The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-04-13

With the opening of the present month,
the prospect presents itself to the farm
ers of Minnesota and of the entire North
west Of conditions more favorable to
abundant crops and liberal prices than
have prevailed for many years past.
The winter was unusually long. There
was an abundance of snow which, owing
TO the gradual thaw, has had ample OPP
portunity to sink into the SOIL In the
large cities of the country the masses
are realizing more general opportunities
for steady and lucrative employment than
has been the case for six years past. In
all lines of manufacturing industries
there is a plentitude of employment No
man need be idle who is willing to work
at reasona bic wages. There Is a greater
demand for labor than can be supplied:
and the standard of wages has increased
TO correspond with the increased demand
Many Of the most experienced and OBJ
servant of our business men have been
heard declaring that money was never
easier than during the period of depres-
sion which is just come to an end; and
they explain the circumstance by the
other statement, that the opportunities
for safe and profitable investment in pro-
ductive enterprise were so few that in
Vestment was attended by too much risk
for conservative holders of capital
These conditions are passing away.
We are opening markets at home and
abroad, both for our breadstuffs and
for our manufactured materials. We are
invading the markets of the old countries
with the produce of our farms, as we'll
as of our factories. The great dominion
OF the Orient is fast throwing its doors
open to US. The efforts which have been
made to induce a supine government to
take some rational steps to aid our mer-
chants to reach the vast markets which
are awaiting our development in China
and Japan will bear fruit before long.
Our public officials cannot longer ignore
an urgent and paramount duty. The
entire section of the Northwest from st.
Paul TO Seattle is destined to play ire
mendous part in the transcontinental
traffic of the country. East and West.
the produce of our farms will be going
q few months hence to feed the people
of the entire universe
Whatever grievances the people resident
in the cities and dependent Immediate
" on the fruits of their own toll may
have cannot be said to be shared In
by the farmer. He is master of the sit
uation. He is the arbiter of prosperity
or adversely for himself On his own in
dividual efforts he can subsist and
flourish with little reference to the COM
blrations that may exist The world
is at his feet. He cannot be deprived of
his employment. The fruits of that en-
ployment will always be ample to pro-
vide him with the necessaries of life in
any condition short of general famine
which is impossible In this prosperous
land.
Never before was the situation which
confronted him more comforting. A rich
and productive soil, unclouded skies n
climate so salubrious that disease thar
Is not the result OF inherited tendency or
of mans own misconduct Is now rarity
1t would be strange If under such con-
ditions the farmer of the Northwest wera
not measurably content and happy We
who do the work of the great centers of
commercial life look to him as the barom-
eter of our success or failure, of plenti-
tude or want. This year he will be oc-
cupylng this relation toward us In a
greater degree than before, since the
greater the measure of our prosperity the
greater is the demand which we must per-
force make upon him for the products
: of his Toll.