Newspapers / The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, … / May 5, 1891, edition 1 / Page 1
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'It A 1 y v Xi.A n 2i 1 INDUSTRIAL AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OF OUR PEOPLE : PARAMOUNT TO ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF STATE POLICY. RAJJEIGH, N. C, kAY 5, 1891. VoL 6. No. 11 "" " " " 0 1 ; CIRCULATION. The actual circulation of Volume V, which closed with the issue of . Febru ary 17th, 1891, was as follows: August 19,1800, 16,680 28, " a It 16,680 March 4, " 13.0110 Sept. it 16,800 16,800 17,040 16,800 17,280 17,040 17,280 17,280 17,280 17,280 17,730 17,760 17,760 18!) ia.240 1840 n. 10,560 10,5(50 18, " 25, " 1, " 8, " 15, " ) 41 29, " 6, " ' 13, " 20, " 10,' 17, -o 1 8, " l- " " ?., " 5. " 12, " 16, u 23, " 30, " 7, " 21, " 28, 4. " 11, 44 18, " 10,800 io,a 10,800 10,800 10,800 11,040 11,040 11,160 11,160 11,400 110 11,280 11,4(X) 11,400 11,400 11,53) 11,640 13,800 16,320 10,680 April Ottober Ma Nor. Jane 1ft, " 23. " 18,240 January 6, 1891, 1S,240 '20, " 18,240 27, " 1840 February 3, 14 18J240 " 10, " 18,240 17, 13,240 Second 6 months, 453,160 August, First 6 months, 307,080 Making a total circulation for the year of 765,240; averaging for 52 suc cessive issues, per issue, 14,71 6 and showing a net increase for the year of 5,400, or more than 113 per Veek. The above statement is taken from the records kept in "the office of The Progressive Farmer, and i i correct to the best of my knowledge and belief. J. W. Denmark, . Business Manager. I am Book-keeper for Edwards & Broughton, Printers and Binders, Ral eigh, N. C. The press-work on The Progressive Farmer has been done for the past three years by Edwards & Broughton, and I have kept account of the same. I have compared the above statement with the account I have kept, and find it tallies throughout, and is correct." T. J. Bashford. Personally appeared before me, W. T. Womble, Notary Public, J. W. Den mark, Business Manager "of The Pro gressive Farmer, als) T. J. Bashford, Book-keeper for Edwards & Broughton, and mike oath that the statements contained above are correct to the best of their knowledge and belief. In witness where if, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my notarial seal of office this day, February 26th, 1831. W. T. Womble, Notarial Seal "Notary Public. EDITORIAL NOTES. THE-letter of brother C. A. Phillips is a "clincher," and we would be glad if every weak-kneed Alliance member would read it. No man can be a true Alliance member, who would subordi nate the Alliance reform movement to any political organization. S. P. Chase said: 4My agency in procuring the passage of the National Banking Act was the greatest financial mistake of my life. It should be re pealed. But before this can be accom plished, the people will be arrayed on one side and the banks on the other in a contest such as we have never seen in this country." The Wflmington Messenger came out Sunday the 26th in a clean new dress which we think so much more becom ing than its former suit. We admire progress in the newspaper line as well as in anything else, and we are always pleased to see them put on -clothes of their own warp and woof. Success to the Messenger and the enterprising owners. We believe that the Railroad Com mission would have pleased the people of North Carolina mu ;h better, with out injuring the railroads, if they had reduced the passenger rates to 2 h cents for second class fare and three cents forlirst-class, instead of 2 and 31, re spectively, which they did reduce it to. There will be a great saving to the peo ple at this reduction, and we thank them for it. For the benefit of those who are so anxious to know whether the Alliance is in politics or not, we would say that the man in our organization wiio is not m politics is not a true member of our order. The Alliance members to-day are better informed about the political situation, and the causes of financial depression than any other class; but the education of the masses has, com paratively, just begun. Remember, though, we are in politics, just so far as it is necessary to secure by our bal lots men for our political offices, who are in perfect harmony with, and are interested in, our reform movement, and it cannot be expected that those will be choso who are not in accord with our demands, whenever we and our friends outside of the order are in the majority. Yes, every true Alli anceman is a politician and the majority-will rule. It is democracy. Capitalism is grasping and absorbing the homes and lands of free Americans. To see the workings of the system, just Fook over any part of this country and you will see hundreds of ruined homes and hear wails of distress on every side from myriads digging the ground and swinging hammer or needle in the sweat of agony to secure scant rations of -daily bread; while plutocracy is piling up untold millions in the vaults of the few under the injustice and wrong of a cruel and inhuman system. Exchange. . l' . Two hundred and fifty tons of gun powder exploded the other day near the city of Rome. Our attention had lately been called to the fact that the people at the head of the Italian gov ernment were not celebrated to any considerable extent for brilliancy of intellect. But we did notsuppose that any man could be found in the world who was big enough fool to pile up two hundred and