Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1897-09-25

Members OF the G. A. K. through
out the State can rest assured that no
worthy veteran will snffer from any
act of Dr. Vankirk.
FArIINE OR PROTECTION WHICH?
The Herald is sometimes charged
with being over-zealous in advocating
the blessings of Protection. During
the campaign-one year ago-we
maintained with all our power that
the low price OF wheat, corn, wool,
sheep, horses, cattle and all other
farm products was due to the impracti-
cable and absolutely unjust revenue
laws then in force.
Recently, we asserted and have not
been successfully contradicted that
the advance in the price of wheat was
due in greater measure to the enact
ment of the Dingley law than to fail
ure of crops abroad.
If any are in doubt as to the i'm
pregnability of our position, we trust
their minds may be disabused by the
following statistics furnished by Maj
or J. w. Wham, of the United States
Army. 1t may not be amiss to state
that Army officers are not given to ex-
aggerations, neither are they regard
ed as partisans. Major Wham says:
In 1885, the year prior to Cleve-
lands first election, the average price
of wheat was 81 cents per bushel. In
1884 the year after the election, the
average price was O. cents per bushel,
drop of 27 cents, from which price
it only rallied slightly during his en-
tire administration. selling the last
year at an average of 6S cents per
bushel.
Harrison was elected in 1868, and
wheat Immediately bounded back to a
point two cents higher than when
Cleveland was first elected the aver
age price for 1888 being 90 cents per
bushel, from which point it only
slightly reacted, the average price
during the last two years being "a
cents per bushel.
Cleveland was reelected in 1892
and there was an immediate drop of I'll
cents per bushel, continuing on down
until 49 cents per bushel was reached,
the lowest during the century. Mill
ions OF men were out of employment
Consumption necessarily fell off
Economy even in the uses of bread
and its kindred luxuries was forced.
Compare the per capita consumr-
ton in the United States during the
first three years of Harrison s Admin
istration, when all the wheels OF COM
merce and enterprise were hot with
action, and the first three years of
Cleveland last Administration, when
the conditions were absolutely revers-
ed, and you have falling off of one
and one-quarter bushels per capita
during the Cleveland Administration
"Our population now amounts to
very nearly SO, 10, 900, which would
make a difference in consumption Of
about 100, 600, 600 in favor of the Har-
rison Administration.
The per capita consumption of
wheat during the last year of Arthur S
Administration and the last year of
Harrison Administration respective
ly was nearly six and one-half bushels
call it six and quarter bushels;
multiplying our so, 900, 900 of popula-
ton by this we have 500, 600, 600 bush
els OF wheat necessary for our home
consumption,
"Our annual average production Of
wheat during the last ten years being
about 47o, 600, 900 leaves us short an
nually about 80, 900, 600 bushels.
There was tariff under the old Me-
Kinley law OF IS cents bushel on
wheat, which being re, enacted into
the Dingley law, seems, independent
of foreign shortage VIII en- taken in
connection with these facts, to give
the American farmer the 'cinch' on
the worlds wheat market"
| No-To- BAG for Fifty Cents.