Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1896-08-13
A Fable Of the Times.

SUPPLY AND DEMAND.
| 1t was near the end OF the nine
teenth century = everywhere ther
was great depression. Railroad
could not pay dividends, values wer
shrunken, money was idle, labor un
employed. The well-to-do could no
make profits, the poor could not pa,
their debts and everybody was sal
and gloomy. Each man as he me
his neighbor would solemnly say il
the language Of the Hon. James Fad
den, "what t'ell,n then modify pas
on.
Then there arose the wise men o
Kansas. They were mighty in theil
day; with honeyed words they be
guiled the people. They painted In
colors Of night the oppression Of labor
and the suiferings Of poverty. They
pictured in hues that paled the morn
ing's rosy glow, the delights Of lux
ury and the blessings Of wealth.
Frenzied by the Intoxicating dream
they exclaimed: "Wherefor are we
not rich? Go TO now! Let us abolish
poverty. Let us legislate ourselves
into affluence." And the people heard
and were sweetly smitten with the
delicious madness.
Then the governor assembled the
wise men in special session and thus
addressed them:
"Most noble, brave and mighty
yeomen, our people groan, the burden
is heavy upon them. Early and late
they toll and eat the bread Of disap-
pointment and bitterness. Make ye
laws for their deliverance.
1--WE are the greatest State in the
Union. We are big enough and rich
enough to have policy Ct our own
regardless Of what other states may
do or may not do. Let us be patriotic.
A Kansas policy for Kansas is the
need Of the hour. Wheat is hard to
raise and the yield is light and I'M
certain, but we are great on corn.
The notion that the price is governed
by the law Of supply and demand is
superstition by means Of which the
rich plumber and Cypress honest toll.
Make ye, therefore, a law in accord
ance with sovereign and uncient stat
ute corn shall be put upon the par
with wheat. They should be inter-
bushel for bushel, and the
price Of corn shall be the same as the
price Of wheat. Do this, and the peo-
Die Of Kansas shall rise up and call
'ou blessed, and all the world, except |
he money lenders, shall hail you as
he emancipators Of mankind.
The wise men passed the law as the
overnor had advised and all the peo-
lie Of the State rejoiced for their
ribs were full of corn. They could
ardly restrain themselves till the
overnor had signed the bill which
aised the price of Kansas corn from
B cents to 40 cents a bushel. All the
eople now felt rich. They bought
lany luxuries and most of them went
| debt. They wondered that they
ever before found out that wealth
as simply matter Of legislation,
nd they felt great pity and con-
'mpt for the ignorant and supersti-
GUS people of other states. Then
le farmers from other states began
auling their corn to Kansas. Long
mes Of wagons came vending over
very road. Boats hoated it down
le rivers and railroads rushed it in
ON every section of the country. 1t
'emed as II the country was all corn
Id it was all headed for Kansas.
he people of Kansas took their med
ine--that is, they took the corn and
I'VE up their wheat.
The farmers from the other States
fought the Kansas people were
leer, but they kept bringing them
leir corn. Corn came in and wheat
ent out. And, besides, all the
ansas people had gone to raising
I'm, because it was more easily pro-
iced than wheat, and was to bring
st as much in the market as wheat.
r the wise men had deemed that it
ould. 1t was not long till Kansas ,
ID all its own corn and nearly all Of ,
! neighbors. =
When the other states saw this vast /
and knew that it must
oner or later come on to the market
e price Of corn began to decline till |