fifty tons of gun powder in one place. If the fool-killer should happen to have nothing to do in Washington at this particular time, he might very properly be sent to Rome for a few months. TnE fellow who tries to make the people believe that the Sub-Treasury plan is unpopular with the people is throwing away his time and labor. The idea is growing, 'growing ; and it is, of all the demands of the Alliance, the leading and most important one. We believe we can safely say, that 95 per cent, of the Alliance members in the State are directly interested in it, and are in favor of it being made into a law. One thing about the demands is this-;', the more they are warred against by our "friends" the stronger our order becomes for them. Keep up the fight, gentlemen. The Wilmington Messenger, in its issue of April 26th, says: " The-New Orleans Cotton Exchange puts the crop of last year at 8,028,783 bales." This does not agree with the publica tion in many of our exchanges who are continually publishing statements that the crop rung from 8, 500, 000 to 9, 000, 000, and intimating that the farmer has acted very unwisely who has held his crop till now. They also seem to know that it will go much lower. Perhaps this may be true. But the farmer knows this much about the cotton crop. He knows that for the Dast twenty years the speculator has been buying his cotton in the fall and winter at a very low price, and he knows also that after the crop has gone out of his hands into the hands of these "shy locks" that the price goes up, and that he, the farmer, has lost the profits and the speculator has pocketed it. The farmer knowrs also that in 1889 cotton went down in the fall to 8 and 8 J cents, when he was compelled to sell,' but that in the spring of 1890 it went up to 12 and 12 J cents, thereby causing a nc t" loss to him of from $16 to $20 per bale, and a net gain for the speculator of that much. He knows also that the crop sold was a loss to the farmers of the South of not less than $60,000,000, and that they have been fleeced annually of from $10,000,000 to $f00, 000, 000. If those papers that insist on. publishing the crop statistics of the South would not exaggerate them, they might some times have an excuse for saying they wee friends to the farmer. A CORRECTION. The Chronicle was misinformed when it made the statement ; that when Mr. Ben. Terrell, an Alliance Lecturer, spoke at Statesville, Hon. W. M. Rob bins divided time with him ; that they discussed the Sub-Treasury, and after they had finished, Hon. A. Leazar was called upon and spoke against the Sub Treasury. The only truth in there port was that while Mr. Terrell was speaking, Mat. Robbins did ask him a question about the Sub-Treasury plan. And that is all there was about it. Mr. Leazar was not called upon, and did not -say a word. We regret that our informant caused us to make so great an error . We are thankful to theCTirontcZefor the above correction, as we had learned there was 'no truth in what was pub lished in regard to this matter, several days ago. We have waited patiently to see if this would be made. - We hope every paper that has published this, will correct. Brethren of the press, would it not be better for us to be sure that what we say is true! - ' FREE COINAGE OF SILVER. Mr. Editor: I notice that in your issue of March 10th a correspondent of your able and valued japer, W. M. Evans by name, has an article in which he takes a position against the free coinage of silver. Epitomized in the language of your editorial in -the issue of March 31, Mr. Evans seems to think that "the free coinage measures were started, and are being run, in the interests of the owners of the silver mines; and he seems to dread the effect of any measure that would allow the owners of silver to dispose of it at a price which is the exact measure of its value to the people as coin. , He wants, the government to buy-the silver from the owners of it at such a price as will enable it (the government) to make a large annual profit out of the mine owners." It "would seem that your correspon dent is unaware of the fact that the very advantages and benefits, he groundlessly fears would be accorded to the owners of silver mines, under a free coinage law;, are now actually acj, corded to England, under our present system, to the great detriment of the American cotton planter and wheat grower. India is fast becoming con verted into one vast wheat field and cotton plantation, and is growing to be a formidable competitor to the United States in the production of wheat and cotton. India is a single silver standard nation, and all products are sold and exchanged upon a silver basis. England, year after year, takes all our available uncoined silver prod 'uct, and much of that which is coined, all of course at its bullion or commodity value. Why? What does she want this silver for? Simply this: She buys in America silver bullion for 70- cents, (or did she has to pay 81 cents now), which bullion, when coined into Indian rupees, is worth one dollar. She thus obtains "Indian wheat and cotton at a cost o silver bullion (72-81 ct.) which is worth gold coin value or one dollar. On the basis of silver bullion cost she then proceeds 'to affix the price of wheat and cotton for the -world, and thus uses the degradation of American silver to bankrupt the American farmer. If by a free coinage law we should merge the community value into the