The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1900-09-21

or less than eight per cent on the invest,
ment After taking out the cost of plow-
ing, sowing, harvesting and threshins the
net income from that Ave acre tract will
not exceed four per cent. on the money in
vested. | do not mean to judge others By
in this case to show how the republican pa
pers exaggerate the farmers prosperity
and am, credit % republican administration
with good crops making no allowance for
the crop failures which occur from time to
Decline OF Farm Products.
But while on the oat question let me
call attention to the statistics given in
the Investment Guide already referred to-
According to Henry Ciews & Co., the
average prices received by farmers for
with 1898. and ending with 1899. were as
follows: 1893, 29.4; 1894, 32.4: 1895, 1915:
1895 Isl; 1897. 21.2; 1898. 25.5; 1899. 24.s. Ac.
cording to these figures oats averag ged
70 cents bushel during the four years of
Mr.. Clevelands administration, and ONLY
"a cents per bushei during the three years
of Mr.. Mckinley's administration-the
present year is not yet complete, but
oats are at the present time below the
average.
According to the same authority the
average prices received by the farmers
Tor corn were as follows: 1898, 365; 1894
40. lS5, 1913; 1896. 215; 1897. 263; 1898,
2S.7; 1892 so.S making an average of about
500 during the four years of Mr.. Cleve-
lands administration, and 2S1 during the
three years of Mr.. McKinley's admlnis-
plete but corn is at this time above the
average.
Wheat. according to the same author
prices: 1893. 53S: 1894. 43.1; 1876. 5O9; 1896,
1916; 1897, sos; 1898, 5S.2; 1899, 5S.4, showing
higher average during the last three
years than during the four preceding-the
fourth year Is not complete, but wheat
Is now above the average. 80
According to the same authority cotton
planters received the following prices I:
1898. 600; 1894, as; 1895. 7.59: 1896, Sc, 1897.
SO; 1898, AIS; 1899, rs, showing a higher
average during the four years of Mr..
Clevelands administration than during
the three years of Mr.. McKinleys admin
tration--the fourth year Is not yet COM
plete but cotton is now above the aver
Taking these four staples of agrie..l-
ture, 1t will be seen that three out of four
have not on the average brought as much
return to the farmer, under the present
administration, as under the previous ad-
ministration. and the fourth product,
wheat. is more influenced than any other
farm product by foreign conditions.
Advance In Merchandise.
When. however, the farmer attempts
to use his income In the purchase of the
necessaries of life he finds that the trusts
have, raised prices. He must pay more
for lumber, nails, wire. harness, hard
ware, stoves and agricultural implements
More also for oil, sugar, clothing. furni-
ture, etc, and in addition to these drains
upon his income he must meet an increase
in federal taxation.
Let. the parent calculate how long 1t
will take farmer to become independent
under present conditions; let him con-
trast the lot of the farmer with the lot
of the man who profits by governmental
alton of his countrymen through the in
strumentality of monopoly, and then
let him answer the question: is the
farmers son. or the farmer himself. any
reason for giving support to the repub-
Next to the farmer in point of num-
bers and Importance come the wage earn
ers. What Is the trust doing to increase
the wages. shorten the hours, improve
the laboring man? Is his present prospect
an inviting one? Is he receiving a fair
share Of the proceeds Of his toll? And, If
not, why not? Republicans assert that
the. working man has full dinner
pail.' | ask, in the first place. whether
full dinner pail is all that laboring
man needs? 1t is an insult to the wage
Garner to say that his thoughts are en-
tirely centered upon his physical wants.
Republican editors and speakers assume
They act upon the theory that he COM
plains only when he is hungry, and is
happy whenever his hunger is appeased.
The Full Dinner Pail.
thing desired. and II every laboring man
had plenty to eat 1t would still be neces-
saIy for the republican party to show
cies ana Pee pD
.
II bountiful crops come to the farmer he
does not thank a republican administra-
tion; II famine abroad raises the price
not thank the republican party for bring
ing the famine. If an unexpected and an
unpromised increase in the gold. supply
gives any respite from financial strin-
gency, can the republican party claim
credit? The question is not whether
the laboring man Is able to exist under
present conditions. but whether he is en-
joying his share of the blessings of the
country and the protection of the gov
ernment. Compare the laboring man
fares the best at the hands OF the re-
publican party. Inquire also whether
the ia5Sr,ng mans an ,,n,c income mas increased
But even II every laboring man was
prosperous. and even II that prosperity
could be traced to republican legislation.
must look at political questions from the
citizens standpoint. He cannot afford
to barter away future security; he can
independence is being destroyed. Neither
can he be enticed into an imperialistic
tran. no matter how well the trap may
During the last campaign laboring men
were threatened with idleness by en-
ployers who desired to coerce them into
Many of them were told not to return to
work unless the republicans were sue
cessful at the polls. After the election
shops and others reduced wages. If ad-
vances have been made in any branch of
industry since 1896 remember that some
advance was necessary to compensate for
the reductions which occurred after the
last election"
At this point Mr.. Bryan touched
upon the coercive methods employed
by republicans in 1896, showing also
the oppressive tendencies of all mo-
nopolies. He mentioned also the dis
ordinations of railroads N favor oi
capital.
Appeal to Freemen.
whether this nation shall be looked
upon as a Lafayette, aiding others to OBJ
tain their freedom and enjoying their gratt-
tude, or as a Lord Give, fastening a hate
full sovereignty upon a weaker people and
receiving hatred in return, Is question
which you must help to decide. Let me bor-
row a story which has already been ap-
piled to the present situation. A man
passed along street of great city. un-
mindful of the merchandise piled on either
side; he sought out a bird store. and pur-
chasing a number of birds opened their
cages and allowed them to fly away. When
asked why he thus wasted his money he
replied: 4 was once captive myself. and
it gives me joy to be the means Of setting
.This nation has been a Iiberator. II