The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-10-11
ABOUT WHEAT AND CORN
htNsds TRIED 10 REGULdTE IHE
STppLI AND DLMIAD NJ LIW.
The Most DcpIorsbIe Consequences Was
the Notwithstanding Political
Fable.

The Governor assembled the wise men
in special session, and thus addressed
them:
Most noble. brave and mighty yeo-
men. our people groan. The burden Is
heavy upon them. Early and late they
toll and eat the bread OF disappointment
and bitterness Make ye laws for their
deliverancc.
I'VE are the greatest State In the
Union. We are big enough and rich
enough TO have policy of our own re-
gardless Of what other States may do or
may not do. Let us be patriotic. Kan
sas policy for Kansans is the need OF the
hour. Wheat is hard TO raise and the
yield is light and uncertain. but we are
great on a.. The notion that the price
must be governed by the law of supply
and demand is a superstition by means
Of which the rich plumber and Cypress
honest toll. Make ye therefore a law in
accordance with which sovereign and
august statute corn shall be put upon a
par with wheat. They shall be inter-
changeable bushel for bushel and the
price Of corn shall be the same as the
price Of wheat. DO this. and the people
OF Kansas shall rise mp and call you
blessed. and all the world except the
money lenders shall hail you as the
emancipators OF mankind
The wise men passed the law as the
Governor had advised. and all the peO-
pie of the State rejOiced. for their cribs
were full Of corn. They could hardly
contain themselves till the Governor had
signed the bill which raised the price
OF Kansas corn from fifteen cents TO
forty-five cents a bushel. All the people
now felt rich. They bought many luxil-
ries and the most OF them went in debt.
They wondered that they had never be.
fore found out that wealth was simply
a matter Of legislation, and they felt a
great pity and contempt for the ignorant
and superstitious people Of the other
States. Then the farmers from the other
States began hauling their corn to Kan
sas. Long lines Of wagons came winding
along every road. Boats ilOatod IL down
the rivers and railroads rushed IL I'm from
every section Of the country To seemed
as II tho country was all corn and il
was all headed for Kansas. The people
Of Kansas took their medicine. that is
they took the corn and gave up their
wheat
The farmers from the other States
thought the Kansas people were queer
but they Kept bringing them their corn
Corn came I'm and wheat went out. And
besides. all the Kansas people had gone
10 raising corn because IL was moro
easily produced than wheat. and was
To bring just as much IN the market
as wheat. for the wise men had decreed
that it should. II was not long till Kan
sas had all Of it's own and nearly al
of it's noiehbors' corn.
When the other states saw this vast
accumulation and knew that it must
sooner or later come on To the market
the price Of corn began 10 decline till il
could be purchased anywhere. except 10
Kansas, for ten cents a bushel In Kan
sas the price was still forty-hve cents,
which was the price Of wheat but there
were no buyers. Neither would any one
exchange wheat for their corn. When
the autumn came the Kansas people did
not have any wheat for seed. Then they
sent 20 the neighboring States, and I'M
rl0rod the farmers to exchange wheat
at a parity with corn. But the farmers
said I'VE will exchange one hushel or
wheat for four and one-halt bushels o.
corn "Our law" replied the Kansas
people. quits corn and wheat az parity.
,rhev are equal. for our wise men said
-bo,, should be-" And the farmers re-
nifed. Your wise men are asses let them
eat your corn SO the kansans went
back home. and an their people were III
despair.
Tho more corn they had the less it was /
worth and they had nothing but corn. /
nav Iv dav the times grew haroer
Then the Governor again assembled the /
wise men. and said TO them. Most con-
summato. picturesque and glittering COLL I
darned fools: There is hut one bigger I
fool than yourselves. II Is he who now /
addresses You.
I'VE Thought we could bluff the ever /
lasting law of supply and demand win /
o.,,r etstute. We thought we could lcgis- /
late value into a thing, and make our /
,eo,,is rich by law We thought we /
,,.,,. natriotic We were idiotic. Let us /
,orsstlv acknowledge our assininity. re-
..,.i our fool law. get back into line with |
Tho other states. and imagine no more !
trat We are wiser than the whole Worlh. /
mo- This and may we live long enough 10 /
i-,ou, that the other States have ceased /
fe,ohing at our folly. and that our own |
et,t. has ceased cursine us for H..
,rhen the wise men repealed The law |
,.. 3, ,.s. many wears before the people /
,..o,.arod from the effects OF the corn /
craze. ...o.,
Moral. We are big nation but we are
NOT the whole earth.
Another Moral: LEGISLATION can neither
make nor unmake values
SIN Another: fool Is man who |
.,t,rs an the rest Of the world are |
,,ois -sdllevnls Political Tables, in
Christian at Work.
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