money or coin value, England must henceforth exchange 25.8 grains in old, or its equivalent in commodi ties, for every 371.25 grains (fine) of silver she obtained in America, and the American farmer's wheat and cotton would at once become worth as much more than the present prices, as is the difference between the bullion and coin value of silver under the existingJaw. But perhaps there is no better way to answer Mr. Evans than by quoting the exhaustive array of statistics con tained in the able and masterly speech made in the United States Senate by Senator Jones, of Nevada. He says: But, Mr. President, the degree of special interest which the mining States have in this measure is not to be com pared with that of the other States of the Union. According to the report of the Direc tor of the mint, the total quantity of silver produced in the United States in the eleven years from 1878 to 1888 in clusive was 406,210,000 fine ounces. According to. the same authority the commercial value of that silver was $436,260,000, and the coinage value $525,145,000. A very simple process of arithmetic shows that the difference between the commercial and the coin age value of that'silver was $88,885,000, or an average of $8,080,544 each year. Assuming that amount to have been the annual difference between the coin -ago and commercial value of silver for the five years preceding 1878; we must add to the $88,885,000 the sum of $40,402,220, making a total of,$129,287, 220 as the amount which the silver mines, not of Nevada, but of the whole United States in the seventeen years ending 1889, lost by the demonetization f silver. Having thus demonstrated in -dollars and cents the degree of selfishness which, as is charged, is the motive of the miners in advocating the remoneti zation of silver, let us glance at the de gree of selfishness which may be said to impel other classes of the commun ity' to advocate the same cause. THE INTEREST OF THE NON-MINING STATES IN REMONETIZATION. The price of cotton for the year 1873, in gold or silver (then of equal power), was 16.4 cents per pound. The price in 1889 was 9.9 cents. The yield of. cotton for 1S89 was 7,000,000 bales, or 3,500,000,000 pounds. Had not silver been demonetized that cotton would have brought as good a price to-day as it did in 1873. At the price of 1873 the account would have stood 3,500,000,000 pounds, atl6.4cente, $574,000,000. " At the price of 1889 the account stands 3,500,000,000 poundsrat 9.9 cents, $345,500,000, showing a loss 'in debt-paying and tax-paying power on cotton alone (only one article of merchandise) in the single year 1S83, by reason of the fall in prices caused the demonetization .of silver, of $227, 500,000. '. Having shown that the loss to the silver miners by the discount on silver for the seventeen years from 1873 to 1889 was less than $130,000,000, it will be seen that the loss in one single year to the cotton planters of the United States is greater- by $90,000,000 than the total loss for the entire seventeen years to the' silver miners of the country. . But inasmuch as the cotton crop of 1S89 was exceptionally large, I will, for the purpose of my computation, " dis card it, and assume instead that an average yield for the years between 1873 to 1889 would be 5,000,000 bales per annum which is a fair average and by no means high 5,000,000 bales, of 500 pounds each, are equal to 2,500, 000,000 pounds. At the price of 1873 the result of each year would be 2,500,000,000 pounds, at 16.4 cents; $410,000,000. "t According to the figures given by the bureau of statistics the average price received each year of the seventeen was 13.1 cents per pound; 2,500 000,000 pounds, at 13.1 cents per pound, equal $327,000,000, showing a difference of $33,000,000 ; that being the average each separate year for seventeen years, or a total sum for the entire period of $1, 411,000,000, which represents the loss in debt and tax-paying, power suffered by the cotton planters by reason of the demonetization of silver. - Thw is the enormous tribute which has been exacted of the cotton industry of this country in behalf of the gold "standard," and of those who, for their own pecuniary advantage, cunningly induced the Congress of the United States to demonetize silver. This is the sum which the planters of the country have lost in debt-paying and tax-naying power by that mad act "of folly. As will be seen at a glance, it is a loss vastly in excess of that suffered by the silver States in the discount on the price of silver bullion. - So that, if the silver miners are taunted with having a personal interest in the success of the movement for the full remonetization of silver, the cotton planter must be placed in the same category, and with ten-fold' more reason. j A like computation - with regard to wheat will snow a loss in debt-paying and tax-paying power of not less than $100,000,000 a year to the farmers of the North and West, by reason of the demonetization of silver i total of , 700, 000, 000 in the article of wheat aiono in seventeen vears. - Thus a loss, wholly unnecessary, 'of more than $3,000,000,000 in debt-paying and tax-paying power is shown to have been inflicted on the farmers and cotton planters of this country. . In comparison with this enormous loss to farmers and planters, how paltry is the loss of $8,000,000 a year suffered by the silver miners. There does not seem to have dawned upon the mind of