Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-10-22

III DIitls DiOuebl US AtaNS " Ahst WIN |
hard times.
The prosperity of the farmer has always
depended upon the ability Of other classes
to buy of him, and his comfort upon the
ability of other classes to furnish him with
what he needed and could buy; but he is
to-day more dependent upon other classes
than he was when the major part of the
clothing worn on the farm of the furniture
in the farmhouse, and of the implements
used in the fields, was made altogether. or
nearly altogether. beginning with the basic
raw material on the farm, aud when the
major part of the surplus farm products
was transported to the ultimate market |
by the farmer himself, using means of |
transportation that he himself owned. |
Farming is now more closely linked to |
other industries, and with them II shares |
IL greater interdependence Of industries. |
In these days the farmer depends upon the |
mine, the forest the furnace, the foundry,
the shop, the factory, the warehouse, and
the railway, for the dozen machines sulEy
plow, disk harrow, two-horse cori-planter
and check-rower. sulky cultivator, force
feed, grain-drill, hay-loader and Kicker,
self-binder, corn-harvester., etc.-that he
must use in his farming; for the clothing,
ready-made, that he wears himself, and
the cloth for his wife's gown; and for prac-
tically all the furniture in his house. Ite
no longer hauls the grains and meats TO
the ultimate market, hut now depends
upon other men TO kill and dress the ami
| mails, haul them and the grains and
fruits and other products of the farm to
| the ultimate market, and there place them
| in the hands of the consumer. In fact,
| the differentiation of industries, the de-
velopment of u factory system, and all
| those rapid and radical changes that con-
stitute the industrial revolution" have
SO closely intertwined the interests of ag-
riculture with other interests that the
manufacturer, merchant, OF railway man
4 cannot be injured in his business without
the farmer being injured in his business.
4 The influence above all other, iniu-
ences affecting the price of farm prod
ucts is demand and supply.% Any
thing that lessons the disposition and abil-
ity of the merchant, manufacturer. me-
ehanic, miner, or the professional man to
buy, lowers the price of farm products.
Any policy that banks furnace fires and
silences the hum of spindles, lowers the
priceof wheat, beef, butter, woodland fruits.
Anything that cOmpels the manufacture
to lessen his output, or the railroad com
pany to lay off trackmen and repairers,
or the doctor, the lawyer, and the banker
to reduce their household expenses, takes
from the prosperity of the farmer. The
farmer cannot be Indifferent to the inter-
ests of other classes, any more than they
can be indifferent to his interests. He
cannot put into wider and continued
operation forces that by their very APP
proach unsettle values, alarm capital,
make prudent men wait, and greatly in
jure the business of manufacture, trans
!. portation, and exchange, without deal
ing agriculture hurt that before it is
healed will oyerbalance any temporary
gain that might accrue to minority OF
| farmers from their paying their debts
, in a deprecated currency.
, The chief advocates of the free and un
: limited coinage of silver at the ratio OF
, 16 to contend that silver and gold will
t remain at a parity. If this be true. ther
S by no means will the free and unlimited
$ coinage of silver make it easier for the
: farmer to pay his debts. For it will no
e make his land produce bushel more o
. wheat or corn. or his steer or hog to manu-
+ facture more beef or pork from pound o
f feed; it will in no wise increase the valu
i of what he produces; and, if the silve
Y dollar is as good as the gold dollar, it viii
y not increase the price of what he produces
it His products will not bring more dollars
IS and lie will not find his debts easier to dis
/; charge. On the contrary, his load of deb
e will be heavier: for, ON account of the les
Ne sened demand due to the dislocation o
!" other industries, the price of his product
/ will be seriously lowered. The burden O
n the farmer in debt win be increased: til
| conditions for thn ma inpity pf fnp nnr,
IS out of debt, will be made harder. 1t ma
)" he that the most prominent and vociferou
II advocates of the free and unlimited coli
" age of silver at 10 to / are mistaken an
it that gold and silver coin will not renal
er mt parity. If such should he the cas-
I'd then the farmer who is in debt could pa
II his creditor in deprecated dollars, and
I'd would find it easier to pay the debt
H. other influences were not active. Bl
other influences would be active: mut
pn of the tendency toward a rise in prices
in due to a deprecated currency-would
or counteracted by the depression in all i
rs, dustries and the lessened demand; NJ
he this depression would continue for Sc
of eral years, affecting the price of sever
1t years products, while the cheaper doll
- could affect the debt but once.
ct In short, it cannot he shown that Il
sc coinage of silver demanded in the Chca
en-, platform will benefit any one except t
,rs hoarder of gold, the silyer-miue owner,
ny the moneycd Spectator. Whether t
he free and unlimited coinage of silver
Frs the ratio of IL to / gives us dollar
Ire good as the one we now have, or che
re- dollar, the laboring man, the scht
m, teacher, the clerk, the merchant, I
as manufacturer the miner, the railroad Q
ere ployc, the farm laborer, and the farm
ras out of debt will he injured; and if the d
ur- lar be cheapened. as it must be Def,
son any benefit can accrue TO the small min
ost ity of our population, the debtors VIII,
our debts may be paid with cheap dolla
and all those carrying life-insurance
AS having savings in building and loan us
titi- Citations or in savings banks, will also
en- injured. For the people of this coun
ent to heed the silver-coinuge demand of
ccr- Chicago platform would he as intelligi
the as if a man We're to demosh one side
ent his dwelling to make yet more dry, WA
ely and luxurious the dwelling of some r
the man, and to stop a broken pane in his oN
ivi- Moreover, the destruction of the side
ere, the dwelling would be certain and c,
;old plete, while stopping the broken p;
one would be uncertain and incomplete.
ties, The farmer will not do that. True,
NAL abuse and ridicule of certain ''goldi
'ecn periodicals have sorcy tempted him,
rust it would have sorrly tempted any ct
lint man To vote for free silvnr. and tha