The advocate and Topeka tribune. [volume], October 19, 1892, Page 4, Image 4

About The advocate and Topeka tribune. [volume] (Topeka, Kan.) 1892-1894

Image provided by: Kansas State Historical Society; Topeka, KS

                
4
Tins iUDVoo-A.T2a
AND TOPEKA TEIBUIIE.
Omciix Papib of th PaoPLi'f Pabtt
Or KAHSAS.
R. P. A.
Published every Wednesday by
ME ADVOCATE PUBLISHING CO.
Roomi 43 and 45 Knox Building,
TOPEKA. KANSAS.
$1.00 PEI1 YEAH.
ADVERTISING BATES.
Display matter, 20 cents per line, agate meas
urement, (it lines io ice incn.j
Heading notices, 40 cents per line.
Address all communications to
THE ADVOCATE .PUBLISHING CO.,
Topeka, Kansas.
Entered at the post office at Topeka, Kansas, as
second class matter.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1892.
PEOPLE'S FABTT NATIDMAL TICKET.
FOR PRESIDENT,
JAMES B. WEAVER,
OF IOWA.
FOR VICE PRESIDENT,
J. G. FIELD,
OF VIRGINIA.
PEOPLE'S PARTY STATE TIOKET.
Tot Associate Justice of the Supreme Court,
STEPHEN H. ALLEN.
Fleasanton, Linn county.
For Governor,
L. D. LEWELLING,
Wichita, Sedgwick county.
For Lieutenant Governor,
PERCY DANIELS,
Glrard, Crawford county.
For Secretary ol State,
R, B. OSBORNE,
Stockton, Rooks county.
For Auditor,
VAN B. PRATIIER,
Columbus, Cherokee county.
For Treasurer,
W. n. BIDDLE,
Augusta, Butler county.
For Attorney General,
J. T. LITTLE,
Olathe, Johnson county.
For Superintendent of Public Instruction,
H. N. GAINES,
Sallna, Saline county,
OVER $G0 FIt CAPITA IN CIRCULATION
IN KANS&S.
For Members of Congress.
First District F. J. Closk, Try.
Heoond Dtstrlct...H. L. Moor, Lawrence.
TMi4 TMatrlnt. T. .1. VlfirtHnN. KrfldOnl&.
Fourth district. . . E. V. Wharton, Yates Center.
Finn District johw uavis, ouncuou muj.
Blxth District Wm. Bakkb, Orworth.
Q.Miith Uatrlnt .TlDIIV HtMPaflM.
Medicine Lodge.
At Large, W. A. Harris, unwooa.
Presidential Eletors.1
Walter N. Allen. Merlden, Jefferson county.
E. B. Cabbell, Pratt county.
H. A. White, Butler county.
D. E. Harry, Atchison, Atchison county.
a. n. flhlnn. Ottawa. Franklin county.
P. 0. Bowen, Cherrjvale, Montgomery county.
8. A. Martin, Kurena. ureenwooa county.
A. J. McAllister. Cloud county.
L. D. Raynolds, Montrose, Jewell eounty.
Noah Allen, Wichita, Sedgwick county.
STOP THE LIE.
The following telegram, dated Mt.
Pleasant, Iowa, was received on the
18th:
Thi Advocate, Topka: The speoial
going the rounds of the press in regard to
an interview in which I am reported to have
advised the Populists "to vote for Harri
son," or that "a vote for Weaver was a vote
for Cleveland." is unqualifiedly false. I
would consider it a publio calamity for
either Harrison or Cleveland to be elected.
Mas. Mabt E. Lxasi.
STATISTICAL PROSPERITY.
Thia is a variety of prosperity to be
found only in fi gares, and it is kept
on tap by republican newspapermen,
orators and politicians in genera).
The supply of it is inexhaustible, and
the more there is drawn from it, the
more there remains. Statisticians of
republican faith are wont to present
very formidable arrays of figures at
stated periods designed to show the
rapid increase of wealth in the hands
of the people, and the latest produc
tion in this line comes from J. It. Mul-
vane, of the Topeka bank. His
contribution is being extensively pub
lished under head-lines that are sup
posed to be perfectly paralyzing to
"calamity howlers." Those head
lines are essential to a full apprecia
tion of the subject, and we therefore
reproduce them:
HIT HARD.
CALAMITY GIVEN A SEVERE BLOW BY MR.
MULVANB.
SOME FIGURES BY THE DISTINGUISHED
KANSAS FINANCIER.
CAREFUL STATISTICS
GATHERED CONCERNING CROPS AND THE
STATE'S PROSPERITY.
It is but fair to Mr. Mulvane to say
that he is not responsible for these
head-lines. He has too much sense
to claim that his figures, even if cor
rect, have anything to do with circu
lation. It required the genius and
sagacity of a republican editor to con
ceive that brilliant idea. Before pro
ceeding to consider the figures
presented by this distinguished Kan
sas financier, we desire to remark in
general that those who are treating
the present industrial revolution as a
temporary movement that has re
sulted from crop failure have abso
lutely no conception of it; and any
argument based upon such an idiotic
hypothesis, besides having no bearing
upon the real situation, only exhibits
the utter lack of comprehension of its
