davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-10-09

is that prices have fallen SO fast that
BE- gets very much less money for very
big crop than he formerly got for a
small one. Thus the bounties of Provi-
dence are turned into curses and he is
coming to look upon abundance as an
affection. Let me call your attention to
some figures. In 1881 the farmers pro-
duced 416, 4S1, 900 bushels of oats and
received therefor 1913, 1885, gro; in
1888 they produced 571. 500, 400 bushels
and received for it $1S7, O40, 1854; in
1889 they produced 751. 515, 600 bushels
and received $171,7S1, 00S, and so on
down, the amount rising as the money
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-10-09

actual alteration
in the quantities
of the precious
metals has ma
terially altered
their value at
different periods
of history. "
Professor Fran
els A. Walker of
t he Glassschu-
sets Institute of
Technology, in
his able work on
IN on ely, says:
"Gold and silver
do over long Pc
riod S undergo
great changes of
value and become
in a high degree
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-10-09

vote and lobby to raise the price of what
they own and be good Christians, but
at the bare hint that the farmer
is to vote for restoring silver to
get a little better price for his
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-10-09

the grower in
s II C h eloquent
wordsthat storms
Of applause shook
the hall. We
loved to read and
quote the old STIR
ring lines telling
how ''the en-
battled farmers
stood" at Lex
ington and Con-
cord, and it was
Il II i v G + s a l y
agreed that they
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-10-09

9Th at Mumbo Commercial Atlv...l.si.
Jumbo is ugly and we believe that he is
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-10-09

PUCK. u pUlltlcdl ISSUE,
before they had any interest in deny
ing the truth. In the New York Sun
of Sept. 10, 1898, for instance, was an
editorial of which this is an extract:
For more than Is years. 1873 to 1893, all tho
great primary agricultural staples have been
declining in price, although thrc have been
periods when the price of some one was high
for Il limited time. This is more notably true
as respects secondary products. csliccially
meats and lard, but the trend of the whole
scale has been constantly downward, and the
general price level ut the end of each year
was lower than at its begnnir',. In the mean.
time there had been material reduction in
the cost of production the self binder, the
gang pillow, mower hay tcdder and hay loader
and all other great improvements in agricul
tural machinery having come into use prior to
1878. Subsequent notifications and improve
ments have been in the direction of greater
facility in operation rather than of lcssenod
cost. While it is true that there has been a
material reduction in the cost of farming inn
PIGMENTS such reduction HIS not always re-
suited in lessening the cost of production ON
the farm, new machines have often dis
placed those which We're but partially worn
and which were quite efficient
1t is probable that .ipor farms large enough
to warrant the purchase Of full lines of inn
proved machinery the cost of production has
thereby been lessoncd 10 per cent, but such
farms constituting less than per cent of tho
whole area under cultivation the aggregate
saving from such economies has been slight
and has probably been fully offset by the
progressively increasing use Of commercial
fertilizers which has been found necessary in
all the region east of tho Mississippi, not to
increase tho fertility of the land but simply
to prevent further deterioration.
The Yield Of an Acre.
While the cost of production cannot have
been lcssencd MS much as 5 per cent since 1919,
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-10-09

has yielded exactly the same result.
The fluctuations since the principal ma
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-10-09

looked the fact that parties are COM
posed of men and therefore subject to
change They We're slow to believe that
the grand old party could contain
schemers.
On top of all the rest comes a finan-
cial system which has added so per cent
to the value of money and deprecated
the price of the farmers products in
like proportion, and at the least signs of
a revolt on his part he is denounced as
q traitor. 1t is assumed as a matter of
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-10-09

received for it
fell, till 1895,
when they pro-
duced S24, 443,-
537 bushels of
oats and received
therefor $163,-
655, 06S. And the
population has
increased 70 per
cent. In 1870 we
produced 1,094,-
1916, 900 bushels
of corn, worth
1901, S39, $50; in
1898 1,619. 1885,
1871 b Il $ h @ | s,
worth $591,625
627, and in 1895
2, 1 5 1 , 1 IS, $50
bushels, worth
So 6 Z, 3 0 o, 1906.
Ov reproduction,
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-10-09

