The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1895-08-23
SCALING DEBTS.
A KANSAS MANS VIEWS ON FREE
COINAGE AT 16 TO l.
He Shows That Prices of the Staple
Products of Kansas Are Higher
Than Before the ssCrime of
1S73''-He Gives Some
Sound Advice.

The editor of the Kansas Star asked
Mr.. George l.. Douglass, of Wichita,
Kan. for his opinion of the agitation
in Kansas for "free silver at 16 to /"
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. It is said that the money price
of many commodities (but principally
wheat and cotton) 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 1878" 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
amou 1T of corn, labor, wheat or other
commodity which is now required.
The worthlessness of this argument
has been demonstrated thousand
times. But 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 of Kan
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 farmers), has been more
than fifty per cent. higher than it was
in 1872, just prior to the ''crime OF
which these agitators tell us
ruined the farmer. The average price
in 1872 was % cents. In 1895 it has
been more than double that. But,
with the present great crop prospect,
decline must, of course, be expect
ed; for supply and demand regulate
the price of grain and 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 cause)
the price of corn, in Kansas, from
1872 to 1877, as shown by statement
sent me by the State Board Of Agri-
culture, was: In 1872, % cts. in
1873, 81 cts. :; in 1875, $3.50 cts. in
1875, 1884 cts. +; in 1877, 1852 cts. !;
the average for the five years being
$3.50 cents per bushel.
For the last five years the average
price per bushel has been: In 1890.
AZ. O6 cts. ; in 1891. 34.4S cts. in 1892,
3O.35 cts. in 1898, $3.50 cts. in
1894, 1886 cts. an average for the
five years of 34.45 cents; or fifty per
cent. higher than it was twenty years
ago. If reckoned in gold the increase
is still greater.
In 1892, 1898 and 1894 the Kansas
farmer received thirty per cent. more
for hogs than he got in 1872, 1873 and
1874; and, if reckoned in gold, near
ly forty per cent. more. Oats last
year (I sold some myself we're far
higher than the average price of 1872 !;
and the like is true Of other great
products. Even wheat has lately sold
in Kansas up to within few cents of
the average Kansas price Of 1874-75.
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-
vesting and to reduction in transpor
tation charges from rival wheat coun-
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 it.
CORN Is KING.
But, in view of the fact that corn
the great Kansas staple, has for years
past ranged fifty per cent. higher thai
it did twenty years ago, what miser
able hypocrisy to talk of Kansas being
ruined by the "crime of 49," and the
necessity of debasing the dollar on &C
count of the ''fall in prices"
How does it hurt q Kansas man t.
buy plows, reapers, binders, binding
Irvine. clothes, wire fencing, nails,
tools and nearly everything else h
wants at half what he paid twenty
years ago?
But, say the demagogues, "Giv
US q cheaper dollar for the whea
raiser to pay his debts with, becaus
wheat has gone down." By the sam
argument we ought to have q deare
dollar for the corn raiser to pay hi
debts with because corn has gone up
and where would that leave Kansas?
What sort of figure would Kan
sas Congressman cut, who would g
down to Washington and howl TO
ffiy-cent dollars on account Of tn
fall in prices? Some shrewd Yanke
would pull out the report of the Kan
sas Board of Agriculture and prove
that the very thing Kansas sells mos
of is greatly higher than it was il
1872, while nearly everything sh
buys is cheaper; and the Congress
man would become the laughing stool
!, OF America.
THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
Away with such stuff and nonsense
and all the twaddle about no none.
to do business with? No man VIII,
has a marketable commodity to
day has the slightest trouble t.
get money for it, and, if W
, haven't anything to exchange TO
money, the minis might run till
doomsday, turning out fifty-cent dol
lars, and we wouldn't get any. Tn
great need OF the hour is not cheal
dollars but common sense. Let u
sit down, once and for all, on tn
cranks and demagogues and al theil
schemes; quit bowling; get down tx
business, and try to earn some Of the
GOOD dollars that are in SIGHT, rathe]