Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1896-09-08
FARMERS AND THE GOLD QUEs-
TION.


heading "Big Crops-Low Prices, -
printed the following significant edi-
tOrial:
THE governments report on the
condition OF the cotton crop indicates
yield of 100000 bales of 800 pounds
each. This would be only 900 600
bales less than the big product of
1894, but compared with last year
would show an increase Of 2,300, 900
bales which IN the New York market
at present prices would represent a
value of $S1, 100000. Cotton, how
ever, is the only product that is sell
ing as high as at this time last year.
Wheat is I cents a bushel, or 13 per
cent, lower, and the government re-
port indicates decrease of per cent
in the yield. There is an indicated
harvest Of 2,154, 900 bushels Of
corn, which is fraction of per cent.
more than last years; but the price
in this market today is just One-third
less than it was a year ago. Oats
promise the same yield as last year,
but the price of these also is third
lower. The value of this years yield
of these three cereals, estimated at
present prices in this market, would
be S435, ,OOO,OO less than if they could
be sold at the prices current year
ago. There is every prospect of very
satisfactory haryests, but prices are
certainly very low"
Is it a wonder that farmers want
bimetallism, when they get $435, ,OOO,-
600 less for their oats, corn and wheat
in 1896 than in 1895? But the gold
standard banker and broker element
and their clients are the gamers that
much. How long the producing ele-
ment will permit the goldites to grind
their faces remains to be seen. Today
the farmers in the Grande Ronde Val
ley are selling their wheat at 30 to 80
cents bushel. Will the Oregonian
and Statesman answer the facts stated
in the New York Herald, their gold
standard yoke-fellow, if they can?
Today's quotations of corn in Chi
cago are 20 cents a bushels This is a
great reward for the husbandman's
toll.
A few more facts, and they are
facts, and neither the Oregonian or
any other gold standard editor can
dispute them, for they are taken from
the Chicago daily market reports:
0In 1879 wheat sold at $1.08-10 a |
bushel, in 1895, at 500 cents. In 1879
the farmer realized 37.5 cents per
bushel for corn, 65.6 cents for rye and !
1871 cents for oats. In 1895 he |
received but 1854 cents for
corn, A cents for rye, 1919
cents for oats. In 1879 903 bushels
of wheat would have paid $1,000 of
interest on our Indebtedness or re-
deemed a thousand dollar bond. In
1895 it would have taken 1865 bushels.
And Of corn it would have taken 3,7SS
bushels in 1895 when it took 1867
bushels in 1879, of rye 2,273 bushels to
10 nd o /
when it took but 1924 in 1879 and Of
oats 5,025 in place of 3,O21.
Look at it another way: an average
field of SSi acres planted equally with
corn, wheat, rye and oats produced
crops in 1879 of the value of 81 900 or
sufficient to redeem a $1,000 of our
Indebtedness. In 1895 it would taken
the entire product of a field of 1887
acres to raise the same 81 900 and re-
deem the same bond that the ex-
pendlture of labor and energy spent
on field of SSt acres would have
sufiiced TO raise in 1879. And if we
look at it from the standpoint of
planter we find that to pay a 81 900
bond in lS94-5 it would have taken
the product Of 9lt acres of cotton,
whereas, in 1s7s-79, 50 acres would
have sufliced.
These facts are taken from official
sources. No man can truthfully deny
them. Nor can he deny that the
Willamette farmer got so TO 80 cents
4 bushel for his wheat in 1881. What
loes he get now9 About 40 cents.
We are not surprised that the farmer
S for bimetallism.
Now The JOURNAL will ask the
gold standard orators to tell the
)eople how the farmers of onr cOnntrv