The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1904-09-16
Effect Of Republican Policies in the Corn Belt
and Wheat Growing States.
VALUE OF LANDS GREATLY INCREASED
Prices Of Cereals in "lean" and Fiat Years
Market Demand Affected by Action Of Ma
tionaI Administration-Rise in Values.

III mas been quite customary LOT Lem
ocratic writer's and speakers TO attribute
the extraordinary prosperity of the last
eight years to Providence, and to deny
chat 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 Irovi-
lence.'
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 1S93-1S9I.
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 i'll
Auences 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 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 a lean
year in corn, and yet the farmers OF the
United States got 1921 $50, 1853 for their
corn of that Republican year as against
e491, OO6,967 for their corn Of the Dem
ocratic year 1896, which was a fat
year" as regards naturally splendid
crop conditions, but a lean year indeed,
a. regards prices. The Republican year
1901 was thus a year in which prosper
ity for the Corn Belt farmers was pre-
served, despite a great natural disaster
70 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 va. Fifty Cent Wheat.
AT THE PRESENT WRITING
THE CASH PRICE OF WHEAT AT
CHICAGO is ABOUT $1.1O. In Au-
gust, 1903, it was TN to 9OA cents;
In August, 1902, it was 6SA to 76 cents;
in August, 1901. it was 66bs to II cents;
in August, 1900. it was 71A to 1914
cents; in August, 1899. it was 60 to 74h
cents; in August. 1898. it was 65R to
Is cents; in August, 1897, it was 1914
to SLOT; in August, 1895. it was SO to
1915 cents; in August. 1895. it was 5SA
to Il cents; IN AUGUST, 1894, IT
WAS SLY TO 5Sb CENTS.
AT PRESENT WRITING THE
CASH PRICE OF CORN AT CHI
CAGO is Sc CENTS. In August, 1903,
1t was 5Oh to So cents; in August, 1902.
1t was so to 60 cents; in August, 1901,
!. was 53A to 571a cents: in August,
1000 - xroe C-h 20 All oopfc. IN n
gust, 1899. it was 3O12 to 80 cents; in
August, 1898, it was 23A to 1894 cents:
in August, 1897. it was 261a to 32M
2Oh TO % 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 a staff of life" but
It is also. as regards its consumption. a
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-
ening amongst the Oriental races is syn
chronous with the development of an
enormous trade in Pacific Coast wheat
-four through the ''open door" to these ma
lions 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 likely to have
this year a crop of $500, 100000 BUSH
els. corn is now about SO cents per
bushel at Chicago. In 1896 the total
crop was 2,2S2,S75, 165 bushels, but the
price in August of that year was 2Oh
to Is cents at Chicago-not half what
It is now!
increases.
The Republican policy of building up
the manufactures of the United States
Of placing the factory beslue 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 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 dour retained for
home consumption:
Fiscal Total Per Capita
Year. Bushels. Ruaho1a