St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1900-07-28
FARMERS AND TRUSTS.
How the Creations OF MckinIeyism
Have Increased Agricul-
turists' Burdens.

In speech delivered in the house
of representatives on the cd inst Con-
gresham Clayton. of Alabama. proved
by facts and figures that while trusts
have been the benefciarles of McKin-
ley prosperity farmers have been
its victims
The Year Book of the department
of agriculture for 1899, which has just
been issued, shows that the farm prod
ucts and farm animals in 1899, al
though vastly increased in quantity
since 1890. had fallen off in value to
the extent of $7o6. 6.9oa,971. This only
counts as farm products corn, wheat,
oats, barley, rye, buckWheat. pota-
toes hay and cotton. If the farm
products of 1899 had brought the same
prices as did the same products in
1890 they would have brought more
than they did by the sum of s2,e69,-
437,5s4.
The farmers raised /. .Df3 900, 600 more
bushels of produce in 1899 than they
did in 1890, and yet this produce was
worth $205 100000 less than was the
smaller crop of 1890. This only cal
culates the cereals.
The farmers of the United States
are paying more for all they consume
than they were when the present adj
ministration went into power on
March 4, 1897, and have lost during the
present administration nearly $1,000
100000 by the decline in prices of farm
products. In this calculation the sta
tistics of 1897, the nrst year of the
present administration, are used.
The wheat in the farmers hands in
1897 was valued at S42S. SAT. 121. The
wheat in the farmers hands in 1899
was valued at 1919, ,545, ,259. The farm
ers lost 500, 100000 in the value of
wheat alone, and yet the yield of
wheat was increased.
The value of the cotton crop in
1897 was $319, Loco, 900, and it had fallen
off $14,oo0.0o0 the next year, while
the crop of 1899 is not yet calculated.
The average price of wheat in 1897
was sos cents a bushel, while in 1899
it was only 5s.4 cents a bushel.
These are. the figures given by the
republican secretary of agriculture,
and it cannot be said that they were
concocted for democratic campaign
argument.
BY the decline in the price of their
products the farmers have lost S., ,GG0,-
100000 since McKinley's inauguration.
while in 1899 alone the prices of trust
purchased fabrics advanced 331-3 per
cent. simultaneously with eheapen-
ing of the things he raises to sell, the
things the farmer must buy become
dearer In control of both branches
of congress and of the executive de-
partment. it was within the power of
the republican party to lessen the
price of trust-made goods by repeal
ing. or authorizing the president to
suspend, the duties on similar inn
ported goods. But this power the par
ty did not exercise. 1t refrained be-
cause it wanted the pecuniary sup
port of the trusts in the ensuing
campaign, and If it crippled the trusts
by withdrawing the protection that
sustains them it would not have re-
CC1NCu II. hd tllCl y sIlIcA IL III III g sIiLC
trusts, it preferred to infict injus-
tice upon the farmers. to continue the
conditions which while forcing down
the things the farmer sells forces up
the things he must buy.
Nevertheless. after thus diseriminat-
ing against ,iin and in favor of the
combinatio that are dishonesty ap-
propriating the fruits of his labor, the
party will have the effrontery to ask
theX farmer for his vote The trusts
would not support the party if it had
legislatedt in the interests of the soil
tillers and against them, Why should
the farmer support the party when It
has legislate0 for the trusts and
against him? The trusts are pros
porous because they fundamentally
in rewarding their friends and pun
ishing their enemies. Farmers and
others, who unprotected, must sell
their labor or. the products of their
labor in open competition, can expe-
rience prosperity only by emulating
he trust example. IL they support
those who are despoiling them they
viii be robbed perennia1ly, and de-
serve to be robbed. They are a tre-
mendous power at the polls. II they
vote right the trusts will disappear
and the robbery cease.
f5FSt55 ~