The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-10-14
The Dispatch and the Lose, of Virginia
Farmers.

Sir,-ln the issue Of thc sth instant the
Dispatch, iu am article Crilcislus your
comments on tAc article in Tho III patch
OF Sunday. the am instant, again repeats
rs statement that the farmers OF Wiz
gnia have lost >2l.UyDO1O On~throc crops
OF l,e0, assuming that they had been sold
at $40 prices instead OF 1886 prices, and
rciterites It's belief in the accuracy OF
tho table published IA the issue OF the
ith making this showing, and this. not
Withstand!ns the fact that in your issue
OF the tth instant ! gave from the OIL
Cial publication OF the Department Oi Ag-
rlculture. the actual figures Of the three
crops in question for Virginia with the
actual average prices for the years i'm
question. / further showed in the same
communication that 10 have made the
value OF the wheat crop amount 10 the
sum stated by the Dispatch. the crops
would have had 10 have sold Tor SD per
hLsncl. o. price which has never been
touched since the war, the nearest app
ptDIch being IN 1866. when the price
reached SO. ! am at loss 10 under
stand how the Dispatch can maintain rs
contention. Certainly official figures do
NOT sustain IL either as to quantity or
price. The only possible explanation
seems 10 me 10 Doe that it has made an
error jon Oyerst3tiug the wheat crop. and
then Naluius 10 IN 1873 az currency prices
and in 1895. at gold prices. This is. OF
course. maullcstly unfair and unjust.
80 true comparison can Doe made except
upon prices based at both periods ON gold.
for that WAS the ultimate and only true
value. whatever might have been the in-
fatcd price locally by reason of sales be-
ing made in terms of paper currency.
The value 90 the farmer Of the proceeds
of bis crop during the period of initiation
OF the currency was what in would pur-
chase Tor him in the market and these
pieces were based on gold. WIKI no pre-
MUM Cn gold the less price Ga gold price,
received in 1896 would purchase more oi
thc goods required tlau would the indai-
ci price received i'm paper in 1873. 4 have
said that can Dec The only explanation oi
Che discrepancy between The Official hg-
ures and those of the Dispatch. but /
should recall this The table published
in tie Dispatch on the >th instant. which
o. quotes with evident approval Of its acc
curIfy from the Denver Times ana
which it states is based - the official
figures Of the department Of Agriculture.
may afford another explanation Of ih'
discrepancy The Dispatch evidently Zee
lies upon the accuracy Of The figures
given 90 it without yoritcatlon. This last
table IS FUN of errors from beginning
20 end. have carefully compared 70 with
the official figures given hy the Statisu-
clan OF the Department of Agriculture.
and both in quantity Of the crop and in
the price it is untrue and falsely quoted
compared the price quoted as that Of one
ounce OF silver in each year With That
given iu tlo official publication. the Sia-
tlsfical Abstract Of The United States.
and ] find tins Incorrect almost through
out the whole table. / append 20 This let
ter the true figures given In cach OF
these official publications in order that
the accuracy of my statements may De
verified. and am prepared 10 produce the
original official publication 40 ANY time
for comparison. ll the Dispatch relies gn
ptrhlcd information for its facts. its err
rOrs are easily accounted Tor, but WHAT
reliarc e can Dee placed on "a journal whi.n
is so easily mislod lu matters which can
so readily be- verified. Permit me now,
Alr. Editor 10 say orc word upon the
point Of the 81 efficiency OF these tables
SO published by the Dispatch. or even
of the official tables accurately quoted
10 support the argument in .ayor Of me
contention that the price or silver governs
the price OF wheat. cotton, and other
crops. and especially Of wheat as THAT
i5 the main purpose for which they are
quoted by tine silver men and by the Dis
pat.n. Indeed the Dispatch goes so far In
support OF this view as 10 say that II The
Times wiil look 90 this table compiled ~
tho Denver Times. 10 viii see plainly
without further search that cheap SILVER
has Ir0ulht cheap wheat ana cotton.
Nav sir let us look into the facts, and
$40 If This bee So The frcs-sllyer men
claim that an ounce OF silver VIII buy
as much wheat or amy other products as
10 would twenty years ago ana mat con-
sooueuuy as our competitors III N'+'tt-
growing are silver standard countries
the prlce of or wheat goes down Win
silver Yhe following tables SHOW tie
fliacv o. this statement. They sife tine
average price of silver PER ounce as re-
ported by the Director VI the Mint ANA
tho average report price OF gu wheat
H.nH. NOR .HUN