West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1896-11-05
the FARMER AND FREE COINAGE
How the Gold Standard Keeps Prices
Down and Robs The Producer of
His Hard Earnings.
Written for THE ARGUS.

Written for THE ARGUS.
In looking up this question W,
are indebted to MIR. Wharton Bar
ker's work on Bimetallism IN par
for what we shall say as to the con
dition of the farmer. Very otter
when the farmer complains of tn,
low prices received for wheat OF
corn, he is told that it IS over
production, and that he must stor
raising that and raise something
else, but they fail to tell him what
that something else Is. Tho low
prices reach ever ything he produces
and there is no branch of agricul-
ture that the can turn to with any
prospect of getting better returns.
Then he is called chronic kicker
because he objects to such feat.
ment, and we'll he has right to
kick, and if am any Judge he is
going to vote for his own interest
this time. He intends to do his
own thinking and not let some one
else do it for him. 1t is simply
absurd to cry over production,
when we have thousands upon thou
sands starving for something to eat.
L have looked the whole list over
carefully, and | am unable to find
an over production of anything,
except labor grinding monopolies
but can End q great anderson.
sumption. There is whore the
trouble lies. Why is it that in this
grand country Of ours, with abund.
ant crops, (burnihg it IN mary
places), with everything that heart
could wish, that nearly four million
of honest women and men mot
tramps) are travelling over our
country starving and begging for
work ? There is something radi-
cally wrong, and some one has got
to answer for it. l want to tell you
that there has never been an over.
production IN this country, and |
don't believe ever can be. The
ability Of the American people to
consume is only limited by the
amount they have to buy with.
Their wants are never supplied, nor
never will be. Give us free silver.
Put those idle men to work. Then
you will see if the farmer has not
got demand for what he produces,
aud at price he can afford to sell,
and it is only when you pay HIM a
profit on what he produces that he
Will be able to buy the products of
our mills. Just in proportion as
you prosper the farmer can yoa
only hope for prosperity in your
manufacturing centers. Prosperity
must begin with him. Now the
question arises, is he going to help
himself while he has the opportu.
nifty?
Let us see how the prices no re-
ceives now compare with the prices
he received in III 1872. In 1872 the
acreage Of our cereal crops, corn,
wheat, oats, barley, rye and buck
wheat, was 68,2SO,1 acres, and
the farm value Of cereal crops 1914,
694, 459, The average yield per acre
being s12.81. In 1895 the acreage
Of our cereal crops was 40. 955, 1853
acres, the farm value 81 ,O17,3f6,-
03G, and the average value of the
yield per acre $6.7S. The value TO
our farmers of every acre Of cereals
harvested in 1895 beng SG.O3 less
than in 1872. If the money WELD
per acre bad been % great in 1895
as in 1872; il the farmers bad been
as fully recompensed in 1895 for
their labor expended in raising &C
reals as they we're in 1872, they
ould have received 5000, 600 900
n ore for their cereal crops in 1895
than they did. The farm animals,
cotton, and even their farm land,
has Jared no better. So The farmer
has caught it on every side. The
prices received for cotton in 1895
we're $3.50, 900, 900 less than in 1872.
and for farm animals $3.50, 900, 900.
Or total loss 20 the farmers OF
81 800, 100000 for the year 1895,
and during al this time it must not
be overlooked that our population
has increased yearly. So, therefore.
prices should have been about The
same. As with few exceptions lt
coats just as much TO till an acre Of
ground now a. it dfd in 1872, aud