your correspondent the fact that the monetary laws of the United States and other- nations have entirely the functions of establishing and affixing the value, not of silver only, but also of gold. Thus we see that the demonetization of silver in 1873 has caused a steady and continu ous appreciation of the price of gold, not only as measured by the amouilfc of silver a gold dollar will buy, but also as proved by the steady depreciation in the price of all other commodities as compared with gold. Moreover, while it- is a fact that at the time of the pas sage of the present silver law, "381.25 grains of silver were only, worth 72 cents in gold, the price of such amount of silver, asx cornrriodity, has, by the operation of the law now in' force, in creased from 72 to 81 cents. Believing as I do, that the use of either gold or silver,' or any valuable material upon which to stamp or coin money, is, and must ever beanJidiotiQ practice and a barbaric relic of the age of barter, I wish to offer the following ideas as applicable and pertinent to the present custom and condition of af fairs: Firsts No material can possess at one and the same time both a commodity and a money value, provided that all surplus above the amount needed to supply the arts, consumption, etc., is used for money. . - Second If the law provided for free coinage (intomoney) of lead, arid the surplus, as indicated above; wasnot more than sufficient to provide the necessary volume of currency or money, then, in that case, the amount of lead provided by law to be coined into a dollar, would be worth a dollar for any other purpose. . ThirdThe very privileges depre cated and feared by your correspon dent as accorded to , miners of silver by. a free coinage law; are now actually accorded to miners of gold by a free coinage law. - Fourth If gold were placed at the same disadvantages from which silver now suffers and was handicapped by the same legal restriction as silver, gold would at once, as silver now does, bear both a commodity and a money value Fifth If the United States, England and Germany were to establish a single silver basis, and a restricted, and lim ited gold coinage, according to silver free coinage, silver would at once as sume a single value, and an ounce of silver would be worth to the silver smith or jeweler just what it would be worth coined into money, less the ex pense of coinage, while gold would de preciate in value, just as silver has since 1873. r Sixth Even under a bimetallic sys tem or double basis, (silver and gold being both accorded free coinag), the amount of both metals falls so far short of being sufficient to furnish enough money with which to do busi ness upon a Cash basis, that the same condition would result. Give us free coinage of silver, and every ounce of silver will at once assume its money value, and be worth as much to manu facture spoons and watch cases out of as to coin into money. The commodity value would be merged into the money value, as is now the case with gold. But there is another argument against the position assumed by your corres pondent, which to my mind is un answerable. Friends and advocates of the present treatment accorded to silt ver, Republicans and Democrats alike, claim that by virtue of the coinage of silver obtained under the present law, the circulation of currency is steadily and surely becoming inflted, and that as a consequence the price of land, labor and commodities are gradually on the rise. Now, a part cannot be greater than the whole; hence, if 'issu ing paper certificates upon part of the surplus silver of the nation has inflated the currency, and is about to appreci ate prices, what may we not expect if the whole of the nation's silver is coined into money? The true basis of money is quantitive, not intrinsic. As the value of money increases, the value of each unit cfecreases. That is to say, an increase of the volume of money in; creases or raises the price of land, labor and all products of labor. The silver miners, under free coinage of silver, would not get money for silver, but their silver would be coined into money. Every ounce of silver thus coined would increase the volume of money and correspondingly increase prides. Prices of land, labor and com modities would go up, e. the price of dollars (units of value) would go down. Result : JThe silver m'ners could buy no more land, labor or commodities with their coined silver dollars than they could have -bought with their sil ver bullion. The only silver miners benefited would be those who are in .debt, and with them would be benefited the whole debtor class of the United States. Geo. C. Ward. Kansas City, Mo. Catharine Lake, N.' C. Mr. Editor : I have received money from the following lodges, to-wit : No. 357, Newton Grove, N. C. ; No. 68, Cary, tf. C. ; 1,353, Sans Sousi, N. C. ; C. C. Speller, outsider; 1,041, Weeks ville, N. C. ;1,120, Magnolia, N. C. ; 241, Catharine Lake, N. C. ; N. N. Hamp ton, Coin jock, N. C. ; 2,157, Thompson ville, N. C; 218, Tarboro, N. C; 344, Louisburg, N.