The Monte Vista journal., 1898-10-22


asn lss FrsA.esasa nas Asssally
The price oe wheat b lower this
year than It Was last year: It vas low
er last year than it vas ten yean ago:
the average price Of wheat has been
falling for the last thirty years. whils
the supply OF wheat, In proportioo to
population. has been steadily dscreas-
Ing.
Tue Wall street editors and orstors
insist that the fall in the price OF
wheat has been caused safely by enor-
mously increased production. caused
BY the invention Of self-binding har-
vesters. steam threshers. etc.
But the production Of wheat has not
increased Probably every farmer who
has cast vote for 4 goldbug candidate
believes that the low price Of wheat is
unavoidable because machinery has In
creased its production until the mar
kets are glutted. but there is no truth
In the assertion which has ieluded
them.
Wheat fell in price from 1891 to 1896:
yet the worlds supply Of wheat. ac-
cording to Goldbug Secretary Of Agri-
culture J. Sterling Morton's reports.
did not vary during the period more
than per cent any year. and the sup
ply was slightly less in 1896 than in
1891. and population was increasing
year by year.
Here are Secretary Morton's figures:
Worlds wheat product for 1891. 2.%32.-
$4,000 bushels: 1892. :.isl. sos. 900
bushels: 1893. 2.5s2.sl3OoO bushels;
1894. 2.s76.s5l. 900 bushels 1895. 2.546.-
$4,000 bushels: 1896. 2.43o. o.4s7 900
bushels.
After being convinced by Secretary
Morton's statistics that the production
Of wheat was less in 1896 than 1t was
in 1881. the EDld-s,andard farmer
should seriously ask himself and his
political leaders why the price Of wheat
averaged S3.s cents per bushel In 1891
and but 49.1 cents per bushel In 1886.
Some gold-standard farmers will at
once reply that It is becauHe GoldbuE
Harrison was president In 1891. while
Goldbug Cleveland vas president In
1895; but this could certainly not &C.
count for the state Of the foreign mar
kets. and the Liverpool price Of wheat
fell as low. proportionstely. Is the
Chicago price.
The price OF cotton has this year
been lower than has ever before been
known. and the increased production Of
creased use Of II. The prices OF other
farm products have fallen with wheat
and cotton. and with all other products
Of labor.
But the necessary cash expenses-
the "axed charges"-of the farmers
and workingmen have not been re-
duced in anything like the same pro-
portion. Taxes and house rent. on the
contrary. have Increased. Freight rates
have been reduced. but are much more
burdensome than formerly. as they
are now \ greater share Of the value
OF the crops than ever before. Debts
have not been reduced one dollar. al
though the value Of crops per acre
has been reduced one-half.
~ IL nA ANt so thAvA$NSA
is satisfactory to usurers. railroad mo-
nopolists. landlords and oficeholders.
whose incomes have no, been reduced.
while the purchasing power OF their
incomes has been doubled.
Wal! street newspapers and orators
parade statistics to prove tha; pros
perity has returned. but farmers and
workinEmen ought TO know that there
can be no revival OF prosperity while
farm products are falling In price and
wages are being reduced. Statistics
prove the prosperity OF usurers and
monopolists only. Business men
whose prosperity depends upon tha, OF
the farmers and ~orkinkmen know
tina, they are making no head~ay.
and that the claims Of the eoidbuEs
are fraudulent.
In the face OF actual conditions Wall
street theories can not be forced upon
the people. The gold standard and
the monopollcs which fsttsn upon Il
must 90.
PERCY pEp0ON