The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1906-04-06
FARMERS ARE PLUNDERED,
Republicans and Trusts Make an
Effort TO Protect Themselves
Necessary.

when consumers can buy farm prod.
ucts Is The latest contribution to tho
great combines and corporations The
American Society OF Equity, an or.
ganiEatlOn with headquarters in In.
dianapolis. with a membership, it Is
claimed. Of 100000 farmers, has called
upon its members and others inter
ested to refrain from selling their
products until the prices offered are
up TO the level that has been decided
as equitable bv the officers of that or.
ganilation. No wheat Is to be sold
for less than one dollar bushcl and
/ corn and other farm products in pro
/ portion.
/ This effort Of the farmers to pro.
/ tect themselves 80 as to Offset the
! high prices Of what they have to buy
from the tariff protected trusts, it Is
TO be feared Is hardly possible OF
/ achievement Unlike the producer Of
/ 'arInprotoctcd trust products. the
farmers have no monopoly to support
their demands The trusts ana com.
bin,8 can raise the price Of their prod.
net to the point whore foreign prod
unts can come in anl compete with
them. but N" farmers must sell their
wheat and corn at the price tho worlds
markets offer. unless like the trusts
la0y can restrict production to the
amount that the American people can
consume To restrict the production
2f wheat or corn would be hardly pos
sibl" il all the farmers were mem
beers OF the Society Of Equity. and Il
'bo officials OF that organization are
h'tcd to lead such q movement. they
must know how imp03 iblo it is to
restrict production to the lint, that
would supply th" people Of the United
States ana leave NJ surplus to sall
abroad
In 1905 tie wheat crop hero was
short and we virtually had no sur
plus AMI the price advanced beyond
'h" relative price abroad The CROP
~ 1908 was a bumper one. ana We
have large surplus to dispose Of. and
our only customers for this surplus
are to be found in foreign markets
In competition with the other countries |
that raise a surplus Tho price Of
wheat in orr home market has there
fore declined 70 shipping basl s-tha |
Is the Liverpool price less the cost OF |
shipment This reduction in the price |
" the wheat sol abroad affects the |
price Of the wheat sold here. because /.
II IS impos-ihl" To have two prices ol |
wheat. one pri"o for export ana an.
other price for home consumption
Tho tarin.protectod trusts have the |
great advantage Of being able 10 sell |
at two prices, a high price At home
and a lesser price I'm forcign conn. |
tries Tho tariff rates of 20 10 IL |
por cent. on trust productions prevent |
tho foreigners from sending thciI
goods here AMI uudCrsolling the trust .
prices. In; the farmers have no such |
protection because they raise 50 murl .
NOR" than can be consumed here that |
although there Is a tariff duty Of -
cents n hushc, on wheat Il Is inopera
tive for mono is imported and II any
one was foolish enough to import for
eign wheat no one here would huy
n at - cents % bushcl premium Over
tie market price It is so with all
farm products except 70 a limited cx
tent on sn"1r rice and one kind OF
tobacco. known as Connecticut soet
wrappers the quantity Of which that
is raised Is very rrjnnr
II the Society Of Equity would turn
the attention Of its members to the
protective tariff ana show them how
the trusts are protected In pwndcrine
the farmers ana everyone else who
buys their products. ana advise them
to vote only for those candidates for
congress who are pledged to vote Il
revise the tariff, They would save the
farmers considerable in the cost OF
living What the farmer needs is the
IRE" and uutrammcIed right to sell
In the dearest market ami buy In the
cheapest.
The fallacy Of tn" boosted prosperi
y Of the farmers under the present
protective system Is shown. by this
futile effort OF the Society Of Equity
10 De bHt the pratinE OF the Repub |
lIcan politicians to bolster M the
political combination. for mutual ad
that exists between them
selves and the trusts The trusts md
combines protected by the tariff have
raised the price Of their products and
pay the politicians a percentage for
funds to keep up the cry
" protecting home industries and the
farmers are the principal contributors
% this fund that keeps them as the
;erfs of the trust barons.
There Is no royal road to wealth
Except through monopoly or special
privilege and the trusts and financial
importers Of the Republican party
ave monopolI2cd these to the exclu
ion OF thc farmers and p,oot o.L,.