The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-08-02
Why The Farmer
Is Now Rejoicing
From an Interview in the Sun with Presi-
dent NJ. Il. Ingalls,.


From an Interview in the Sun with Presi-
dent M. Il. Ingalls,.
During the past ten days have trav-
elled over $500 miles of railroad. The
country through which I travelled was
the middle west. The first thing / made
1t my business to find out was the condi-
ton of the crops. This Is what ! learned:
Not in the memory of the oldest inhabit-
ant of that country has there been such a
crop of hay. The wheat crop, while not
large, Is of as fine quality as has ever
been produced OF corn there will be an
abundance, and there are oats galore.
Fat cattle are in demand and hogs are
bringing a good price. This shows that
the farmers of the middle west have got
something to sell. If they can dispose of
their products al good prices they will
have money to spend. They must spend
1t, because they are human and have
wants. In proportion to their income, If
they are wise, will their wants be Erati-
fed. A country enjoys good times when
high prices prevail and the people have
the money to pay those prices. Don't for
get for moment that during the past
four years, when our people have been
living by the grace of God, as 1t were,
plenty of business has been done. Your
clearing house statements will show that.
The trouble has been that men got little
OF uOlIllS LOT uOlnB business. NOW,
then, If the farmer, the source of all
production, has something to SELL if he
gets fair price for it and is thus able
to pay fair price for what he wants,
money will be put in circulation accord
ing to the natural law, and, according
to the same natural law, prosperity must
follow.
Now let's see what the farmers pros
Is f1
ducts. As If nature had taken particu-
lar compassion on the distress of our
people the wheat fields of other coun-
tries, that have usually borne abund-
ant harvests, have this year failed to
bear crops of any size, or crops that
promised well have been visited by a
blight of some kind. The wheat fields of
India are as a desert. Russias crop is
away below the average, England, France,
Turkey, Austria and the Danubian pro-
vinceS are short of wheat, and the To-
Gusts have dropped down on the wheat
fields of Argentine. Therefore, if the
world is to have any wheat this year,
the granaries of the United States must
supply it. Under the impulse of the de-
mand for our wheat abroad. the price
here has jumped to 20 cents a bushel.
The market Is strong and those who
should know think it will. go higher. But
the high price of wheat will lead to
economy in its use. This will tend to
increase the price of all other bread
stuffs. But when corn is high cattle are
high. Cattle and grain include about all
of the farmers products forth mention
ing. The fields of the west need no
voucher from me, or from any one else,
to attest the reign of their crops. They
speak for themselves. Everybody knows
whether or not there will be a demand
for those crops. The price of wheat to-
day is an earnest of what the growers
Therefore, prosperity must be in store
for the farmer and, through him, for the
country.
"Now let us see what the effect of this
condition of things is, or If any effect can
be noticed already. During my trip 1 took
particular pains to talk with those with
whom l came in contact that / might
know whether they felt any more cheer
full now than they did year ago. Did
l talk with so-called railroad magnates?
Yes. Did / talk with capitalists? Yes.
Did 1 talk with farmers? Yes. And with
farm laborers, with bootblacks and news
boys in the cities, with mine owners and
mine workers, with skilled laborerS and
with those who have been glad, during
the past four years, TO get anything they
could to do to keep themselves and their
families from starving. This is what l
learned: From all those who supported
the present administration before the
election | got just what expected to get.
They could talk nothing but good times
and better times. In their opinion the
gates had flown open and the horsemen
had entered, bringing in their train pros
perity's triumphant car. That was all
very well as far as 1t went. But / was
looking for consensus of opinion. /
wanted bedrock information. l remem-
bered that there are two sides to every
story and / remembered the expression
of the sage that in the shadow of the
two sides of story the truth may be
found Therefore / made further in
quiries. l went to men who had shouted
for free silver in the last campaign and
who hailed Bryan as the Moses who
should lead them out of the land of
Egypt | went to men who had shouted
for gold and Mckinley from reasons of
policy, but voted for Bryan. In these /
did not find optimsts and enthusiasts
over the present condition of affairs.
did not expect 1t. But / did find that
even those who voted the Popocratic
ticket last fall admitted that things were
looking up and that, with good times in
sight, Mckinley was Just as good a.Moses
as Bryan would have been. l found that
the farmers, without an exception, had
come to the conclusion that wheat at 70
cents a bushel, with a demand for the
other products of their fields and their
cattle, is a better nostrum for the ills
from which they have been suffering than
free silver. In short, l found that Bryan
and free silver must have another boost
or they will die from lack of advertise
ment and sleep in forgotten graves.
o
Perhaps I can best illustrate the feel
nf hn Of fl. a