The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-09-27
FACTS TOE THE FARMERS.

Tho Observation-Disclosures. Popuiist
newspaper published at Spokane. drops
into statistics, ana under the above cap
ton publishes al article attempting to
show how much better off the farmers OF
the United States were in $50 than they
are at present. TIE statistical part OF the
article IL as follows:
'''rhe following figures are taken from
the oaIelai United States census reports
fer 1850 and 1890 They tell a tsrse story
Of The diminishing returns Of agriculture.
"ln ts7e the tOtal value OF al agrical-ur-
a. products Of the United States was 81
~ -. sec
In $50 The total value OF al agrleultur-
a products of the United States was
g.. sso 10. AS. That il 20 say. notwithstand-
Ing the great increase Of popula ton. OF
the number % farngs ard the people en-
gagged in farming, the agricultural classes
received practically the same quantity OF
money for All their products In 1880 that
they received twenty years before.
but while the quantity OF money paid
for agricultural products remained the
same. the number OF workingmen among
whom this money IL divided has Increased
enormously.
I'm 1870 "a shown by the census there
were but 5.ss2 an people engaged In agri-
culture. In 1890. $685. as people we're so
engaged. In 1870 the agricultural work
ers % this country earned s4i2 per capita
In 1893 their per capita earnings had fallen
TO teSs'
''yst the advocates Of the vicious single
gold standard have the effrontery to ask
the farmers 20 vote for The perpetuatio
Of financial system which has robbed
them of billions"
There Is nothing IN the foregoing on
which 70 base an argument for the free
coinage OF silver. Every one admits that
the prices OF farm produce have fallen
considerably IN yasue. and there are
abundant reasons shown Why this has
been brought ahou; by many different
causes. OF which the decline in the price
OF silver or the fact that the min;s are
not open 10 vs. free coinage was not one
The popularity Of the figures. assum-
sng shat they are correct. which, without
verifying. We VIII DO, ia that 81 far from
proving that the condition or the persons
engaged in farming pursuits vas better
twenty-slx years ago than & was In 1890
The figures prove The contrary The fig
arcs quoted by the Spokesman Review In
thu first instance. are from the census OF
is'a, They present the condition Of aKri-
culture for the year ISa9. Ia iSea The coun-
try was on a deprecated currency. ard
the agures given are prices and earnings
IN terms OF that currency. Now. during
the year ISgs the greenhaek vas a finc-
tusting commodity. and the loves; point
II touched IN terms % gold was 81 cents
on the dollar. Assuming that * was nine
points higher than shls. or worth 70 cents
or the dollar. gold standard. Il Will be
seen that the average earnings o, those
engaged In agricultural pursuits so- fs9
~as sac IN currency. or KS q gold. The
average earnings IN gold Of the farming
Classes. according Ia the Spokesnaan-Re
view. had declined Jus, e. cents from iSe
down 70 lsSe. tie date At which the ether
census repost RAs taken
But there eas vast difference between
she purchasing va,ue 81 a goa dollar to
Cav and What & was In IssN. In almost
any q ths commodities which a farmer
ordinarily purchases Tor RS family a gold
dollar would IN lsss bay nearly twsca "a
mech as Il woa'a n $50 This fa,t "a al
n'tted BY a. 'he Fopnsst speakers and
writer's and IS made the grsa, burden 81
Their complaint against existing cansi-
s'on.
s. Ia from the condition 90 TIE farm -
scinS w0rre = isSs TRAN &, was IN $50. tAa
Spokesman Reviews awvres ssew ;Aa; 3,
~as Ssc's~ily better. ard rseresn these
ssuTss axr~- MIR tie facts