The Springfield herald., 1904-09-16

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
/ that the Democratic party had fused
with about everything except Provi-
dence."
In relation to the remarkable increase
in the agricultural prosperity of tho
United States during the years Of Re
publican rule subsequent to the last
Democratic administration 1S93- 1S9I,
Il is the Democratic policy to sneeringly
ask il the Republican party produced the
bountiful crops, or had anything to do
with the droughts. the rust, or other in
huences bullishy 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 vicisstudes during the
last eight years in crop conditions. yet
there has all this time been more or
less steady and big increase in the casl,
income from American farms.
In 1901, for instance. owing to hot
winds and drought. there was lean
year in corn and yet the farmers of the
United States got S021 1,555, 76S for their
corn of that Republican year as against
$491, ,OO6,967 for their corn Of the Dem
ocratic year 1896, which was fat
year." as regards naturally splendid
crop conditions. but n lean year indeed,
as regards prices. The Republican year
1901 was thus n year in which prosper
ity for the Corn Belt farmers was pre-
to the corn crop. while the Democratic
year 1896 was year in which there was
no prosperity in the Corn Belt despite
the especially bountiful size Of the coru
crop.
Dollar Wheat w. Fifty Centwheat.
AT THE PRESENT WRITING
THE CASH PRICE OF WHEAT AT
CHICAGO is ABOUT sl.l0. In Au.
gust, 1908, it was TN to 9OA cents
in August. 1902 it was 6SA to 16 cents
in August, 1901 it was 664s to II cents
in August, 1900. it was 71% to 76H
cents; in August, 1899, it was 60 to 74h
cents; in August, 1898. it was 651a td
rs cents; in August, 1897. it was 75A
to $1.07; in August. 1885, 1t was 53 to
63h cents; in August, 1905. it was 5S&
to 72 cents; IN AUGUST, 1894, IT
WAS 51h TO 5Sh CENTS.
IL
CASH PRICE OF CORN AT CHI.
CAGO is SO CENTS. In August, 1903,
1t was 50K to 53 cents; in August, 1902.
it was so to 60 cents; in August, 1901.
il was 53H to 5I1a cents; in August,
1900, it was 37A to AK cents; in Au-
gust, 1899, it was 3Oh to 33 cents; in
August, 1903, it was 20M to 33A cents:
in August, 1897. it was 26M to 32%
cents; IN AUGUST. 1896, 1T WAS
2O1a TO 25 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, as regards its consumption.
yard-stick of national progress. The
more people advance In civilization and
in prosperity the more wheat -four will
they consume. The present great awak-
chronous with the development of nm
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
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 likely to have
this year a crop of 2.5OO,OOO,OOO bush
els, corn is now about SO cents per
bushel at Chicago. In 1896 the total
crop was 2.2S2. .875, ,165 bushels. but the
price in August OF that year was 2OH
to 25 cents at Chicago-not half what
1t Is now
Per Capita Consu m ption of Wheat
Increases.
The Republican policy of building up
the manufactures of the United States
of placing the factory besiue the farm
accounts for the broader and better
market the farmer during the last eight
yenrs has been steadily getting for his
products. This is noticeable in the case
of practically everything lie 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 tn"
United States in the fiscal year 1904
was the largest in the history of the
country. The table which follows shows
the quantity of wheat retained for con-
sumption in total and per capita in each
fiscal year from 1890 to and including
1904:
Wheat and wheat -four retained for
home consumption:
Fiscal Total Per Capita
I