The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-08-31
Not a Real Remedy.

The Globe-Democrat puts the subject
understandngly when it says: TT is
an undeniable and lamentable fact that
the farmers of the United States have
been having hard time in recent years.
They have produced a great deal of
grain, but have not been able to sell
it at profitable rates. That is to say, the
prices of the things that they raise have
been steadily declining until the point
has been reached where there is prac
tically little or nothing left over the
cost of production so far as the leading
crops are concerned. They can not be
blamed, of course, for feeling discour-
aged and for trying to better their con-
dition; but it is important for them to
see that they do not deceive themselves
When they are told that the free and
unlimited coinage of silver would in
crease the prices Of their products and
restore their former prosperity, they
should not be in hurry to credit the
statement, but take time to investigate
1t in the light of well-known facts.
They can not fail to discover, If they
thus study it. that it is delusion and
snare. and that they would be more
likely to lose than to gain by the sub
stitution of cheap money for that which
now exists.
"The higher prices that the free sill
verites promise for farm products could
not be realized, because the prices of
such products are fixed in Europe,
where the surplus is marketed. 1t would
be necessary to raise prices all over the
world in order to benefit the farmers
of this country; and the most extreme
advocate of the free silver theory will
hardly contend that it would have such
a sweeping and remarkable effect. In
other words, it is not to be supposed
for moment that the conditions which
regulate the prices of agricultural
staples in Europe would be changed by
the adoption Of the free silver policy
in the United States. The law of supply
and demand would not be repealed, Rus
sia, South America and Australia
would not stop producing the abundant
crops of wheat that now come in COM
petition with those of our farmers. The
price at Liverpool, which is the ther-
mometer of the price in this country,
would lot be increased by an altera-
ton in our currency system. 1t would
still be governed by the circumstances
that now control it, and no legislation
on our part could make any difference
in the case. Our farmers will get bet
ter prices for their products only when
Europe will not pay better prices so
long as the present ratio of demand and
SUI ply remains. 1t follows, therefore,
that the farmers of the United States
have no advantage to expect from free
silver. But it would be a disadvantage
to them in the way of raising the prices
of everything that they have to buy,
without a corresponding increase of in
come" ~.
There Is another point which REIN
forces our contemporsry's argument.
The farmer sells 80 pei, cent. of his
produce in the American market. That
market will not buy as much, from him
when it is unsettled by financial agi-
tation as it will when general confid-
ence prevails, when Industries are ac-
tive, when labor is earning and spend
ing good wages and when PROSPEROUS
conditions call into play the maximum