The representative., 1898-01-19
AN ADDRESS TO
The ALLIANCE
FARM AND work SHOP.
Secretary WhelIams' Paper to the
Farmers Alliance.

of the Northwestern Manufacturers Union,
on The Relation OF Manufacture to Agri-
culture" Mr.. Whellams discussed the
growth Of manufacture in the United States
and continued
Now gentlemen. today it is we'll es-
! tablshed fact that the home market for the
surplus products Of the soil which has been
created by manufacturing industries is far
more steady and reliable than foreign
| markets. The actual consumption of pro-
duct at home is, think, Sc per cent, and
only IA per cent exported, there being six
times as much consumed at home as
that sent abroad. OF this IA per cent, SO
per cent consisted of cotton breadstuffs,
provisions and live animals leaving per
cent as the value of all other agricultural
products exported From the best informa-
tion which can be obtained it appears that
50 per cent of the total value of the exports
of breadstUffs, live animals and provisions
was the product of our great surplus West
ern states. This fact clearly shows that
the agricultural interests of the New Eng
land states and of the other Atlantic sea-
board states north of the cotton belt, de-
pend almost entirely upon home markets,
that is, markets mainly sustained by man
ufacturng industries. Besides it is evident
from what has just been stated that the
farmers Of the Western states depend al
most entirely upon home markets for the
sale Of all products other than grain, pro-
visions and live animals and that the
farmers of the Southern states are begin
ming to appreciate more highly than ever
before the Importance Of developing their
home markets by encouraging home manu-
factured goods. 1t is Southern made goods
for the Southern farmer, and it should be
and must be Northwestern made goods for
the NOrtheSWern farmer.
Cooperation means prosperity Temem-
Der that every dollar spent in the factories
of the Northwest increases the wealth Of
the farm. The more factories the greater
number of mon will be employed increas-
ing home consumption of farm and other
products. Bear in mind ore great essen
tial, to instruct your wife. children and
friends when purchasing at the store at
home or in ST. Paul to demand Northwest
made goods, and not only to demand them
but see that you get them. Would you
think it a wise sound policy for the
Northwestern manufacturers and the many
thousands of men they employ to pur-
chase bacon fed and butter made or cattle
raised in the state of New York or Ili-
nois: | am sure you would think it very
unfair and Il very na rrow-n1inded action
!. Then it is nothing but fairness to the man
ufacturers of st. Paul and to their en-
Picyes. who daily purchase the product of
your farms. that in return you reciprocate
by purchasing what you and your family
need in their line of manufacturer There
is no excuse for not so doing The goods
manufactured in st. Paul are equal and
In many Instances superior to those i'm
ported this is absolutely q fact except
ture). The Price is the same and even
lower in many lines. | have sought for
reason why you do not purchase more
OF home made goods, and have come to
the conclusion it is entirely to a want of
knowledge of the many articles that are
today being manufacture in this CITY and
the Northwest
In St. Paul there are 4.3 factories en-
poying S.00S men. 2.229 women 81 children
total of 10,S2S. Labor Commissioner Pow
cJc -
and then we should approximately have
the present Industrial population of tho
city.
What small sum is d dollar, and vet
II every farmer in this state. and every
adult person in this city would ONLY make
point of spending one dollar a week In
| homemade product of Minnesota factories
instead of spending that collar on i'm
ported goods, 1t would cause the employ
ment of thousands additional hands and
! put annually into circulation in this state
ara city several millions OF dollars It is
o''E oy system of cooperation of pro-
| queer and consumer that the great bene-
lts OF largely increasing home markets
pv encouraging Northwestern manufac-
| torres can be obtained. Your motto then.
| IS Northwestern goods, made In North
| western factories, by Northwestern work.
men for Northwestern I,eople
home trading does not mean boycott
| ing goods not made at home. it means q
| preference given to home goods where
| price and quality is equal, because the
| price OF labor is paid to home people who
VIII spend their wages at home
! -nahu1acturerS are lasting benefit to
! the farmer; he could not farm without
thelr aid. nor could he go back to the
| Gays of the sickle, the scythe or the fail
agricultural machinery has quickened the
| production and lightened the Ia..or of the
| larm. We're our forefathers able to rise
| from their graves, and see the farmer Of
he
would be apt to exclaim, is it an unco
| "oilu 10 i've IN! While machinery is
everything to the farmer, how much the
more Is the farmer necessary to it, A few
Gays ago you came to this city upon one
| or other Of the great lines of railway. To
move that train Of coaches, attached was
| a magnificent colossus of manufa ctured
! IRON and steel, when moving it was mon
s,er OF immense strength and power and
| yet now Still and motionless a thing with
out the hand of man to turn the lever that
gave 1T motion. and that man, what would
ne be without the food product of the farm
to sustain life in him? A product of the
| iaoor OF the farmer without which we
| could not live.
| The relation of manufacture to agricul
ture is as the one boot is to the other in
| dlspensable. inseparable, each helping the
| other to contribute to the nations wealth
| and prosperity
I'm view of the present rate Of increase
| OF the population in the Northwest, and of
its manufactures, the rapid growth and
| Improvement in the facilities for trans
portation by rail, and the constant ten
! dency of the people northwesterlv If an
pears safe to predict, that if nothing shall
| occur to repress the present prosperity of
| the manufacturing industries Of those
| states during the next twenty years there
| Will be developed between the agricultural
ana the manufacturing Industries Of those
states, commerce equal in magnitude to
the foreign commerce OF the United States
! experience has proved that the domestic
commerce thus created will be much more
STEADY and reliable. and in all proba blity
IN the end more productive of individual
and national wealth than trade with for
elsn countries. Therefore, your watchword
must be, first, last and all the time
northwestern goods made in Northwest
ern factories, by Northwestern workmen
Tor Northwestern people,"
The time was when we regarded the
surrender of the Peoples party to the