The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1897-12-23
Greatness of our Country.

Greatness of Our country,
.;,,a that Americans fully realized
-a,ot;ve greatness of their own people,
low IA fuller comprehension of
,s;r ability TO make. a market hey
.ho hest educated, best fed, best nous
,ast clothed and farthest Travelled IT,
40 o00 If peeple i'll the world. Ii the laws
,O.n,.sore with their industries III any way.
1avoring their com etitors abroad, inter-
torne with their power to purchase %
.rora education. nutrition. lodging, ciotii-
,.a and travelling. as we have seen lot
~ four vears past. their power to make
ortet is lowered correspondlngiy.
punsneritv has come naturally; publc
.olic;es have been changed: the workers
employed: they buy more hoeraiis
tho farmer gets better prices: he puts tiie
,r;ce of his crops into clrcuiatloh' ihe
a,,rront warns I'D all the veins or ccfi'-
merce. the twenty millions of farmers buy
more literally OF all household and other
az modities: the wholesale merchant
feels the quickening influence ana pu's
mare agents on the road; the country lhef-
chant whose stocks have been low fof
wears replenishes his shelves. ana tiis
gives orders TO the L anufactufer' VINO
emnlovs more labor and skill: the busy
vorkmen have money to buy the farmers
ard other products. all of which make the
good times we enjoy. The beginning Oh
All this was the change Of pubic poilcv
chat was ordered last November ps the
neople when they elected Gov. MCKINNEY
President. the keeping OF our jobs at
Ing of the money at home to pay out 10
cur own people. :,
President Mckinle.-'s administrator
has set about the introduction of prosper
Ity among all classes of people by COM
nlete change of public policy. That change
Is bringing good results already. The trst
effect is better prices for farm products.
II is said that the scarcity Of wheat
abroad is the cause Of better prices here.
Ccncede that for the sake of the argu-
nent. Why are other grains higher. with
beef mutton. pork. wool and other farm
products? The voters who changed pub
bic policies a year ago have confidence IN
tie change OF administration. Ihey are
the moving power Of the republic. 1hey
do the bulk Of its business. They are IA
miliar with American history for CEN
.ury and quarter. as affected by pro-
lection to home industries and the want
II ii. They are not ready to take step
toward the experience of the last four
years. The questions that were settled
year ago will stay settled while this gem
Grafton lives, and TIE cost of sending our
jobs abroad and starving our workers at
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
al work during this decade TO destroy the
value Of horses. The United States
changed its public policies in the mean
time. Industries along all lines were par
nlyZed, 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 as 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
peeled to conclude that some other cause
than general depression had lowered the
price of horses. but we will find in looking
over the productions of this great State
that everything else pertaining to the
farm decrea sed in value ut the same time.
1he farmers were left with large sur
pulses on their hands. Unfortunately for
US, our horses could not De put to any
great extent upon the worlds market. be-
cause we had been producing such horses
us pleased us. and not such horses as the
world demanded outside Of the United
States. The worlds market for horses
nAed the prices for us. and we had so few
tnat the world wanted to buy, that prices
cropped to an Improbable figure. If we
mad been producing heavy draft horses.
roach horses and saddle horses. Europeans
would have bought them at high prices.
Ihey nave agents in this country, and
nave mad them for many years, searching
Tor the kind of horses have named. but
are not able to find them as plentifully
Us they desire. WE are undoubtedly able
10 produce horses in the United States
sneaper than any other country can pro-
'uce them, because we have the cheapest
grams and grasses. good water. and intel
iseht people to rear them. 1t is a ones
uoh Tor the farmers in the future as In
NOW they shall breed and develop their
Horse stock.
Sugar Beets.
We pay S100,000,O0O each wear for en-
s'r, made to a great extent from sugar
meets grown in Continental Europe. since
'ne cuban war began. People will re-
n'ehiDer that when President Mckinley
" VIZ chairman of the Ways and Means
conmittee in the House of Represents
we some years ago, he secured legisla-
~0h III the interest of the farmer. giving
s.ncouragement to the growing Of sugar
peets. The attention of American farm
,'S was drawn toward that industry
nal Iahsements were made to test the ca
pstIty OF our soils in all parts of the Init
eu states. Some factories were built and
ni'nin reasonable time ali the sugar
lH eficans require would have been made
~ the United States. Sugar. ike hn+-
.er' consists of labor and sunshine Tho
price OF labor would have been raisad 81,
a,ons the line. from the growing Of tho
81 susar beets to the making of the hacs A.
oarfeis for its final reception. The farrn
er would have haan o,alI, "A IL