People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1897-09-02
Supply and Demand.

Republican papers are trying hard
to make the people believe that Pop
uliStS have maintained in times past
that the law of supply and demand
cuts no figure in prices. The great
contention of the Populist party has
been, as every one knows, that the
law of supply and demand effected
the circulating medium as we'll as the
price of products-a scarcity Of dol.
lars makes them dear-requires more
bushels of grain, more pounds OF
pork, to buy them. Likewise when
grain or pork is scarce more dollars
are required to buy them, presuppos.
ing that the volume of money re.
mains unchanged. Diminish the vol.
ume of money-make dollars fewer
and grain and pork may be in
greater demand mot abnormally) and
still not rise in price. In this man
ner is the law Of supply and demand
partially set aside. Not a single
Populist argument or quotation
can be produced that varies from
this, and all attempts to show
otlerw Sc is a species Of peltifogg cry,
possible only by miscontruction and
garbling.
For instance, the Mail quotes an
extract from Jerry Simpsons speech
made in the joint-debate between
Simpson and Long here September
l6, last. We give it below because
it stands the test of time, because
the figures given are official, and we
now challenge the editor of the Mail
to refute them, as Mr.. Long failed to
do. The Mail quotes from Jerrv's
speech as follows:
Now he says prices are controlled
by supply and demand. We will see
Now here is a quotation and figures
from the statistical abstract that he
has shown you here today. Now let
lis see about that.
"The statemenG shows that the
worlds production of wheat was a..
100000 bushels less 10 1888 than in
1887, yet the price was a decline of
4 cents per bushel. In 1889 the
worlds production was 1870 600 GOO
bushels less than in 1887, and Is 600 :
QUO bushels less than the crop OF 1885.
and the price was 80 cents per busbe,
as compared with 1889 and 1887, a rise
OF but one cent per bushel. The cron
OF 1890 was 100000 bushels less than
In 1887, and the price fell to SO CENTS
per bushel, or decline of 6 Cents ner
6ushel. The crop Of 1891 was 81 GOA,
OOO bushels less than the crop of 1881
and the price was s. cents per busbel
Of a decline of cents per bushel As
compared with the price in 1887. The
price OF this crop was maintained
above what it would have been Inv
the Sherman law, and the subsequent
rise 10 the price of silver. The cron
IN lS92 was 49,000.0OO bushels less than
1887, and the price fell to 50 cents per
0us: Ell, loss of 9 cents. The cro, in
1898 WIS Sl,OOO,0OO bushels less and
wheat fell with silver to 60 cents per
buShel. '' Pei
"Stnce 1887 the population of the
countries which used wheat have in
creased over lO,00O,0O0. Now so mnch
Tor the law of supply and demand,
While the crop has steadily decreased
Wpllt the wO'ld's supply has steadily
decreased from 1887 up 20 TODAY. the
price has gone steadily down with the
decline IN the amount produced. al
hough the population that consume
wheat have increased 100000 peo-
pei; Somuch for his law Of supply
and demand. pp''
1T has been proven and Carl r.
wright says for four hundred years