The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-08-23
Cuts Both Ways.

rave you not right TO inquire why II
has gone up? Suppose you want TO buy
oil Haven't you a right to inquire why
1t has gone up?-W. J. Bryan at Lincoln.
We welcome this familiar note Of the
refrain that Mr.. Bryan sings, for it
enables us to ask him and those who
think of supporting him a few ques-
tons. The first one is. how does this
position fit with the one taken four
years ago? Then Mr.. Bryan asked with
wearisome monotony not why prices
had gone up. but why they had gone
down. Low prices, which then pre-
vailed. he took for the symbol of pow
erty and Industrial distress. He ex-
planned them by the existence Of the
gold standard He said, thousands of
times. with all the emphasis at his
command, that they would always re-
main low until we had free coinage Of
silver. High prices which he then rep
resented as the sign and proof of pros
perity, he told every audience could
never come again without 10 to 1. II he
was wrong - utterly and ridiculously
wrong-then, what probability is there
that he Is right now? And what has
happened to make low prices a crime
In 1896 and high prices crime in 1900?
Another question is, why did Mr..
Bryan limit his enumeration Of in
creased prices to barb wire and kero-
sene oil? There are other things that
have gone up We want the voter to
ask himself and we ask Mr.. Bryan and
every supporter of his why prices Of
farm products have increased. In the
Post-Tntelligencer of Wednesday APP
peared special dispatch from Colfax.
containing some most instructive in
formation. Here Is an extract from II:
Farmers are receiving 1850 per ton for
timothy hay, delivered at the railroad sta
ton. and the price Is expected to advance
In the near future. At this price timothy
is one OF the most profitable crops East
ern Washington farmers can raise, and a
large acreage will be grown in the future.
All kinds OF feedstuffs. fruits and live
stock find ready sale In Seattle, at prices
higher than have heretofore prevailed.
During the past year hundreds of
draft horses have been bought In Whit
man county and shipped to Seattle, and
the prices paid for these were from 50 to
100 per cent. higher than had been received
for several years. In fact the prices had
been so low for years that farmers had
abandoned the raising OF horses almost
entirely. The opening of markets in
Alaska and the Far, East created such a
demand for horses that tho industry
has been revived. ard during the past
eighteen months II Is estimated that sio0-
600 has been paid TO Whitman county
farmers for horses which were shipped TO
Seattle
Mr. Bryan says that the trusts have
put up prices. Who are the directors
OF the timothy hay trust? II you ask
for the address OF the horse trust you
win get horse laugh. But these facts
are very real and vital 10 the farmers
OF Eastern Washington. to the farmers
OF the whole United States. with the
exception OF wheat, there Is no farm
product In the rich Palouse country
that Is not bringing higher prices than
for many years. Is il the trusts that
aid thlss II so. the farmers win vote
FOR more trusts one thing is certain;
&, was not free silver which Mr.. Bryan
prescribed as the only remedy four
years ago. and which he promises 20
recommend to congress At once. " he
should be elected this year. Here are
more detailed facts from the same re-
port:
4 comparison 81 prices prevailing here
-four wears aEo ana now gives some idea
81 The reasons farmers have for rejoicing
over the changed conditions In fscE 4
good COW sold for from si4 70 SIS A three
year-o1d steer hrough, $50 Hogs were
worth about cents per pound on the foot
Sheep and WCai were not worth the cost Of
production, Good workharyes were A drug
on the market az FROM 80 "a 81. the latter
price hgying tbs very best. Everything
the farmer produced sold for uroporfiagl-
ate prices, and there was little demand
Naw cows bring from 81 10 50 steers
are worth from SSS 80 s45. HOGS are IN BE-
yaand AZ ; censs per poand sheep and
w0oi are woTth more than twice the
prices prevailing four years ago. and a
good draft horse sells readily for from
Ns8 To BIS, ana ali other farm products
bat wheat Show pr0portiorate advance IN
both price and demand.
Mr.. Bryan's question cuts both ways.
The farmer has right 20 know why the
prices Of his commodities have gone
up He ought to understand the causes
Of this Srateful and deserved prosper
it's. His products sell for more than
they did four years ago for three prfu-
cspaa reasons. First. the Republican
party by providing an adequate proteo-
tive tariff has given aim the home mar
ket 1t furnishes the workingman with
profitable employment and enables him
to buy literally; and II is only when