The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1897-08-06
A Plea for Higher Prices for Com
modltieS.
To the Editors ofthe Citizen:

In reply to a statement made in the
New York San by the Hon. Burke
Cochran, | beg to differ widely with
him in his views. In his argument
he seems to forget that there is more
than one class of humanity, but beg
to inform the gentlemen that on the
bosom of old Mother Earth there are
two classes which control and which
should control the prices of commodi-
ties, the producer and consumer. If
the commodities and necessaries of life
of to-day were showered upon us as
was the mamma from heaven in Bibli-
cal times, then l say the cheaper the
commodity the greater our prosperity,
but if we reflect but moment over
the fact that everything which is con-
sumed must first be produced, then
what will become of the producer? He
never read that beautiful and pathetic
poem entitled "All Honor to Our
Working Men," in which it is boldly
and truthfully stated that the honor
of a nation is in her working men. He
casts not thought in regard to the
welfare of the tillers of the soil. He is
indeed selfish who says "Give me
bread and board gratis, and l care
nought what labor, either physical or
mental, or what money it has cost
YOU" and yet this, and only this, is
the course pursued and principle adj
vocated by this worthy gentleman.
He declares that the laborer of to-day
enjoys more conveniences and luXu-
ries than did the princes of antiquity.
For the sake of argument we grant
him this statement, but beg to differ
widely as regards the cause. He at
tributes it to the fact that necessaries
of life are cheaper. Not so. This fact,
if it be u fact at all, is due to the null
tiplied and manifold inventions of
modern ages. The Mobiles of ancient
days enjoyed the luxuries of their
days equally as fully as do the Princes,
Kings and Presidents of our time. We
never realize the necessity of a thing
until we come In contact with it, and
so it was in Eye olden times" the lux
uries of their day were enjoyed by them
as highly and just in as extravagant
manner as are they by those of
the present age. He would have gold
and silver in the homes of every one;
he would have them entirely cOstless,
or in other words, he would close the
gold and silver mines of the entire
world. He says nothing can become
too cheap for him. All, me, do not for
a moment doubt the veracty of this
statement; admitting openly and
frankly that he, millionaire as he is,
would gladly welcome the time when
produce would become utterly value
less, so that he himself could reach out
and grasp from the honest toiler all the
rio nd N tt.in Nf fa I'D -
but little to him who earns his bread
by the sweat of his brow as recon-
pense for his faithful labor. We most
heartily agree with him when he
wishes every man plenty; none would
be more glad to see plenty in every
household than your humble servant,
but God forbid that any should under
take to bring that blessing about by
cheapening commodities. The wealth
and strength of nation is il her
working men, and if such a policy as
that produced 10y the worthy gentle
man should predominant, humanity
itself must fall and starvation reign
supreme. The gentleman says the more
field produces, the more productive
it becomes. This is not only contrary
TO experience, but contrary to nature
itself The laws of nature laid down
by God himself, contradict this state.
ment. The only way that a productive
field can be continually productive is
to have the price of the article produc-
ed. sufficient to justify the proud tiller
of the soil to properly fertlize, till and
cultivate that field, that it may again
produce abundantly. But lower the
price Of commodities, cheaper the
price of productions, and you strike
death blow to the producer. Give us
tar-not eXtravagant-prices for our
produce and we employ more labor,
the farmer enjoys more leisure
moments, and IN that way putting
more bread into the mouths of lab ,rers.
His children are not detained on the
farm but sent to college and education
awakens from the slumber into which
low prices have forced it; he and his
family wear better and more clothing;
and the wheels of our factories again
travel with their joyful noise. He
takes his family on more excursions;
our railroads are no more in the hands
of receivers; more machinery would be
used and the wheels of the machine
shop as they whiZ would call the
tramps from the wayside, and the
hungry and naked from the tenement,
and feed and clothe them and their
families. Our cities are to-day thronged
with hungry, shivering and starving
humanity, who know not where to
lay their heads, or get clothes to hide
their nakedness, or food TO allay their
hunger. Why? Not because prices of
commodities are too high, but because
fhnU hor Oc
at $1,000 is just as cheap and Just as
near our Threshold as one worth $500,
when we have not one single penny
with which to buy. Why Lave we not
the penny? Because we cannot find
the work. Why can we not find the
work? Because the producer gets so
little recompense for his effort that he
cannot afford to hire, but must depend
on his own labor, and he who would
willingly work and earn an honest
living, must faint by the wayside. 1t
is a gross insult to the honest tiller to
say that he shall not receive proper
recompense for his labor; but let him
who tills the soil and who provides
that by which we have our existence
and our pleasures, who tolls and labors
in the field, beneath the rays of SEEM
ingly unmerciful sun, and mops the
perspiration from his sun-burnt brow,
who tills the broad acres with his
brown and sinewv arms, be amply and
bountifuLIy repaid for his honest labors.
Away with the idea of low prices,
away with your notions, your argu-
ments which tend to uplift one class
and crush the other, and indeed the pre-
dominant one. Away with the man or
fanatic, who would receive and never
return, but give us honest prices, fair