New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-04

And the coincidence has lent some co!or III the
minds Of the unthnkinS to the contentious oil
the bimetallists Bat the causes OF agricultural
depression in Germany are quite other man me
currency and the only effect Of the adoption oi
bnetalsrn by the Agrarians is to inereas" the
opposition to them in country where there Is
net the slightest chance Of the rencnetlza'lch
of cver.
The one parliamentary success or the Aera-
Rams is the Stock Exchange law, the passage Oh
which was secured By their efforts. 1t went into
effect January ], 1897, ard prohibited specula-
ton in futures on the Exchange. 50 far as grain
and flour are concerned. IT is one OF the run
danontal dOgmas Of the Agrarian League tha'
the low price Cf cereals is largely due to the
grain spectators. Their opponents have pointed
out the value Of continual market ana the
favorable effect upon prices Of the diminuton in
the risk in dealing in futures which speculation
introduces. 1t is claimed that the operation Of
the law has been detrimental 10 agriculture.
Ee that as it may, its workings are watched
with interest on all sides The present OUTLOOK
is that a successful evasion Will be accomplished
Dy transferring Tho speculation to the hands u
ihe large bankers.
IMPORTANCE TO AMERICAN AGRICULTURE
OF THE AGRARGAN DEFEAT.
On the whole. then. the efforts Of the Agra
lians 10 secure legislation affecting the price OF
cereals have not received much encouragement.
The defeat Of the KanitZ bill was too decisive
for anything Of Il similar nature TO be brought
before the same RoChstaG. The Agrarial lead
ers. however are energetic and determined mon.
and n coincidence N tho campaigning FOR the
elections 10 the new Reichstag filled them
with new hopes Leading members Of the Gov
eminent had determined that the revolutionary
tendencies II socialism and radicalisn must be
met 10y a coalition Of all the more conservative
dement's in the empre-:Ee parties Of Civil
order" they called them-and they entered
the recent campaign wtE we!l-defined coai-
lion policy which. OF cou!so. ircluded the
AGrarans ia the coalition. The AGrarians felt
that az part of larger NOV emont. they ought
c"rtainl; TO be- returned 20 the ReichstaS with
4 large accession OF strength. Agitation be
came the watchwOfd in districts where they
we're rarticullrly strong they set up inGepend-
cnt candidates. WIKI a view TO forming an in
dependent party group. and the most strenuous
efforts were made TO elect not oEly these but
candidates Of other groups pledged TO support
agricultural Interests. But unfortunately for
the Agrdrians the coalition policy OF the Gov
eminent proved complete failure. Al he polls
IN June last the Government parties lost sew
eral Eats, while the Agrarian League succeeded
in eieo:ing onlv four OF Is indepcr dent candi-
dates or members Of the new Reichstag favor
able to their cause they might count on a test
vote about ninety or ninety five. but this num-
Der leaves them poworlcss to carry single
measure Of their own. For the next FIVE years,
barring a dissolution and a new election. which
IS unlikely they are as Incapable OF making
any change in he foreign commercial policy
o. Germany as they were in the last ReichstaS.
The importance 10 the American farmer OF
this defeat is very great. The chief object Of
the Agrarians. has been seen, is the introduc-
ton Of a protective tariff on agricultural prod
ucis practically equivalent TO prohibition. Their
success would have meant the loss OF the
greater part OF the present large export trade
in cereals. meats. fruits, hardwoods and lum-
Der. live stock, etc, Of the United States to
Germany
What the Agrarians would do il they had the
power appears forcibly enough from few Of
their recent utteranccs Apropos OF the master
ful Fourth Of July address Of the American Am
bassador. Andrew ID. White. who dealt with the
delicate question Of the unfriendly feeling mani
Tested toward this country by Germany, the
Agrarian organ, the "Deutsche Tageszeitung,'
remarked that Germany's unfriendliness ought
not 10 occasion any surprise TO the Americans.
sine it was quite impossible to have friendly
feelings for a country which closed its markets
to German commerce. broke its treaties, and.
on the other hand, overlooked the German mar
kcts with inferior and even injurious products"
The old wornout Agrarian llany" says the
Berlin correspondent who sends the dispatch.
II is AT any rate easy TO infer what degree Of