The Penn's Grove record., 1900-08-31
THE FARMER NOT PROsPER1NG
AZ Much as the Trusts.

mas 10 guy has 0dcSu pAtOO biiU
products Of his farm has not increased.
in so large a~proportion. VIM. ]. Bry-
an in his speech at Topeka, Kansas, ac-
cepting the nominations of the FOpulist
Party and the Monetary League review
ed this subject AS follows:
SIN 1896 the Populists united with
the Democrats in opposing the trusts.
althoughthe question at that time APP
peared like a cloud scarcely larger than
a mans hand. To-day that cloud well,
nigh overspreads the industrial sky.
The farmer does not participate in the
profits of any trust, but he sorely feels
the burden of them all. He is depend.
ent upon the seasons for his income.
When be plants bis crop he knows not
whether it will be blessed with rain or
blighted with drought; he knows not
whether wind will blow it down, or
hail destroy it, or insects dey0ur it.
and The price of his crop is as uncertain
as the quantity. If a private monopoly
can suspend production and fix the
price of raw material az well as the
price of the finished product the farm
Ell, powerless to protect himself when
he sells, is plundered when he purchase
es. Can any farmer hesitate to throw
the influence of his ballot upon the side
of those who desire to protect the pub
lie at large from monopolies?
1.-THE fact that the trusts support the
Republican party ought to be sufficient
proof that they expect protection from
1t. The Republican party cannot be
relied upon to extinguish the trusts SO
long as it draws its campaign cOntribu-
lions from their OVERLOOKING vaults.
1.-The prosperity argument which the
Republicans bring forward to answer
all complaints against the Administra-
tion will not deceive the farmer. He
knows that two factors enter into his
income-Iirst the size Of his crop. and
second, the price which he receives for
the same. He does not return thanks
to the party in power for favorable
weather and a bountiful harvest, and
he knows that the Republican party
has no policy which insures u perman-
ent increase in agricultural progress.
Since he sells his surplus in a foreign
market, he is not a beneficiary of the
tariff, and since he produces merchan-
disc and not money, he does not profit
by the appreciation of the dollar. He
knows that the much Wanted prosper
ity. of which he has never had his share,
is on the ware in spite of the unusual
and unnatural stimulation which it has
received during the last three years.
He knows that each month of 1900
shows a larger number Of failures than
the corresponding month Of 1899, aud
that there is already a marked tenden-
cy towards a decrease in the output of
the factories. He knows also that dis
c0verieS of gold, famines abroad, and
war on three continents have not been
able to raise the price of farm products
as rapidly as trusts and ions
have raised the price, gs
which the farmer buy
WANTS HIGHER
FARMRR
The opponents HAYS
it appear that we are I'M
we desire-c general ris5 ~ price and
yet oppose an arbitrary rise in protect
ed manufactures of trust-made goods.
There is nc conflict whatever between
these two propositions. If a general
rise in prices occurs because of a per-
manent increase in the volume of mon.
ey, all things adjust themselves to the
new level, and if the volume of money
then increases in proportion to the de-
mand for money the price level remains
the same and business can be done with
fairness to all. If, however, the rise is
arbitrary and only affects a part of the
products of labor, those whose products
do not participate in the rise suffer be-
cause the purchasing power of their in
come is decreased. If a bad monetary
system drags down The price of the
farmers products. while monopolies
raise the price of what he buys. he
burns the candle at both ends and must
expect to suffer in comparison with
those who belong to the classes more
favored by legislation.
MILITARISM FOLLOWS COLONIES.
"A colonial policy would SO occupy
the people with the consideration of
the nations foreign policy that domes-
tic questions would be- neglected. who
will haul down The ilag2' or Stand by
the President would be the prompt re-
Spouse to every criticism of the Admin.
istration, and corruption and special
privilege would thrive under the cover
of patriotism.
ut is not strange that the Populists
should oppose militarism and imperial
ism, for both are a~ntagonistic to the
principles which Populists apply to
other questions. Looking at questions
from the standpoint of the producer OF
wealth rather than from the standpoint
of the s%peculator, the Populist recog
nizes in m~ilitarism a constant and in
creasing burden. The army worm.
which occasionally destroys a field Of
wheat, is not nearly. so dangerous an
enemy to the farmer as \ large stand
ingsarmy, which ihvades e~very-field OF
industry and exacts toll from every
crop.
eff 10000 men are withdrawn from
the ranks of the producers ana placed
as a burden on the backs of those who
remain, it must mean longer hours.
harder work, ard greater sacrifices 70,