Evening star., 1896-10-20
THE RISE IN WHEAT
What Party Managers Say Of Its
Campaign Effect.
CHAIRMAN BABCOCK'S IDEAS GIVEN
Senator Faulkner Thinks It VIII
Have No Influence.
MR.. TIERS VIEW s

MR.. TIERS VIEWS
The rise in wheat and Its effect on the
political situation is discussed around
headquarters every day. The democrats
and silverites profess to find nothing in
the rise which gives them alarm, while
the republicans see much to crafty them.
They feel that the actual fact in the rise
of wheat is better than all the arguments
which could be made by hundreds of ora
tors.
A Star reporter this morning talked to
the chairmen CT the different parties about
this matter, and presents what they have
to say.
Chairman DabcOck's Ideas.
"The present market conditions" said
Chairman Babcock of the republican con-
gressional committee, 'are complete de-
malls Of the claims and arguments Of Mr..
Bryan and the democratic managers. We
see decline in silver of from to points
ard an advance in wheat of more than
20 cents a bushel. If the arguments of
the silver men were good wheat should
join In the decline with silver. Instead Of
advancing 30 per cent in the last two weeks
wheat would have declined about 5 per
cent to have kept track with silver. This
one can question. There Is no oratorical
buncombe in 1t or no statement that cam
not be backed. In my opinion the rise COM
pletely refutes the claims that the price of
silver governs the price of wheat and farm
products. 1t leaves the present democra tic
free silver managers without foundation to
stand on. The farmer who now brings his
wheat to market to sell will see at once
that ne Is getting :i5 per cent more than
month ago. and If he wanted to buy silver
ne could DO so at $ per cent less. The re-
suit Of all this will be to show the farmer
that the arguments that nave been made
by Bryan and his followers were mislead.
Ing. The large voue Mckinley will have in
the agricultural states will be increased"
Chairman Faulkner Talks.
Chairman Faulkner Of the democrat tic
congressional committee regarded the rise
In wheat lightly, SO far as it's effect Oil
the election was concerned. 1T will have
no effect" he said. The farmers of the
country are not tgnoramuses and under
stand the situation better than many of
the business men of the country. They
nave been studying these matters for ff-
teen years and are fully posted They
know the rise in wheat is because OF the
short crop in India. They know that 1t
Is temporary movement. and that it oc-
ours every few years from the same
causes without becoming permanent They
understand that better than the republi-
cans think If 1 was unfair I might at
trlbute the rise to the probable success of
Bryan, and the expected rise in silver that
Will follow. The farmers have a taste of
better prices now and they will vote that
much stronger for silver 20 make the
prices permanent and to prevent so much
fuctuation."
Thinks Bryan Will Gain. -
Senator Butler, chairman of the populist
national committee believes Bryan will
gain votes by the rise in wheat. He said:
1.-The jump in wheat is simply another
evidence of what the American public has
known for years-that is, that the market
to certain extent is controlled by specu-
lation. and that tine price of any product
thus controlled can be temporarily lowered
or raised at will by those who hold the
calls for future delivery. 1t is we'll known
that the purpose of the proposed anti-op-
tion law was to prevent speculation frc1a
thus bulling and bearing the market price
Of American staple products. This law
was fought by those VINO have made i'm
mense fortunes in speculating upon the
products produced by American labor If
a proper and just anti-option bill had been
passed and we had an honest financial
system, and equitable transportation rates,
this present false and deiusive squirt In
wheat, for campaign purposes, would rot
have occurred.
while this anti-option law was before
Congress, more than one grain speculator
on Wall street was forced to admit before
the combined SPECTATORS, known as bulls
and bears, had it in their power to reverse
the natural law Of supply and demand
regulating price, and to even force up price
in the face of an increased crop, or to de-
crease price in the face of short CROP
whenever 1t was to their pecuniary interest
to do So
mo one denies today that a few men con-
troll the money market, and some Of these
men have boasted that they could produce
panic at pleasure, and we have had sad
experience to prove that they could make
good their boast. The same kind of combi-
the prices of farm products. When money
panic occurs 1t is simply proof of the power
of the manipulators in money; when a
spurt in products occurs 1t is simply a proof
of the power of the SPECTATORS who never
produce bushel Of wheat or corn or oats
or pound OF cotton, to control prices of
farm products, produced by farm labor.
You ask me what effect the rise in wheat
will have upon Bryan votes 1 answer that
1t is an object lesson in favor of Bryan that
can have no other effect but to increase his
vote. The farmers understood the evil ef-
fects of speculation controlling the price of
their products when they petitioned Con-
gress for the anti-option law; and they also
horoughhQ\understand who prevented them
from getting it. They understand the evil
effects of corner in money when they are
now joining in fighting Mckinley and the
gold standard and supporting Bryan. A
panic in the money market and the sale of
more united states DOnQS would today
clearly be in Bryan's favor, as this un-
paralleled speculation in wheat will be in
his favor.
I'm short, our reports for the last two
weeks have been showing an unusual rise
in Bryan stock, especially in the grain-pro-
ducing states Of the central west; and this
object lesson of Wall street speculation in
their products will cause Bryan stock to
more than keep pace with the rise in
wheat"
Personal Mention.
Mr.. and Mrs. John Seager have returned