The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1897-09-11
Richard Parks Bland OH the Rise in
Wheat
rom the st. Louis Post Dispatch.

From the ST. Louis Post Dispatch.
Lebanon, Mo, Aug. est cannot
be contended that the great rise in The
price of wheat and subsequent promise
of prosperity to the farmer is in conse-
quence of the passage of the Dingley
bill or any other law incident TO the
Mckinley administration. The rise in
the price of wheat has Deen phenom-
email, 1t is true, but it began in London
and Europe before it began here. It
will hardly be asserted that the Dingley
bill or anything else relating to The
present administration caused the rise
in the price of grain in Liverpool or
European markets. This is not even
claimed 1t was not expected that the
Dingley bill would raise the price OF
wheat or farm products in any country.
Prosperity came from abroad. Yet the
fact that wheat and other farm prod
ucts, and especially food products, are
higher in Europe and in other coun-
tries now than .hey were before the
election of Mckinley, or before his IN
auguration and before the passage of
the present tariff bill, is proof positive
that the rise in prices has been occa-
stoned by things occurring outside of
the United States and not within it.
The failure of the wheat crop in the
principal countries of the world that
come in competition with the United
States, as is we'll known, is the sole
cause of the rise in the price of wheat.
The fact that other wheat-produeing
countries, and especially India, have
suffered failure in the wheat crop,
has occasioned the present rise in the
price of food products in this country
TO the extent, at least, that India and
other wheat-producing countries have
heretofore e competed with our farmers
in the markets of the world.
100000 GAIN TO FARMERS.
1t is to be hoped, and no doubt will
be true, that this present rise in the
price of wheat will add many millions
probably more than a hundred mil
lions-to the income of the American
farmers for this season. This will be
a great boon to them and TO the whole
country, and we are all very glad, SO
far as our own people are concerned,
that such are the conditions under
which the Americanj agriculturists are
now situated.
1t will also, to some extent, at least.
Inure to the benefit of the federal
treasury, incidentally probably to the
advantage Of the present admlnistra-
ton No doubt our present good yield
of wheat and other food products will
cause an influx of gold to this country,
and SO regulate and govern the eN-
changes abroad as TO prevent any gold
shipments from here for many months
to come. This in itself will strengthen
the federal treasury, or at least prevent
the withdrawal of gold from it, and
give steadiness to the money market
that perhaps otherwise would not have
occurred.
ARE HIGH PRICES GOOD?
But after all, are good prices, OF
high prices, good thingP The gold
advocates have heretofore contended
that low prices were not in themselves
bad things.
They have insisted that tor the past
twenty years or more prices on com
modities everywhere on an average
have gone steadily down.
Whereas, on the other hand, that
the wages for labor had gone steadily
up.
They have attributed this to the op-
erations of the single gold standard,
and have heretofore claimed that sucI
condition is the best for mankind,
and that low prices inure to the benefit
of the masses.
Whereas, on the other hand, the adj
vocates of the free coinage of silver
have insisted that low prices or falling
prices mean the s.agnalIon of business,
failure of enterprises and the throwing
of labor out of employment; that low
prices ultimately mean the oppression
of debtors, because low prices mean
high money, dear money; for, speak
ing of prices and money relatively,
when prices on commodities on an
average are low and falling, it neces-
sarily means that it takes less money
from day to day to purchase commod-
ities-that is to say, that money, as
compared to commodities, Is constantly
rising in value, while commodities are
constantly falling.
Now, however, the gold advocates
seize upon the fact that there is Il rise
in prices, and especially in the price of
our farm products, and allude to it as
an indication of returning prosperity,
and attribute il TO the elections of last
fall, the victory that Mckinley won
over Bryan, and the passage of the
protective tariff bill.
They now insist that rise in prices
is good thing. So that the argu-
ment is now upon our side and the
admission of our opponents weigHs
against them.
WHAT WILL BE THE EFFECT?
We contend that the rise in prices
rs exceptional; that 1t has been caused
by nature, brought about by causes
over which the legislature or the
administration have no power; that
therefore, neither the gold standard,
the election of Mckinley or the passage
of the tariff bill has anything to do
with affecting favorably the rise In the
prices or the price of anything except
those prices that are artiiicially in
Liver Ills