The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1897-12-31
Greatness of Our Country.

Greatness of Our Country.
II is time that Americans fully realized
a.. r.l.tivc greatness Of their own people,
Nth view 10 fuller comprehension Of
.he;r ability to make market. They
orn th. best educated, best fed, best hous-
al best clothed and farthest Travelled TO-
npoOu1 Of people in the world. If the laws
Interfere with their industries in any way.
f,vrriu.- their Om~etitOrs abroad. inter-
fariua with their power TO purchase to-
ward education. nutrition, lodging, cloth
ing and travelling. as we have seen for
tbe four years past, their power to make
q market is lowered correspondlng!y.
Prosperity has come naturally; pubic
poIic,c, have been changed; the workers
employed; they buy more LIBERAL ";
the farmer gets better prices; he puts the
nricr Of his crops into circulation; the
cnrrcnt warns up all the veins of COM
mprrc. he twenty millions of farmers buy
more literally of all household and other
60 modiies; the wholesale merchant
feels the quckening influence and puts
more agents on the road; the country mer-
chant whose stocks have been low for
years roplcnShes his shelves. and this
rjycs orders to the Il anufacturer, who
EMPLOYS more labor and skill: the busy
workucn have money to buy the farmers
ord other products. all Of which make the
good times we enjoy. The beginning OF
all this was the change of public policy
that was ordered last November by the
peopp when they elected Gov. Mckinley
President, the keeping of our jobs at
home for our own people, and the keep
ing Of the money at home to pay out to
our own people.
President McKinlc-'s administration
has set about the Introduction of prosper
ity among all classes of people by com
pletc .lan@e of public policy. That change
is bringing good results already. The first
effect is better prices for farm products.
II is said that the scarcity of wheat
abroad is the cause Of better prices here.
Conccdo hat for the sake of the argu-
ment. Why are other grains higher, with
BEEF, mutton. pork. wool and other farm
products: The voters who changed pub
lie policies Il year ago have confidence in
the change Of administration. They are
the moving power of the republic. They
d. the bulk Of its business. They are ia
miliar with American history for a CEN
tur! ana quarter, as affected by pro-
lection TO home industries and the want
OF it. They are not ready to take step
toward the experience of the last four
years. The questions that We're settled a
year ago will stay settled while this gen.
Grafton lives, and tie cost of sending our
u abroad nd s.ta Mt
home is fresh in our memories.
Effect OF Changes OF Policy.
The effect of the changes of public pol
Icy on agricultural interests is we'll illus
trated by the changes in the prices of our
farm stock and farm products. The de-
crease in the value of the horses has been
very great during the past ten years.
Superficial observers tell us that the sub
stitution of steam and electricity on street
cars for horses has made this change
But there are other factors that have been
at work during this decade to destroy the
value of horses. The United States
changed its public policies in the mean
time. Industries along ali lines were par
ayzed. because our workmen were turned
out of employment. They were not able
to buy farm products, the factories be-
came idle, and the farm horses were not
wanted about the factories, in the towns.
nor anywhere in the United States. as
much rs formerly. If the value of horses
were reduced during this change of public
policy. and the prices of other materials
remained the same, we would be COM
pei ed to conclude that some other cause
than general depression haG lowered the
price of horses, but we will find in looking
over the productions of this great State
mat everything else pertaining to the
farm decreased in value at the same time.
HE farmers were left with large. sur
pulses on their hands. Unfortunately for
Us, our horses could not be put to any
great extent upon the worlds market. be-
cause we had been producing such horses
as pleased us, and not such horses as the
world demanded outside of the United
States The worlds market for horses
hAed the prices for us, and we had so few
mat the world wanted to buy, that prices
dropped to an Improbable figure. If we
had been producing heavy draft horses.
coach horses and saddle horses, Europeans
would have bought them at high prices.
ihey have agents in this country, and
nave had them for many years, searching
LOT the KIND Of horses | have named. but
are not able to find them as plentifully
as they desire. We are undoubtedly able
10 produce horses in the United States
cheaper than any other country can nro-
ouce them, because we have the cheapest
grains and grasses. good water, and intel
Hsenf people to rear them. 1t is a cues
non for the farmers in the future as to
now they shall breed and develop their
horse stock.
Sugar Beets.
We pay $1O0,0OO,000 each year for su-
gar, made to a great extent from suyar
neets grown in Continental Europe. since
'he Cuban war began. People will re-
member that when President Mckinley
YVES chairman of the Ways and Means
committee in the House of Representa-
ives some years ago, he secured legisla-
uon IN the interest of the farmer. giving
encouragement to the growing of sugar
oeets. The attention of American farm
ers was drawn toward that industry.
arrangements were made to test the ca
paclty of our soils in all parts of the Unit
co States. Some factories were built. and
within reasonable time all the sugar
americans require would have been made
IN the United States. Sugar, like but
Ter, consists Of labor and sunshine. The
price of labor would have been raised all
along the line, from the growing of the
sugar beets to the making of the bags or
barrels for its final reception. The farm
er would have been enabled to diversity
MS crops and grow less O.. what was least