Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1904-09-14
Effect of Republican Policies in the Corn Belt
and Wheat Growing States.
VALUE OF LANDS GREATLY INCREASED
Prices OF Cereals in Lean and "Fat" Years
Market Demand Affected by Action of Ma
tionaI Administraton-Ris in Values

1t has been quite Customary for Dem
ocratic writer's and speakers to attribute
the extraordinary prosperity of the last
eight years to Providence, and to deny
that the Republican party could be espe-
cially allied with Providence.
In answer to this contention President
Roosevelt, in one of his campaign
speeches in 1900, made the witty remark
mat the Democratic party had fused
with about everything except Provi-
dence."
In relation to the remarkable increase
in the agricultural prosperity of the
United States during the years of Re-
publican rule subsequent to the last
Democratic administration 1S93-1S90,
Il is the Democratic policy to sneeringly
ask if the Republican party produced the
bountiful crops. or had anything to do
with the droughts, the rust, or other in
iiuences bullishly affecting the prices of
commodities the FARMER had to sell
Such sneering remarks however, can
not suppress the fact that while there
have been many vicissitudes during the
last eight years in crop conditions. yet
there has all this lime been more or
less steady and big increase in the cash
income from American farms.
In 1901, for instance, owing to hot
winds and drought, there was a lean
year in corn, and yet the farmers of the
United States got 1921 300, 76S for their
corn of that Republican year as against
$491, 006,967 for their corn of the Dem
ocratic year 1896, which was a "fat
year." as regards naturally splendid
crop conditions, but n lean year indeed,
as regards prices. The Republican year
1901 was thus a year in which prosper
ity for the Corn Belt farmers was pre-
served, despite great natural disaster
to the corn crop, while the Democratic
year 1896 was a year in W b:oh there was
no prosperity in the Corn Belt despite
the especially bountiful size Of the corn
crop.
Dollar Wheat VS.. Fifty Cent Wheat.
AT THE PRESENT WRITING
THE CASH PRICE OF WHEAT AT
CHICAGO Is ABOUT S110. In Au-
gust, 1903, it was 77A to 9OA cents;
i'll August, 1902 it was GSA to 76 cents;
in August, 1901, it was 669s to a cents;
in August, 1900, it was 71% to 1914
cents; in August, 1899, it was 60 to 7412
cents in August, 1898, it was Gj1a to
20 cents; in August, 1897, it was 1914
" FAsOAs ~ NAuSholI iCV''S IL was c'P ~
63B cents; in August, 1895. it was 5S%
to y cents; IN AUGUST, 1894, IT
WAS sig TO 5S1a CENTS.
AT PRESENT WRITING THE
CASH PRICE OF CORN AT CHI
CAGO Is 56 CENTS. In August, 1908.
it was 5015 to So cents; in August, 1902.
it was 80 to 90 cents; in August, 1901,
it was 53M to 57115 cents; in A. gust,
o=1L 70 in An
gust. 1899, it was 30h to SO cents; in
August 1898, it was 29at to 1894 cents;
in August, 1897, it was 261s to 325S
cents; IN AUGUST, 1896 IT WAS
2012 TO 20 CENTS.
Yard Stick of Republican Prosperity.
The general drift of these price fig
ures, covering a period of about eight
years, has been of course significant not
merely of the size of the crops Of these
particular years, but of the general
steady increase in market demand.
Wheat is not only ''staff of life" but
it is also, rs regards its consumption, a
yard-stick of national progress. The
more people advance in civilization and
in prosperity the more wheat flour will
they consume The present great awak-
ening amongst the Oriental races is syn
chronous with the development of an
enormous trade in Pacific Coast wheat
flour through the open door" to these ma
tions of the Orient.
In the case of corn it is certainly a
fact worthy of much attentive interest,
that despite the high prices for corn dur
ing the last three years, the demand even
at these high prices has not abated. And
notwithstanding we seem likel. to have
this year a crop of 2.5000000o0 bush
els, corn is now about SO cents per
bushel Mt Chicago. In 1896 the total
crop was 2,2S2, S75. 1G5 bushels but the
price in August of that year was 201a |
to - cents at Chieago-not half what
it is now
Per Capita Consum ptiou of Wheat |
Increases.
The Republican policy Of building up |
the manufactures of the United States
of placing the factory beside the farm
accounts for the broader and better |
market the farmer during The last eight |
years has been steadily getting for his |
products. This is noticeable in the case |
of practically everything he has TO sell /
increasing consumption making prices |
relatively better no matter what the size |
of his crops.
Figures Of the Bureau of Statistics |
show that the wheat consumption of the |
United States in the fiscal year 1904 |
was the largest in the history of the |
country The table which follows shows |
the dnantity of wheat retained for con |
sumption in total and per capita in each |
fiscal year from 1890 70 and including |
1904:
Wheat and wheat -four retained for |