The Washington weekly post., 1900-09-18

ing OF the decrease then amounting 10
more than 50o1e tc1s 4 month Dun's re-
port Of july 2 stated that the voo.eu
mills vere running ~ less than half their
capacity, and even recently the cotton
manufacturers have been threatening TO
either reduce wages or shut down tempo
rarily- According 10 Dun's report the
business failures have been greater during
each month Of 1910 than they were during
the saEla months OF last year, and this
occurs "a the midst CT good crops. and
when two wars are in progress
TrHst. aHa srbitrary Fluctuations.
The contractor can figure with some ac-
euracy so long as natural laws control.
but he cannot protect himself against the
arbitrary fluctuations. which are not only
possible but probable when a monopoly
controls the market.
The farmer is enc OF the most ifnpor-
tant factors In our national life Some
one has said TO him: The hand that
guides the piowshare feeds the world.
He Is not a stockholder In any Of the
trusts. but he fees the extorfiou prac-
ueed by them all I am not farming on a
large scale. but the misleading reports
which have been circulated concerning
my cat crop justify ms in making ref
erenee TO my own experience. The New
York Tribune recently printed a dispatch
from Nebraska TO the effect that had
just sold forty-eight hundred bushels Of
oats at 30 cents per bushel supposed to
be the yield of 10 acresl. ana that the
amount received for the oats was more
than double the price paid for the land.
The Tribune article then proceeded to
dilate upon the prosperity Of the farmer,
using my experience as an illustration.
and asserted that the farmers OF Nebras-
Ia were becoming 50 opUIent that they
were Joining the Republican party. The
facts are: First, that had FIVE acres Of
oats instead of I'D acres: second, that the
oats have not yet been thrashed, so that
the yield is not known; third, that oats
are selling for less than 2 cents in Chi
cago, instead of 30 cents n Nebraska, and,
Fourth. that the land upon which the oats
We're raised cost me over 500 an acre in
stead OF y; II, when thrashed. my oats
Yield forty bushels to the acre and I sell
them in Nebraska for % cents per bushel
ne total income from the five acres will
De "a or less than per cent. on the in
Festment After taking out the cost OF
p-owing, sowing, harvesting. and thrash
!ns, lhe net income frCm that fye-acre
tract VIII not exceed { pen cent on the
money invested. / DO not mean 10 judge
otnefs oy my own experience. but / men,
llon the facts In this case 10 show how the
Republican papers eXaggerate the farm
ers prosperity, and credit a Republican
with good crops. making
no allowance for the crop failures which
occur from time TO time.
Decline of Farm Products.
But while on the cat question let me
call attention to the statistics given IN
a Inv
According TO Henry CleWs & Co. the aver
age prices received by farmers for oats
during the seven years beginning wi
1893 and ending with 1899. were as follows:
1893. 29.4; 1894. "a; 1885. 1876: 1896, 1S7:
1897, 2l-2; 1898, 25.5; 1929, 2i9. According
TO these figures oats averaged q cents a
bushel during the four years Of Mr.. Cleve-
lands administration, and only "a cents
per bushel during the three years Of Mr..
Mckinley's administration-the present
year is not yet complete. but oats at the
present time are below the average.
According to the same authority the
average prices received by the farmers
for corn were as follows: 1893. S6.5: 1894.
45-7; 1925, $-4; 1896, 2l5 1897, 253; 1898, 2s.7;
1893, 1913, making an average of about
800 during the four years of Mr.. Cleve-
lands administration, and 2S.1 during the
three years Of Mr.. McKinley's administra-
tion-the fourth year is not yet complete,
but corn is at this time above the average
Wheat, according to the same authority.
brought 10 the farmers the following
prices: 1893. 53S; 1884. 491; 1885, 500; Is s,
i2.6; 1897, S0.s; 1895, So; 1899 58.4, showing
higher average during the last thr
years than during the four preceding-the
lourth year is not complete, but wheat
is now above the average.
According to the same authority cotton
planters received the following prices:
1888, 60s; 1894, 4.6; 1895, 759; 1886, &c; 1sy7,
80; 1898, 4.75; 1899, 7.5, showing a higher
average during the four years of Mr.
CleYelands administration than during
the three years OF Mr.. McKinley's admin
,stration-the fourth year is not yet COM
pleted, but cotton is now above the aver
age price.
Taking these four staples of agricul-
ture, II viii be seen that three out of four
have not on the average brought as much
return TO the farmer under the present
as under the previous ad-
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 nee /
essaries 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 OF. sugar. clothing. furni-
ture, &c. and in addition to these drains
upon his income he must meet an increase
In Federal taxation.
Let the parent calculate how long Il
will take a farmer 10 become independent
under present conditions; let him con-
trast the lot of the farmer with the lot
Of the man who profits by governmental
favoritism and grows rich BY the exploit /
alton Of his eountrymen through The in 1
strumentality of monopoly. and then let
him answer the question. ''Is the youns i
man. Absalom. safer" Has the farmers
son, or the farmer himself any reason /
for giving support to the Republican /
Next to the farmer in point OF num- !
oers and importance come the wage-earn- /
ers. What Is the trust doing 70 Increase
the wages. shorten the hours improve
the condition or protect the rights Of
The labor!ng man? Is his present prospect +
an inviting one? Is he receiving a fair .
share OF the proceeds Of his toll? And. II 4
not, why not7 Republicans assert that i
the working man has a "full dinner 4
pail ask, in the first place. whether /
full dinner pail Is ell that a laboring 1
garner 10 say that his thoughts are an
Irely centered upon his physical wsots 1
republican speakers and editors qssurne
hat the laboring man Is all stomach
They act upon the theory that he con-
plains only when he is hungry. and is (
happy whenever his hunger Is appeased.
The Full Dinner Pail.
II a. full dinner pail were the onlv thiny
desired, and II every laboring man had
'lenty 70 eat, IL would still be necessary
or the Republican party 10 show SOM
between Republican politics
ND the laboring mans food supply. II
'ountiful crops come 10 the farmer he
ioes not the0k a Republican administra-
ion. If famine abroad raises the price
# farm products here the farmer does not
hank the Republican party for bringing
he famine II an unexpected and an un-
'Iomised increase IN the gold supply gives
my respite from financial stringency. can
ne Republican party claim credit? THE
question is not whether the laboring man
s able 70 exist under present Conditions
,ut whether ne is enjoying his share of
~ blAg--nQS nT TA Trt- Z