course that Wall street
should strive for a rise in
stocks, that manufacturers
should lobby for a higher
tariff, that the Pacific
Railway companies should
evade payment of their
debt. All other men can
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-10-09

great" We laugh at the poor nd
then, but the argument is on their sid
for it never has been mathematical
proved, and it cannot be proved. TIL
Mumbo Jumbo has not great power
the unseen; but it has repeatedly bed
proved in every way open to the humid
intellect that gold is a shifting and on
stable standard of value. far more Vi
stable than silver, and that twice with
i'll the memory Of men not very old
has changed in value so suddenly AZ
vitiate all long time contracts and di,
locate all industrial conditions
The Fact About Gold.
Every economist worthy Of the nam
had said again and again that gold flut
tuates in value No economic write
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-10-09

cannot be explained by that handy
phrase "ovcrproduction. :"
Has there been any overproduction of
fat hogs? Every farmer knows that there
is Just now great scarcity, almost
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-10-09

nearly 100. 600, 900 people cannot afford
to eat wheat bread. They are using
cheap substitutes like rye and potatoes.
Are we 10 suppose that they do that for
fun?
Enormous Losses to Agriculture.
If You want to realize what enormous
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-10-09
Starving Midst Plenty.

But as matter of fact is there any
Have mankind more
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-10-09

ternining t II e
general level Of
prices. 1t was
taken for granted
that the amount
of money Of ulti-
mate redemption
determined the
price level. 1t
was the founda-
ton upon which
all disputants
built their argu-
ments. But now
You can hear it
denied every day.
And why? Be-
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-10-09

''But is not the money question: too
complicated for farmers to master it in
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-10-09

with their own land. Their N Y World
names were coupled in the popular lore
with the names of their estates. 1t was
Washington of Mount Vernon, Jeffer-
son of Monticello Clay of Ashland.
Webster of Marshfield and jackson of
The Hermitage.
Where is that farmer now?
The utilization.
He is the gibe and the sheer of every
clown who can get Oh the city stage in
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-10-09

you say, but divide the bushels by the
population each year, and you will find
that per capita the increase was quite
small and in such years as 1890 and
1894, when the crop was very short and
the number of bushels per capita very
much less than the average of several
years ago, the price per bushel was still
low
The Decline In valus.
Since 1870 tho production of hay in
the United States has increased III al
most exact parallelism with the in
crease of population, and yet the aver
Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-10-09

N. Y. World. foundations of credit
throughout the British empire, and right
now, according to DR.. EduMd Suess
threatens redivision of the earth. In
short, contraction is very many times
more destructive than initiation.
"Bnt tie monomcialiisis dcny that
there has been any contraction, or that
gold cheapcncd in .lSI3..G, or that it
has really appreciated III value since
1870"
Oh, yes, they'll deny anything nolD.
MacauGy has we'll said that il prop
erty int were affected by ii thou
sands Of Intelligent nm " ould deny the
law of eravitation, Only IL few years
ago some OF the greatest scholars in this
country denied that Il man whose skin
was black aud his hair woolly had nat
ural right to the fruits OF his labor or
that married woman had right to
her own earnings.
Dangerous Basis,
In 10 speech or book published before
1890 will yGu find 1t denied that the
volume Of Inoney and its proportion to
general trade are the main factors in dc,
The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1896-11-21
THE VENEZUELAN MATTER.

1t looked at one time as though the
Venezuelan boundary question might lead
to unpleasant relations between the United
States and Great Britain, but the recent
announcement by Lord Salisbury that it
had been practically settled gives general
satisfaction in this country.
In the beginning of this controversy the
American contention was that the entire
question of territorial rights should be
submitted to final and conclusive arbitra-
ton regardless OF English claims based
upon surveys that have never been recog-
uized by Venezuela or the United States.
The English contention was for limited
arbitration that excluded practically all of
the territory fairly in dispute. From the
American state Department came sug-
gestion that the law Of private title should
be applied to the British colonies in the
questioned region, and Lord Salisbury, it
now seems, has accepted this solution of
his embarrassing problem. The question
ponds upon the determination of the period
Of limitation beyond which the colonial
rights are to be regarded as secure, and its
practical application in the present dispute.
The common law period of uninterrupted
hostile possession which gives title is
twenty years. The London newspapers
commenting on the case make estimates of
the period Of limitations agreed upon
ranging from twelve to fifty years The
test Of twenty or thirty years of occupa-
tion would safely throw into the court of
arbitration the gold fields and the other
valuable ground that has recently tempted
the English settlers beyond what both
| Venezuela and the United States consider
to be the historic and natural boundary
between Venezuela and British Guiana.
If the practical effect of the agreement
concerning the removal from arbitration of
English settlement of long standing is to
subject to arbitration substantially the
whole of the disputed territory, for the
reason that all OF the extensive settlements
The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1896-11-21
WHAT QUEEN ANNE'S WANTS.
Queen Annes county proposes to hav

