The Teton peak., 1904-09-15
Effect Of Republican PJIicies 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
tonaI Administration-Rse in Values

!, has heea quite customary for Dem
,cr,tie writer's and speakers to attribute
ths extraordinary prosperity Of the last
.irht Years TO Providence and TO deny
tb,t the Republican party could be espe-
cislly allied with Providence.
In answer to this contention President
Roosevelt in one of his campaign
,neeohes 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 the
United States during the years Of Re
ouhican rule subsequent to the last
democratic administration (1S93- 1890,
II 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
ouences 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 vicisstudes during the
Inst eight years in crop conditions, yet
there has all this time been a 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 lean
year in corn, and yet the farmers Of the
United States got 1921, 1,555, 76S for their
corn of that Republican year as against
G491 .006,967 for their corn of the Dem
ocratic year 1896, which was a "fat
year." as regards naturally splendid
crop conditions, but lean year indeed,
as regards prices. The Republican year
1901 was thus a year in which prosper
lty for the Corn Belt farmers was pre-
served, despite a great natural disaster
to the corn crop, while the Democratic
year 1896 was a year in which there was
no prosperity in the Corn Belt despite
the especially bountiful size Of the corn
crop.
Dollar Wheat vs.. Fifty Centwheat.
AT THE PRESENT WRITING
THE CASH PRICE OF WHEAT AT
CHICAGO is ABOUT $1.1O. In Au-
gust, 1908, it was TN to 9OA cents
In August. 1902, it was 6SH to rs cents
In August, 1901, it was 665s to II cents
In August 1900, sit was 71% to 76A
cents; in August, 1899. it was 90 to 74H5
cents; in August, 1898. 1t was 6512 tc
rs cents; in August, 1897, it was 75H
to SLOT; in August, 1896, it was SO tC
631s cents; in August, 1895. it was 5S%i
to 72 cents; IN AUGUST, 1894, II
WAS Sly TO 5Sh CENTS.
AT PRESENT WRITING THE
CASH PRICE OF CORN AT CHI
CAGO is SO CENTS. In August, 1908
It was 5O1a to So cents: in August, 1902
It was so to 60 cents; in August, 1901
tn in ncf
1900. it was BIZ to AN cents; in Au
gust, 1893, it was 3Oh to 33 cents; il
August 1S9S. it was 20M to 33% cents
cents; IN AUGUST. 1896, 1T WAS
201a TO 25 CENTS.
Yard stick of Republican Prosperity
The general drift of these price fig
ares covering a period Of about eigh
years, has been of course significant no
merely of the size of the crops Of thes
particular years, but Of the genera
steady increase in market demand
Wheat Is not only "staff Of life," bu
is also, as regards its consumption.
yard-stick Of national progress. TIL
more people advance in civilization an
In prosperity the more wheat -four vii
they consume. The present great awak
sning amongst the Oriental races is syn
ehronous with the development OF a
enormous trade in Pacific Coast whea
aour through the "open door" to these M
lions Of the Orient.
In the case of corn II II certainly
fact worthy Of much attentive interest
chat despite the high prices for corn dal
Ing the last three years, the demand eve
At these high prices has not abated. An
Notwithstanding we seem likely to hav
snis year a crop Of 2.5O0,O0Oy 900 busf
els, corn h now about 90 cents pc
sushel at Chicago. In 1895 the tots
crop was 2,282, 1875, 1876 bushels, but th
price In August of that year was POI
% 70 cents At Chicago-not half whs
It Is now!
Per Capita co.su n ption Of Whsa
Increases.
The Republican policy Of building q
'ne manufactures Of the United States
ef placing the factory beslue the farm
accounts for the broader and bette
market the farmer during the last eigt
years has been steadily getting for hi
products. This Is noticeable In the cas-
ef practically everything he has to Sc
increasing consumption making price
relatively better no matter what the siz
ei his crops.
Figures Of the Bureau Of Statistic
snow that the wheat consumption Of tn
united States in the fiscal year 100
was the largest in the history of tn
country. The table which follows show
Me quantity of wheat retained for col
ssumption in total and per capita in eac
,Sc. IScal year from 1890 to and includin
Wheat and wheat -four retained K
aome consumption:
rlscl Total Per Capt.
lear. Bushels. Bushel
1Sg0 200 q q