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THE MAN WITH THE HOE-AGRICULTURAL PROSPERITY UNDER REPUBLICAN ADMINISTRATION, DEPRESSION UNDER DEMOCRATIC RULE.

"The Man with the Hoe' is the man with the 'dough.' This is a slangy expression but sustained by the statistics of the Agricultural Department, the Census, and those gathered by the non-partisan business agencies like Dun's Review. This has always been true under Republican administration and it is extravagantly true under this Republican administration. The farmer or “the man with the hoe" has in the last four years received a greater share of prosperity than any other representative of any other occupation. He has tickled the soil with his hoe to better purpose than ever before.

The farm value of the wheat, corn, and oat crops in 1901 was nearly double that of 1896, the last year of the Cleveland administration. This is rather a startling statement, but it is borne out by the Statistical Abstract, published by the Government and made up from the official figures which have no partisan bias.

For the year 1896 the farm value of the corn crop was $491,006,967, that of the wheat crop $310,602,539, and that of the oat crop $132,485,033, the total farm value of the three crops for that year being $934,094,538.

The farm value of the corn crop in 1901 was $921,555,768, that of the wheat crop $467,350,156, and that of the oat crop $293,658,777, making the total farm value of the three crops, for 1901, $1,682,564,701, or $748,470,162 more than the farm value of the same crops in 1896. The farmer in 1901 received nearly double the amount of money for these three crops that he did in 1896, the last year of the Cleveland administration.

Increase in Farm Values. This increase of farm values under Republican administrations is not accidental. It is a matter of history that rural prosperity and Republican rule are coincident. It is equally a matter of record that agricultural depression, mortgage foreclosures, and low prices for farm products accompany Democratic administration of national affairs. The prosperity of the farmer depends upon the prosperity of all other industrial elements of our population. When the industrial classes are employed at American wages their consumption of farm products is on a liberal scale, and they are able and willing to pay good prices for the necessities and luxuries of life. Under such conditions there is a good market for all the farmer has to sell. When the reverse is true and workmen are idle or working scant time at cut wages, they are forced to practice pinching economy and the farmer necessarily loses part of his market. The American farmer is pros

perous when well-paid workmen are carrying well-filled dinner pails, a condition which has accompanied Republican supremacy since the birth of the party. Idle men, tramps, and souphouses, familiar sights under Democratic rule, furnish but poor markets for farm produce.

The records for the last four administrations, which alternated between the Republican and Democratic parties, show that the farmers received more for their crops under Republican administrations than under Democratic administrations.

The farm value of the corn crops for the four years of Cleveland's first administration, from 1885 to 1889, aggregated $2,569,653,980. In the four years of the Harrison administration which followed, the farm value of the corn crop aggregated $2,830,938,138, an increase in value of more than $250,000,000 over that of this crop during the Cleveland administration.

For the next four years, while Mr. Cleveland was President and Democratic policies were in force, the farm value of the corn crop aggregated $2,182,337,290, a decrease of $750,000,000 from that during the Harrison administration.

Then came the Republican administration of William McKinley, and for the first four years of that administration the farm value of the corn crop aggregated $2,433,526,524, or an increase of $250,000,000 over that of the last Democratic administration.

Wheat and Oats.-The same law of fluctuation according to political policies in administration held good as to wheat and oats. The farm value of the wheat crop for the four years of the first Cleveland administration aggregated $1,285,407,400, and for the next four years, including the Harrison administration, the farm value of the wheat crop aggregated $1,512,859,986, an increase of $227,000,000 in the farm value of wheat over that for the preceding Democratic administration.

For the next four years, under the second Cleveland administration, the farm value of the wheat crop aggregated $987,614,943, a shrinkage of $525,000,000 in the value of the wheat crop from the preceding four years under Republican administration.

Again came a change of policy in Government, and during the first four years of the McKinley administration the wheat crop took another advance in value. For these four years of the McKinley administration the farm value of the wheat crop aggregated $1,464,387,877, an increase in value amounting to nearly $500,000,000.

The farm value of the oat crop in the four years of the first Cleveland administration aggregated $761,943,820; for the next four years, under the Harrison administration, the farm value of the oat crop increased to $835,395,372; for the next four years, under

Cleveland, this crop decreased in value to $698,533,113, and for the next four years, under the McKinley administration, it increased to $741,217,291.