Queen Anne's county proposes to have a
candidate for judge next year, and she is
not backwards in letting her wants be
known. The Second Judicial Circuit is
composed of Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne's,
Caroline and Talbot The Republican plu-
rality in these five counties ON November
was BOG. Queen Anne's gave Bryan plu-
rality of COZ. Under the present judiciary
system, the three upper counties of the
Second circuit had the three judges-Chief
Judge Robinson of Queen Anne's, Asso-
ciate Judge Wickes of Kent and Associate
Judge Stump of Cecil-from 1867 until the
death of Chief Judge Robinson last winter.
Chief Judge Russum of Caroline succeeded
to the vacancy by appointment of Governor
Lowndes, as the Republican leader of the
bar, not only in the circuit, but on the
Eastern Shore. The Republican ticket
next fall will undoubtedly be made up
from Caroline Talbot and Cecil. Queen
Anne's has no Republican lawyer who
could be a candidate, and Senator Westcott
Of Kent is hardly to be considered as a
candidate for the bench. Judge Wickes
has reached the age limit and is serving
out his term under an enabling resolution
of the General Assembly. Judge Stump
wants to succeed himself The Centre,
Vile Observer" says: ''The election on
Tuesday demonstrated the fact that Queen
Anne's is the only Democratic county in
this judicial circuit, and she must have
one Of her sons placed on the ticket for
judge next year. The people here, with
one of our popular aspirants on the ticket,
would give a majority even larger than
Tuesdays, but with our county left off,
matter, the vote here would be utterly
uncertain. Judge Russum has many warm
friends here among the Democrats, and
they would he glad to compliment him
with their votes. Nothing can stop them
except the nomination of one of our own
people on the ticket against him. If that
IS done the whilom majority of Queen
Anne's next year on judges will melt as
rapidly and completely as has Wicomicos
boosted majority gone to the winds this
year. Queen Anne's people are wonder
fully patient and forbearing people, but
they are equally prompt to resent insults
and Sights 1t would not be safe next year
g., L., -, L.. -
and we hope and believe it will not"
The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1896-11-21
THE DINGLEY TARIFF BILL.

Senator Sherman thinks there is rea-
sonable prospect of the passage of the
Dingley Tariff Bill at the coming session OF
Congress. All of the Silver Senators except
two will it seems abide by the decision of
the Republican caucus, and will not antag-
onize the bill by obstructive amendments.
The Dineley bill is a temporary measure,
and its passage is the quickest and best
means of aifording relief to the treasury
There is additional urgency for it's passage
at the next session of the Fifty-fourth
Congress, because, if the revenue shall not
be increased in some way, an extra session
of the Fifth-tifth Congress may become
necessary, and an extra session is not
desirable
The Dingley bill imposes tax on raw
wool amounting to GO per cent. of the
duties imposed by the Mckinley act of
1890, and similar duty of 60 per cent. of
the Mckinley rates on all manufactures of
wool, and on lumber and it's manufactures.
The last section provides horizontal in
crease of 10 per cent. in the duties imposed
by existing law in all the schedules except
wool, lumber and sugar, but if this in
creased duty should exceed that imposed
under the act in 1890, then in lieu thereof
the duty imposed shall be that of the
Mckinley act, and if the duty imposed by
existing law exceeds that of the Mckinley
act it is to remain without change. 1t will
be observed that in no case under the
Dingley bill would the rates exceed the
rates imposed by the act of $780, except
where they were increased by the Wilson
act, and that in general the new rates
would be greater than those now imposed
and the same as or less than the Mckinley
rates. Tic bill has been conceived in
spirit of fairness, and there is no good
reason why Democrats as well as Republic
cans should not support it, since its only
purpose is to raise needed revenue.
The bill as passed by the House at the
last session and sent to the Senate was
limited in its operation to August /, 1897.
If passed at the next session the time limit
would probably be extended to December
81, 1898.
The passage of such measure OF relief
at the coming session of Congress would
not only relieve the treasury and remove
the excuse or the necessity of an extra
session, but it would relieve the country Of
tariff legislation for many months, and
then give the Republicans ample time to
revise the tariff at the regular session of
Congress. Party lines ought to be ignored
in dealing with a measure of this kind,
and even pronounced economic views
should not be allowed to interfere with the
passage of temporary act which is in the
nature of a compromise.
The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1896-11-21

