Idaho Springs siftings., 1904-09-17
Effect of Republican Policies in the Corn Belt
and Wheat Growing States.
VALUE OF LANDS GREATLY INCREASED
Prices of Cereals in Lean and Eat" Years
Market Demand Affected by Action of Ma
tionai Administration-Rs in Values.

II has been quite customary for Dem
ecratie writers and speakers 10 attribute
tbs extraordinary prosperity Of the last
eight years 10 Providence, and to deny
that the Republican party could be espe-
eialy allied with Providence.
In answer 20 this contention President
Roosevelt. ln one Of his campaign
speeches In 1900. made the witty remark
that the Democratic party had fused
with ab0Gt everything except ProFi-
dencer
In relation 20 the remarkable increase
in the agricultural prosperity OF the
United States durlug the years Of Re
publican rule suh--qneut 10 the last
Democratic administration QSJa lS3Il-
/, Is the Democratic policy to sneerlugly
ask IL the Republican party produced the
bonntiful crops. or had anything to do
with the ar0uEhts. the rust, or other in=
fuenees hslHsEiy affecting the prices Of
commodities the farmer had 20 sell.
Such snesr!us remarks. however. can
not suppress the fact that while there
have been many yiclssitndes during the
last eight years in crop conditions. yet
there has all this time been 4 more or
less steady and big Increase in the cash
income from American farms.
winds and drought. there was a lean
year in corn. and yet the farmers OF the
Unitcd States got Sg3i .JJj. T6s for theiE
corn OF thai Republican year as against
SIDl. .eOG .gGT Tor fhcir corn OF the Dem
ocrntie year lssl6. which was = "fat
year" as regards naturally splendid
crop conditions. but 4 lean year indeed.
q. regards prices. The Republican year
1901 was thus a year In which prosper
lty for the Corn Belt farmers was pre-
served, despite great natural disaster
20 the corn crop. while the Democratic
year 1896 was year 10 which there was
no prosperity Ia the Corn Belt despite
the especially boautifgl s!zs OF the corn
crop.
Dollar wheat ". rlfty Centwheat.
AT THE PRESENT WHITING
THE CASH PRICE OF WHEAT AT
CHICAGO rs ABOUT si.1O In Au-
gust. 1908. IL was 1Tit 20 50i1 cents;
In August, 1902. IL was Gsi. TO 20 cents;
In August. 1901. It was G6H. to II cents;
In August, 1900. II was Tia. to 1Gh
cents: in August, is91. ii was 60 IA "a y
cents: in August, 1898. ii was G5is to
75 cents: In August, 1897. 1t was 5JA
to si0T: In August. 1881. IL was - T.
e3M cents: In August. 1895. il was JsS.
20 ~ cents: IN AUGUST. 1891. 1T
WAS 5iia TO 5sl4 CENTS.
AT PRESENT WRITING THE
CASH PRICE or CORN AT CHI
CAGo Is 81 CENTS. In August, 1908.
II was 5Ois to 80 cents: Ia August. 1892.
1, was 30 TO go cents; in August. 1901.
IL was 53=. 10 5Tis cents: in August.
1900. II was 3Ti. to 4iA cents; in Au-
gust. 1890. 1t was 3OIs 10 % ceuts: IN
August. 1855, Il was 299, to 33s. cents:
In August. 1897. Il was 26is - ass-
cents; IN AUGUST. 1896. 1T WAS
2oi5 TO - CENTS.
Yard stick of Republican Pro.peritv.
The general drift of these price fis.
ures. covering a period Of about eight
years, has been Of course significant uut
merely OF the size OF the crops Of these
particular years. but Of the general
steady Increase in market demand.
Wheat is not only "staT Of life" but
f. ia also, a regards its consumption.
yard stick Of national progress The
more people advance in civilization aud
In prosperity the more wheat -four viii
they consume. The present great awaS-
ening amongst the Oriental races is syn
chrouaus with the Development o. an
enormous trade ia FaCfic Coast wheat
four through the .apcn door % these na-
tions % the Orient
In the case Of corn Il is certainly n
fact worthy of much attentive interest.
tha; despite the high prices Ter cora dur
Ing the last three years, the demand eveu
at these high prices has no; ahated- And
Notwithstanding We seem likely TO have
this year crop Of 2.5oDO00.00O bush
els. corn is now about j6 cents per
bushel at Chicago. In 1896 the total
crop was 2,2s2,s7j iG5 bushels. but the
price in August ot that year was 2Oi2
TO - cents at Chicaso-not half what
II Is now,
Per Capita Consumption Of Wheat
Increases.
The Republican policy % building NJ
the manufactures Of the United States
of placing the factory hesIue the farm
accounts for the broader and better
market the farmer during the last eight
years has been steadily getting for bis
products This IS noticeable IN the case
of practically everything be has 70 sell
increasing consumption making prices
relatively better no matter what the size
of his crops.
Figures Of the Bureau OF Statistics
show that tine 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
sumpsion in total and per capita In each
fiscal year from 1870 to and including
1901:
Wheat and wheat nour retained FOR
home consumption:
Fiscal Total Per Capita
Year. Bushels Bushels
1870 :. ... 3sf .129 533 60a
.....a A