Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1896-08-14
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ET WOULD GIVE THE FABMEp 7.1
WHEAT

WHEAT.
Under the caption "How The Farmaarr
Would suffer-" the Stauntdh Ne,rs lila
fais '''
s'B .ow would the Augusta county farmer
EAre under free silver?
Let us see. Let us briefly recall some we'll
known facts. The farmers main CROP is
wheat. He now sells that for from so to GO
cents tushel. The American farmer, rails
ing more wheat than can be consumed in the
country. the surplus must be shipped abroad
The price paid for wheat in Liverpool fixes
the price paid for it in America. "-St0u7ato7,
Neos.
Our esteemed contemporary seems deter
miued to venture on ground already pre-
pared for his destruction. According to
the theory Of the Neaos and those it repre-
sents, on the opening of our mints to free
coinage of both silver and gold the latter
will at once go to a premium of Fifty per
cent. Very well, in such case where
does the Augusta farmer come in with his
products In Liverpool at this date
American wheat is three shillings about
| seventy-fve cents bushels. The instant
gold goes to premium of fifty per cent.
that IS cents becomes worth $1.12a in the
United States and the price of wheat in
the United States would also be $1.12A.
The minute the $50 cent dollar' comes that
minute the Augusta county farmer gets
$1.12a bushel for his wheat.
The effect of $1.124 wheat would soon be
seen on the farms where it would "pay'' to
raise it, there would be more acti witty in
farming. more work for farm labOrers,
instead of two laborers running after one
farmer to get employment. there would be
TWO farmers after one laborer, so everybody
would share the prosperity brought about
by $1.124 wheat The creditor class with
their long delayed claims could commence
realizing what is owed them by farmers.
| But the advocates Of free coinage of silver
and gold. do not expect better prices
only through fifty cent dollar" or a
premium on gold. The effort of British
merchants to purchase silver-there
is no silver in Europe for eXport-to pay
the balance against them in silver using
countries (Mr. Edward Atkinson estimates
that balance at $24O, 1000, 900 in the case of
the United States) would soon bring our
silver up to $1.29. The American, one of
the ablest papers in this country. thus sums
up the result:
$50 silver would rise. and as silver rose,
exchange on silver-using countries would
rise, .nd with the rise in exchange the gold
cost of everything bought in silver-using
countries would rise. although the price in
silver asked by the producers in such coun-
tries for their wheat and cotton and other
produce remained unchanged. The result
would be the gold price of wheat would rise
in England and continue to rise with the
price of silver. Moreover. with this rise the
burden Of our foreign debts would be light
ened, for it would take less wheat and cotton.
less sacrifice of products to pay interest
charges and principal. This would be true
whether gold went to premium or not, for it
is the gold price received for our products in
the British markets that measures the burden
of our foreign debts. Anything which serves
| to raise the gold prices we receive for our
products will Tighten the burdens of our for
eign Indebtedness
And o,as our contemporary will see, the
Augusta farmer would fare royalty under
| free silver. Even with the "50-cent-dol
lar" he would do splendidly and with the
| 10O-cent-dollar he would do even better.