-C. ; Mrs. Sarah T. Cook, Whiteville, N. C. ; 1,426, Lewisville, N, C; 2,077, Grogansville, N. C; for which I am very thankful to the brethren, sisters and friends.. I truly hoxfe I will get enough to buy the leg. - " - Fraternally, ; . J. H. Bishop. ; : - Patterson, N. C, April 6, 1891. Mr. Editor: In reading over your valuable paper I am" rather amused at the position some of your correspon dents assume. One brother is fearful the Alliance is leaning too muh to democracy, another that it is favorable to the Republican party, while others take a view of complaining, etc. If these brethren and others would take the care and examine the objects and principles of the Alliance, they will find it has but little to do with the Democratic or Republican party as parties. We have the right to vote and act with either of the parties where our claims are made stronger, thereby aiding in our demands, such as more currency and other protection for our betterment. If these parties will fall in line and assist in giving us relief , we should certainly feel kind to ward them and regard them as our friends. If parties and 'Organizations will practice less party spirit and bit terness, and look well to the interest of the whole people, the country would soon be in better condition. Instead of party success for the time, let there be a greater effort for the good of the whole country. : If our aims can be brought about by others and placed on a solid basis, we are satisfied. . To my mind we have no greater de mand than the currency. It is appar ent to all living away from the cities and other centres that the volume of currency does not meet the positive demand for transaction of business and for the building up of the interior, producing far more injury than can bd observed in a moment's thought. The fact of our population increasing with our present American ideas of prog ress, our outlay is of necessity made greater. This being true we require more currency than was out, per capita, fifteen years ago. It is 'hoped our rulers, if not preparing to do so, will shortly remedy this very serious draw back to the farming and laboring classes. If the parties now in power refuse to grant this rather important favor, the Alliance must take care of itself at the ballot-box. What would Wall street and many of the large business houses in the cities, including the banks and large manutacturers, say if the administra tion for these many years had been shaping the acts of Congress against their interest, so much so as to greatly reduce the value of their real estate, forcing their business down to no profit but in many cases below cost and into: bankruptcy? While such a condition has not befallen these institutions, yet it is sad to realize that such has over taken the agricultural and other classes. I am happy to believe that a lare ma jority of the great body of the Alliance and Laborers' Union are not hostile to these individuals who have made for tunes and are now reaping good profits in their business. We would not de duct a dollar from their vaults of easy -made money. We only desire that legislation be made giving us fair chances with them, without curtailing tneir business with ours improved. "A large portion of our American people are becoming convinced that this great nation can take care of all occupation?, especially the farmer and laborer, who have, from the beginning of our coun try, played no small part, having born the burden and heat of the day, willing still to do so with the assistance the government can give. Take a number of whole States, away from these cities and money centres and you will find that no mathemati cian can near approach the loss sus tained by the people for the want of more currency. Upon the other hand no scholar can figure the vast fortunes and profits made in these favored sec tions of .small acreage, during this period. If this demand of the Alliance is not heeded, with each of the other demands put in power, our condition will be but little better than at present. I regard the increase of tfie currency the vital issue far in advance of many of the de mands made at St. Louis. We should not be too eager for all our demands to be granted in haste. Let us make a combined effort to bring about the most important ones, remembering that no party or organization can get all of the minor objects. Let us appre ciate Democrats or Republicans who will aid us in giving relief and pros perity to our whole people. Truly yours, " N. H. Gwynv Forsyth County Alliance met at Pleasant Ridge, April 11th, and' was in session two days. On roll call it was found that a quorum was present. Difficulties of a private and public na ture came before the Alliance and were satisfactorily settled. A !horso company" was organized in the Alli ance for the capturing and punishing of horse thieves. A ladies, department was recom mended and ar commitee appointed to further that enterprise. Steps were taken to start an Alliance newspaper," to be the organ of Forsy th County Farmers' Alliance. : . Resolved, By the Forsyth County Farmers' Alliance, that they will sup port no paper that will not permit a hearing of both sides. The Alliance en dorsed and recommended to the Sub Alliances and its members tho Plant ers' Alliance-Warehouse in Winston , N.C. By a motion a vote of thanks 'was given to the good people of Pleasant Ridge and vicinity for the kind and hospitable manner the members were entertained. v The meeting then adjourned to meet July 10th and 11th, at New Philadel phia Church, about six miles west cf Winston. W. II. Hinsiiav. Corresponding Sccrc-tr.ry.
The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, N.C.)
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May 5, 1891, edition 1
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