
products. Even wheat has lately sold
in Kansas up to within q few cents of
the average Kansas price OF 1915.
For several years past wheat has been
very low. But every man who takes
the pains to investigate will find that
the low price has been mainly due to
the enormous increase in the worlds
supply, to cheaper processes Of har-
yesting and to reduction in Transport
tation charges from rival wheat u
tries to common markets. Men who
would rather be the dupes of some de-
signing demagogue than to %investi-
gate, will OF course continue to be-
lieve that John Sherman and the
Rothschilds did il.