Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1897-09-16
Agricultural Depression In Gold
Standard Country.

We hope that none who either own
farms or work on them, will fail to
read the article we reproduce today
from the Baltimore Sun headed "Ag
ricultural Depression in England"
There can be nothing more shortsight-
ed than the idea that the demand for
free and unlimited coinage of both
silver and gold is of a temporary and
feeting character. 1t is founded on
great economic need and on the con-
slant and progressive deterioration of
the agricultural interest. 1t is child
ish to attempt to explain the threaten
ing problem by the assertion that there
is no relation between silver and
wheat. Before the abnormal demand
for wheat in Europe and India set in
with the short crop in Russia and the
Argentine, wheat was sixty cents, and
but for the unexpected demand in
Europe would have been now just
where silver is, about fifty-three cents.
1t was on it's way there.
Great Britain isl gold country.
What has happened to agriculture
there since the demonstration of sill
yer, in the last twenty years? Wheat
has fallen fifty per cent, beef forty per
cent, mutton thirty per cent, wool
over fifty per cent, dairy produce thir-
ty per cent, and potatoes thirty per
cent. The profits of farmers have
fallen sixty per cent. And SO unpro-
fitable is farming that the area of ara
BILE land has been reduced three mil
lions of acres, and in some areas owners
can no longer rent out the farms.
While the population of Great Britain
has increased over six millions in the
twenty years, the number of agricul-
tural laborers have decreased 242, 900.
The Royal Commission that has inves-
tigated the falling off, and in whose
report the above facts are given, says
it is the result of general cause"
and that general cause is the monetary
policy. and the Commission suggests
as a remedy an international az
rangement" for 1.-The reversal of the
monetary policy Of 1873" which it
! thinks would scheck the constant and
progressive fall in prices" The Balti-
more Sun is an extreme and relentless
gold standard paper, and it naturally
attempts to dull the edge of these
! trenchant facts by talking of "improv-
! ed agricultural machinery"-as if the
most improved was not much more
than twenty years old-and of the ma
jority of the Commission being ''bi
metallists," as if that could change the
facts they give. But we give the arti-
Gle as the Sun writes it, quite certain
that the average reader will under
stand its bias.
The free silver movement, or bimet
allism, is based on the necessities OF
the farmer IN eUeru cioilized country
of the world. The story of the farmers
of Great Britain, like the story of the
farmers of the United States, is the
| story of the world-the story of the
oppression of the most important in
dustrial class in the world. 1t is use
less to attempt to obscure it by clam
oring over a few days of dollar wheat,
brought about by the hand of Provi-
dence in making short crops in certain
countries. There will be no genuine
universal prosperity until the fArn6 r
gets fair prices for all his products;
not only wheat, but corn, oats, cattle,
dairy products everything he raises.
Indianapolis currency conventions and
monetary plans are the merest quack
nostrums prepared in Wall Street, and
cannot affect the general health of the
land, or restore it to we'll being Free
silver, with or without international
co operation, is the only cure for the
ill, and it will come; it will come be-
cause it must come, or worse come in
it's place.