Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-08-25
More Consumers Not More Farmers.

East aaG west North ana South. the
srrat tact BONE in upon the minds Of
the farmers Is overproduction. under
consumption and ruinous competition.
In the East thu farmer who raise
wheat and corn and grows beef ana
pork feels kceuly the competition with
the new. cheap lands Of the WosL
opened NJ in recent years By the Won
dtrful extension of our railroad sys-
toms and cultivated so cheapIy by the
marvellous Improvements in labor saw
Ing machinery The farmer who could
rely upon the home market, who could
raise produce for the consumers of our
home towns and could adapt himself
to paying specialties. made farming pay
wen 50 long as mills We're running and
operatives We're maintaining such a
standard Of living as the wage workers
Of no other land have been able to
maintain. The effect of lowering that
standard by lowering the tariff is too
apparent to need comment.
The farmers in the West have seen
vast areas Of new land opened in South
America to competition with them
in foreign markets. But for lower
freight rates their condition would
have been much worse. AS it is. how
ever. they have been enabled to secure
greater profit than raisers of the same
Of the years when this country had
unlimited coinage of silver. but less
facilities in the way of transportation
ana less advantages in labor saving
ma hinory. The farmer, we believe
knows what has caused the depression
in his business. a depression. by tn
way, that is not so serious as the pro-
f ssional walters would have us think
lie knows that free silver would raise
the prices of only those products thai
are consumed in the home market. for
the price Of those, of which a portion
- Nitilft''Aa fA'l 'stN!, llNtAi III liit A'A
cign market. Consequently it is to tn,
home market he looks for whatever
sain free silver might afford him
There he finds no assurance of i'm
rovement in the depressed conditions
NOW obtaining, but on the contrary
assurance Of duller times. He is pain
fully aware OF the injury inflicted upor
this home market by the organs i!
Congress three years ago: he note:
that the organs still declare the re
auction in the purchasing power o
the home market by the reduction o
also notes that the organs having go
the American working people onto hal
time now say that it will be better fol
them to work all the time for q cheaper
dollar than to work part of the time
| for a good dollar; in short he sees The
same quacks that prescribed a Gu
down of opportunity to work now say
| ing that it was right but must be sup
| llemented by cut down of the wages
Interesting physicians they are indeed
| De they recommend themselves TO TIL
| farmer whose welfare depends upol
| cur own home markets?
| AS for the farmer who depends il
rart on Il foreign market what does h
| think of anything likely to increas
! the ruinous competition which he now
| eadures? He knows it is not more
farmers we need but more consumers
| he knows, moreover. that home con
| sumers would be more profitable t.
! him than the foreign consumers; h
| cannot avoid the conclusion afte
| studying the situation that free silve
ard the anti-protection tariff. for the.
go hand in hand in the Popocrati
platform, will not only reduce the con
| Stunning capacity of the country blu