Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-08-28
The Cnnse and the Remedy.

free silverites, when addressing the farmers,
has been to make the bald assertion that it
is the decentralization of silver and the ap-
probation of gold which has reduced farm
values and lessened the price of farm
products. This sounded well, and was
probably more or less effective, until the
fact was pointed out, which every intelli-
gent farmer knew beforehand, that it is the
law of supply and demand which fixes the
prices of farm products as of everything
else. 1t is over production and not the
value of either gold or silver that makes
farm products low in price. During the
war more than two millions of our people
were non-producers, fighting each other
and destroying property. Since the war
these men and those who have succeeded
them have become producers; immigrants
have come into the country by the ten
thousand annually and taken up farming
as vocation; the farming area of the
country has been enormously extended,
and the result of it all is that we are flood
ed with farm produce.
In 1870, the United States grew only
2S2 100000 bushels of oats, and in 1895
that product had increased to S25, 100000
bushels. In 1870 we produced but 1885,
000, 600 bushels of wheat and % years
later, last year, the total bushels grown in
the United States amounted to 47O,OOO,OOO
bushels. There were only 30 00O,000 bushels
of barley in the crop of 1870, and it reach
ed 100000 bushels in 1895. The cotton
production of 1870 was $4,000 bales,
and in 1895 it had run up to 100000
bales. In 1870 there were 24,000,000 tons
of hay cut, and in 1895 100000 tons.
Thus il can be seen that our oat produc-
ton increased 200 per cent, our wheat
more than so per cent, our barley nearly
200 per cent, our hay nearly 100 per cent,
and our cotton more than 200 per cent, an
increase far in excess of our increase in
population, and an increase, moreover,
which has come at a time when the pur-
chasing capacity of the people has been
greatly reduced by hard times and lack Of
employment.
Nor is this ALL We might have got on
reasonably well had it not been that Rus
sia, India, Egypt, the Argentine Re-
| public in South America, and even far
away Australia, have come into close COM
petition with us for the supply of the
worlds food markets. The figures which
show this make dry reading, but they
prove the fact beyond a question. The
| = that thAca nnunfViae tnnIarcall ic
not alone because of the enormous ex-
tent and rapid development of their farm
ing area, but also because farm labor
costs scarcely more than one-quarter-in
some cases less than quarter-what 1t
does here.
These being the facts which cannot be
disputed, is any farmer foolish enough to
be caught by the free-silver talk that low
prices are due to the "demonetization OF
silver in 1873" to the appreciation OF
gold" or to the most absurd charge of al
that England is 'conering gold?' Doe;
any sane man believe that it would better
his condition to add to this state of things
the disaster of an uncertain and an unsta
BILE currency?
What the farmer wants first of all, like
every other business man, is an assured
financial basis upon which to work anC
build. And then he wants such wis'
and prudent revision of the tariff as shal
assure the American market to American
producers, set the wheels of business il
motion, give labor employment, and lie
the working men and women of the coun
try once more earn money with which II
buy the products of the farm, the loom
the shop, and of every other legitimate in
dustry.
This is just what we shall have if Yer
mont Republicans go to the polls at ou
state election and cast vote of such pro
portions as will let the whole countr,
know that the flood tide of political ant
financial sanity is setting in strongly, ant
that the election of Mckinley and Hobar
is assured.