The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-06-20
FARMERS PROSPEROUS
2. Z Bonebrake Proves ConcIusivsIy
That They Are the Monarchs
of Finance

of Finance
P. 7 Bonebrake has given the subject
Of farming in the west careful study
and he Is a firm believer in the future
of the farmer In a paper read before
the TranSmIssISStppi congress, MI
Bonebrake gave the result of his in
designations proving that farmers as q
class are already prosperous
The paper is as follows.
In nearly all the publications and
addresses relating to the present pros
perity Of the country, reference is made
10 the railroads, manufacturers. bank
ers and other interests, while but little
is said of the prosperity of the farmers;
yet the prosperity OF these several in
terests depend largely upon the pros
perity Of the farmers.
OF all great interests Of this country
agriculture stands first, industries sec
ond and commerce third; agriculture to
produce, industries to manufacture and
commerce to distribute
That the farmers are prosperous, is
easily demonstrated In verificatiou Of
this assertion, I shall draw largely from
Economist, an authority on these mat
tiers, but paper not much read by the
public generally.
q The extent TO which the Agricultural
classes have shared in the great in
crease Of national prosperity, and
wealth which has followed the restOra-
ton of the American policy of prOtec-
ton to labor and industries, is shown in
ment- These show the grand expansion
OF our export trade for the last two
years From these statistics it appears
cOncIusively that the farmers OF the
countries have been the largest bene-
fciaries Of the enormous export trade
For the fiscal year just closed, three
fourths Of the total exports of upwards
OF Sl,zO0. 0o0, eco were the proceeds or the
farm and field. BreadSruffs. cotton, pro-
visions live animals, tobacco and fruit
supplied the great bulk OF the $3.50, OO0,
goo worth Of their products which went
abroad during the year. breadstuns be
ing the largest in value
In no earlier year in our history has
the expectation Of products of agricuI-
tUre been as large, the total for the year
surprising by more than 800 ,O0o, 600
that OF the export years of 1891 and 1892
Both in quantities and prices received,
the expectation of farm products have
been unusually large, and this relates
TO nearly every class Of articles ex-
ported OF breadstuffs alone, the ex-
ports OF the year were $65. 600 900 greater
than those of 1887 and were more than
double IN value those of 1885. Of pro-
visions, the years exports were nearly
$4,000, coo in excess of those of last year
Besides these great classes the smaller
items OF fruits and nuts, hay. hops, seeds,
Vegetables oil cake and vegetable oils
eggs, feathers and many other articles
Of this class, added to the receipts for ag-
rlcuItural articles exported bring the
against $54506d eco in 1895. an increase in
1888 over the year 1885 Of 1904, 600 coo, or
l.
expectation show q marked increase for
years. Corn for the first time passes
the 200 Geo coo busheI line in the calendar
Wheat shows q round total Of $50 coo. 900
bushels, against 10 100000 bushels last
ynIle the value exported in 1898 exceeds
$50. 600 eco against less than 100 600, 500 in
more than double those of 1896
1t would weary you 70 tell you to Just
W nile the large majority has gone to Eu-
most ali countries. and to the Isles Of the
but Z few years Will eIapse before our
American products viii be found in the
led country in the Void As I Rave
shown. you IN the beginning, a little over
three-fOurths OF our exports are from the
farm Hence, the pros erity OF the farm
ers- I may add. therefore. the prosperity
of all classes Of business.
The profit Of any business IS what is
% the farmer Is in what he has TO sell
after all living and incidental expenses Of
the farm are paid The states east Of
the Mississippi river are denseIy pOpu-
lated rural districts. consume nearly all
the agricultural products OF those states
country has broad fields. large orchards.
population, and With immense productions
mas z Large surplus TO sell OF the eight
products exported in 1885 the trarsrafSsis
sippi country furnished 4 much larger per
GEIlL Eld1 STATES east OF CQaC IllS. 1t Is
noticed and remarked by people from the
east that the western farmer seems much
more prosperous than the eastern farmer.
In May. 1897, the deposits in banks Of
the three states OF Kansas Nebraska and
Colorado and the territory of Oklahoma
states and territory. $50. 0O0 600. Increase
OF 13 per cent The Increase in 1899 over
1888 viii exceed the increase OF 1898 over
1897
I have no statistics as TO other por-
uOuS OF the Cra1Su1SS1SSlppl country. but
II IS fair TO presume that they have done
as well as the states named Add 20 the
large increase in bank deposits and the re-
ducC1Ou OF the public and private debts,
II makes 4 wonderful showing of increase
in wealth and development in 4 country,
a large part of which was. but a genera
ton ago, said TO be tit only for the habi
ratiou of the Indian and the buffalo. All
OF this prosp eriCy comes, directly or iudi-
rectIy, from the soil
There are no clouds in the sky TO
threaten our prosperity Texas is ship
ping cotton by the train load by way Of
San Diego to the far east Mexico is
rapidly becoming Americanized and de-
handing our products The breadstuffs
ket in the Orient The tramp no longer
haunts our back door begging for bread.
and every day We see notices that the
wages Of the w0rkinEmeu are being rails
Cuban and Philippine waters. our uer-
chant marine viii not have 10 scramble
10 get under neutral flags. as il did etgh-
teen months ago on threats Of war by a
nfCh-rate nation
IN case war does come. all the govern
meut needs to do IS to call Fred Fun
stOu and the trausrnississippi soldiers. and
the victory will be obtained with ueatness
and dispatch"