Decline in Farm Prices.

There is no better illustration of the ruinous consequences flowing from the adoption by the United States of the single gold standard than a comparison of the prices of agricultural products at the date of the demonetization of silver with the price now.

The Secretary of Agriculture has recently issued, under date of July 24, 1896, a circular showing the area devoted to grain, the production, the aggre gate value, and the average value per bushel for thirty years, beginning with 1866 and ending with 1895. It will be observed that since the demonetization in 1873 there has been a decline in every line of farm products. That decline has been continuous and most disastrous. The following is, in part, the Government report upon the subject:

Acreage, Production, and Value of Principal Farm Crops in the United States, 1873 to 1895.

Acreage, production, aud value of principal farm crops in the United States, 1873 to 1895, etc.-Continued.

Acreage, production, and value of principal farm crops in the United States, 1873 to 1895, etc.-Continued.

Acreage, production, and value of principal farm crops in the United States, 1873 to 1895, etc.-Continued.

*No estimate of crop prepared by U. S. Department of Agriculture for 1889 to 1892.

31.629,300
39,608,296 26,931,300 285,543,752
35,493,000 27.484.991 330,804,494
31,925,233 25,863,955
35,135,064 30,888,700 415,131,366
38,138,049 32,339,585 371,170,326
46,864,009 35,515,948
48,470.460 38,571,593
44,731,550 39,849.701 389,752,873
41,796,499 36,501,688 353.437,699

25,367,708 271,934.950

8.60

7.21

9.32

371,811,084

11.65

11.82

9.73

384,834,451

8.21

396,139,309

8.17

8.71

8.46

41,454,458

37,664,739

413,440,283

9.97

46,643,094 38,591,903

65,766,158 49,613,469

54,874,408 48,321,272

*No estimate of crop prepared by U. S. Department of Agriculture for 1889 to 1892.

Acreage, production, and value of principal farm crops in the United States, 1873 to 1895, etc.-Continued.

*No estimate of crop prepared by U. S. Department of Agriculture for 1889 to 1892.

In 1895, Mr. Hatch, of Missouri, submitted from the Committee on Agriculture a report on this subject, from which we quote as follows:

"Class legislation of the worst character encumbers the statute books, and has been carried on to the detriment of agriculture and its dependent industries for thirty years, culminating in the crime of the age, the demonetization of silver in 1873.

"The demonetization of silver was a bold stroke in the interest of capital that has reduced the value of every product in the world. This is conclusively proven by the fact that just as silver has depreciated, in like proportion have all other values fallen in the scale. Silver bullion to-day has the capacity to purchase as much wheat, cotton, pork, corn, and land, and every other commodity that it ever had, therefore the depreciation of the white metal simply means the depreciation of every article under the sun, with one single exception, the gold of Shylock.

"The Prime Causes.

"Therefore, is the most heinous financial legislation that the world ever saw; legislation that has struck down every industry by robbing agriculture of its capacity to pay its debts and purchase necessary supplies-legislation that affects manufacture, commerce, labor, and transportaion alike, in destroying their best and largest customer-agriculture.