The farm value of the hay crop in 1896 was $388,145,614, and in 1900 it was $445,538,870.

The farm value of the potato crop in 1896 was $72,182,350 and in 1900 it was $90,811,167.

Horses and Mules.-The farm value of 15,124,057 horses in 1896 was $500,140,186, while the farm value of 13,537,442 horses in 1900 was $603,969,442. There were a million and a half more horses in the country in 1896 than in 1900, and they were worth $100,000,000 less. Such was one of the disastrous results of Democratic administration for the farmers.

The same was true as to mules. In 1896 there were 2,276,946 mules in the country and they were valued at $103,204,457. In 1900 there were only 2,086,027 mules in the country and their value was $111,717,092.

In 1896 there were 16,137,586 milch cows and their value was $363,955,545. In 1900 there were 16,292,360 milch cows and their value was $514,812,106.

The number of oxen and other cattle in 1896 was 32,085,409 and their value $508,928,416. In 1900 there were 27,610,054 oxen and other cattle and their value was $689,486,260.

And then look at the sheep, the special victims of the Democratic administration! In 1896 the sheep had been reduced to 38,298,783 and their value was $65,167,735, though in 1893 when Cleveland began his administration there were 47,273,553 sheep in the country and their value was $125,909,264, In four years the flocks had been reduced by 9,000,000 and their value by $60,000,000, or nearly one-half during the Democratic administration and its war on the sheep. In 1900, owing to three years of protection under the administration of McKinley and the Dingley law, the sheep had increased to 41,883,065 and their value to $122,665,913.

The story is not complete without the total value of all farm animals. In 1896, the last year of the Democratic administration, this aggregated $1,727,926,084, and in 1900 it aggregated $2,042,650,813. The "man with the hoe" has only to look at the record to see which way points to prosperity.

The best statesmanship for America is that which looks to the highest interests of American labor and the highest development of American resources.-President McKinley, at Superior, Wis., October 12, 1899.

HEAVY RAILROAD TRAFFIC-ENORMOUS TONNAGE ON ALL THE RAILROADS OF THE UNITED STATES-REPORTS FOR THE YEAR.

Railroad earnings last year record the greatest movement of merchandise ever transported on the railroads in this country in any twelve months, says Dun's Review. The years 1899 and 1900 record an extra heavy traffic. Complete tonnage figures for 1900 show a total movement on all the roads of the country of 1,071,431,919 tons, yet earnings this year show an increase of 10 per cent over 1900. Total gross earnings of all roads in the United States reporting for the year to date are $1,394,333,922, a gain of 10.7 per cent over last year and 20.0 over 1899. Roads reporting embrace 160,000 miles, seven-eighths the total mileage of the country, and the figures are practically complete for eleven months; for December only partial reports are included. All classes of roads report a substantial increase in earnings, but the most noteworthy gain is on Southwestern and Pacific roads and on Central Western roads. Earnings of anthracite coal roads were heavy compared with 1900, but earnings of anthracite coal companies were unfavorably affected by labor troubles in 1900. Comparison is made below, roads being classified by sections or chief classes of traffic and earnings are given for both years, also percentage showing comparison with 1899:

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While the earnings are larger than in 1900, it is probable that the increase in tonnage was not in the same ratio, for traffic was relatively larger last year in the higher classes of freight. The movement was especially large in merchandise and in manufactured articles. Shipments of coal were heavy, especially in the fall

months. So great was the demand to move freight that there was much delay a considerable part of the year because of the lack of rolling stock. Fortunately the grain movement, especially corn, was much below the usual tonnage, and as grain is carried at very low rates earnings were favorably affected by the movement of better paying freights. Comparison is given below of earnings of United States roads reporting for each year as compiled in Dun's Review; also the tonnage movement for each year except last for all railroads in the United States:

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Comparison by months shows a gain each month over both years There is some trifling iregularity due to conditions affecting the different roads; for example, lighter earnings in July this year compared with last was in part due to the steel strike, and relatively lighter earnings in December can be traced to the fact that in December, 1900, the heavy movement which set in after the Presidential election now comes in comparison. Earnings on many Western roads were considerably reduced in the third week of December this year by a severe storm blockade. The figures follow:

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The people are doing business on business principles, and should be let alone-encouraged rather than hindered in their efforts to increase the trade of the country and find new and profitable markets for their products.-President McKinley, at Richmond, Va., October 31, 1899.

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