grown from 1876, AL in 1892 to 21s, O55 in
1896, an increase of 92,614.
The showing in Georgia is even more
noticeable. In the Presidential election
of 1892 the Republicans cast AZ, 305 votes,
the Democrats 100, 1856 and the Populists
az, 939, the latter two combined making a
total of 172 1926. In the late election the
vote for Mckinley was 60, 100 and the vote
for Bryan 81, 332, only little more than
half of the Populistic Democratic vote of
four years before. 1t is evident that at
least half of the Cleveland vote of 1892 in
Georgia refused to vote for Bryan. OF
those who did vote for him we have the
authority of Hoke Smith, eX-Secretary of
the Interior, for saying that half of them
were opposed to free silver and voted for
the ticket for other reasons.
These figures carry their own lesson.
They show the utter decentralization free
silver has wrought in the Democratic ranks
of the South, and everywhere else except in
few Western States which just now hap
pen to be afflicted with the craze for cheap
money and could probably be induced to
clamor for unlimited paper money just as
wildly as they are clamoring for a 50-ceut
silver dollar.-Baltimore News.
The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1896-11-21
COXEY AND 1900,

The battle scared-nct to say bottle
scarred-soldcrs of the great revolutionary
army of perpctetic pilgrims OF Populism,
are lining up bravely for the great fight
of 1900.
A!tgeld declares the contest of 1896 is
only preliminary skirmsh, and that the
real battle has not yet begun.
Joe Blackburn says ''there are better
people in hell that gold Democrats"
Tillman waves his pitchfOrli aIoft and
shouts aloud for the crusade against the
money power"
Sovereign bellies his name in the nliu-
ence he wiclds, and filings defiance at the
minions Of the mi!Eonaires.
Last but not least General Coxcy un-
furIs his banner TO the breeze and il there
is to be GGhting in 1900 wants to be in it
Taking time by the rorclocl;, lie declares
his platform for the characterization of
gold, rs well a. silver; State oa ue.,hi, Of
all railroads. highways, WATERWAYS and
telegraph and telephone lines: municipal
ownership OF all street car lines, water
works, nnrkct-housc", electrict light and
gas plnyts: cmpoy mcnt of surplus labor IN
public work. women -uiIra4e, State control
OF Liquor tratlic and election Of President
by direct vote OF pr0plrn
The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1896-11-21
A SOLDIER OF FREE SILVER.

A soldier Of free silver lay dying on the
plains;
The crimson tide was ebbing from his Popu-
listic veins.
A comrade knelt beside him to wipe the gore
away,
And also. incidentally, to hear what he might
say.
The silver warrior blubbered as he said, in
accents low;
Like my flfty-three-cent dollar, from this
land l soon shall CO.
But would send some messages to distant
friends of mine;
For l was born at Salem, near the Injeanny
Line.
"Tell Sewall that his railroad bonds will COM
fort his old age,
For was but noodle-head who thought
himself sage.
l hoped to beat Mckinley, of that had no
doubt;
But, alas! wont be in it when the votes are
counted out.
I long to see the other land, whero all our
troubles cease,
To share some silver Paradise with Mary and
Yellin Lease,
To see ON PETERS blessed beard the radiant
sunlight shine
AS it shines on distant Salem, near the In
ieanny Line.
Tell Jones, who got me in this scrape to add
unto his pelf,
To crawl behind some chicken-coop and
gently kick himself
And whisper unto Tilman, with the South
Carolina eye,
To fall upon his pitchfork quick and like n
Roman die.
Upon free silver's battlements, which now
the foeman hold,
Go hang my borrowed ''crown of thorns,'
my stolen 'cross of gold"
1 tried to cheat the people with dollars
bogus shine,
But no one would believe me on the Injeanny
Line.
There's another not II sweetheart he will
weep when am dead,
lOu VIII hHpM hIH bl tuc 'IlluSOn THG tHdl
floats above his head.
Meath Anarchy's red ensign, which was once
his hope and joy,
He lead my columns to defeat way down in
llinoy.
Go. tell him not to mourn for me, nor sigh
with dropping head
When Mckinley goes to Washington with
gay and glorious tread;
But when the cold frost dalles with the
modest pumpkin vine,
To think of one from Salem, near the In
ieanny Line"
His voice grew faint and fainter till he failed
to raise his head,
And the soldier of free silver on the battle
field lay dead.
The comrade gently closed his eye and
breathed n prayer so low,
And on them laid two dollars that were
coined in Mexico
A golden moon rose slowly and winked as
she looked down,
Upon that ghastly battle plain with silver's
wreckage strewn;
But proudly on sound moneys spears her
ambient tight did shine
And no one thought of Salem, near the In
jeanny Line.
F. G. Harbaugh in Dayton. CO., Journal.
The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1896-11-21
HOW BRYAN
WON THE PRIZE.
Plans Carefully Laid for His "CrOSS of
Gold" Speech at Chicago.


CHICAGO, Nov. 16 A special to n morning
paper from Washington says: Bryans nomi-
nation was no accident, SO far as he and his
friends wore concerned. When he stood up
to make his eventful speech he was throwing
loaded dice which had been prepared nearly
two years before. The boy orator had assisted
his friends in pulling the wires for many
months, and every move in the game had
been studied out.
This information was cleaned in Nebraska
during the week preceding election, and the
authority for tho story is no less person
than James c. Dahlman. Chairman of the
Democratic State Central Committee OF Ne
braska, Mr.. Bryan's confidential political
adviser and friend He gave permission to
print the story after election. and meanwhile
every statement he made was verified from
other sources, the whole proving conclusively
that William Jennings Bryan knew he was
playing for high stakes when he made his
celebrated "cross OF gold' speech at the
Chicago Convention.
He was not only fully aware of the plans of
his Nebraska friends, but was consulted at
every stage, and on himself alone depended
the final manUuvre which secured for him
the opportunity to speak just at the right
time to capture the Convention. The story
Us told by Chairman Dahlman, supplemented
by the statement of others, bears tho impress
OF truth on its face. and can easily be verified
by any one who cares to do so.
Chairman Dahlman says positively that
Bryan not only knew, but from the minute he
entered on his work with the committee, be-
gan to scheme to get the closing speech.
Jones and the other managers fell into the
trap. They knew Bryan was II clever speaker
and were perfectly willing to wind up their
case with some fireworks.
The Convention was for silver by an over
whclminG majority aud all that was neccs-
sary was to light the spark and have the fuse
handy. Dahlman had come to Chicago
two or three days before the Convention to
set up the pins. As soon as the delegation
was seated be- and others logan quietly to
tall, up Bryan DahIman himself went to
Daniels, Of North Carolina, Hohe Smiths
i. ,rctary, and urged him 10 keep ont OF the
Bland. Bots and Mclean camps. louisiana
and ono OF two other States we're similarly
visited audRiyou q tip to be ready.
Then thcsrhen era began to make oycrturss
to Illinois. They did their best TO capture Alt
geld hut could accomplish nothing. They
had enough scattering delegates, however, 10
make sure that neither Bland, Boise, Mat
thews nor Mclean could secure the nominal
ton.
All vent well and Just rs it had been arrang-
ed The young orator from Nebraska had been
preparing for the event for months. He had
his speech wcll in hand. and he knew that he
was not expected to make II logical arsumet
for silver, but a brilliant explosion of oratori-
cal fireworks for the express purpose of cap
turing the crowd, and when William Jennings
Bryan sat down he knew that the die had
been thrown and that the nomination was
within his grasp.