author. Such a man is to be pitied
for his ignorance, and his argument,
based upon erroneous premises, is en
tirely inapplicable and utterly devoid
of force.
Mr. Mulvane's figures, however,
intended as they are to show a condi
tion of things that has no reality in
fact, should not pass unnoticed. As
the author is one of the ablest as well
as one of the fairest minded men re
mainingin the republican party, these
figures may be accepted as the fairest
that can be expected in this line, and
in order that we may in no way mis
represent him, we reproduce them in
full. We also reproduce the prelude
to these figures as it appeared in the
State Journal of this city m order
that it may be seen how they are
being used by the republican party.
It is as follows:
Mr. John R. Mulvane, of the bank of To-
is doubtless the most prominent
and successful business man and banker in
the state. He is careful and accurate in all
he does. He has been closely identified
with the commercial interests of Kansas for
a quarter of a oentury. In accordance with
his usual custom he has gathered with con
servative care statistics showing the produc
tions of the state. His figures are accurate
and reliable, and in no particular are they
based upon guess work. Crop estimates are
founded on the best reports obtainable.
Their market value as estimated by Mr.
Mulvane is if anything too low. So no one
can olaim that the totals exaggerate the
facts. They give the value of the crops of
Kansas for the year as $209,550,000, and
after deduoting what the farmers will hold
over and consume for seed and domestic
use, a net value of $92,500,0CO is left for that
portion of the crop that will be sent out of
the state and converted into money. The
figures which represent the wealth produoed
from the soil by the farmers will appal the
most rabid traduoer of the state. They
leave no room to doubt that the people of
Kansas are abundantly able to pay all of
their obligations. Crops have been bounte
ous and the yield of all produots as a whole
has been greater than ever before in the
history of the commonwealth. There are
in Kansas 1,500,000 people and the sale of
the net residue of this year's crop will give
to each man, woman and child over $60, or
more than double the per oapita money cir
culation of the United States, besides
enough meat 'and grain to supply their
wants for another year, or until the crop of
1893 is harvested. This shows that Kansas
will be commercially prosperous for another
year at least. The following are Mr. Mul
vane's figures:
4,000.000 acres of wheat produced 75,-
ooo.uw Diisneis ai au average price
of aa cents, would brlDe t 37.600.000
5,600,000 acres of corn at the lowest
elves a production of 140,000,000; at
35 cents ner bushel makes It worth 40.000,000
Of oats most conservative estimates
give 40,000,000 at 30 cents per bushel 12,000,000
Rye, barley and buckwheat, 6,000,000
busneisac go cents a,uw,wu
Potatoes, 2.000,000 bushels at 60 cents 1,000,000
Plax.3CO,oooati 300,000
Broom corn, 25,000,000 pounds, worth 750,000
Millet and Hungarian, 600,000 tons,
worth 1,750,000
Tame hay, 500,000 tons, worth 2,000,000
I'rairie nay, a,ooo,ouo wins, worm v,ow uw
Butter and cheese, estimated value . . 6,000,000
Domestic animals, horses and mules,
800.000 head 24.000.000
Cattle, 2,250,000 head of
wmcn aooui voo.uoo
head of much cows at
815 Der head 811.250,000
750,000 head of heifers,
yearlings ana caives,
worth 8 ner head 6.000.000
750.0C0 head of steers, for
market during the year
at 840 oer head 30.000,000- f 47,250.000
Ilogs, 2,250,000 head of
which 1,000,000 neaa
are stockers, at t4 4,000,000
And 1,240,000 head are fat
hogs at $1 1 per bead . . . 13,750,000 17,750,000
Sheep, 30,000 head, worth
$2.50 per head 750,000
Total value I209.650.ooo
Of the above enormous amount of
wheat, allowing 5,000,000 for seed,
8,000,000 for bread, 12.000,COO to be
carried over to a new year, leaves
50,000,000 bushels of wheat, for
market at the average price of
50 cents I 25,000,C00
Of the corn crop exceeding 140,000,000
bushels, allowing 90.ooo.ooo for reed,
seed,and holding over for new crop,
there will be 60.ooo.coo for sale at the
low average of 35 cents per bushel . . 17,600,000
We will sell our oats, rye, barley,
potatoes, flax, broom corn, hay, at
least 6,000,000
Of horses and mules, 600,000 at f SO
per head 4.OOO.C00
Of fat cattle at least 750,000 head will
go upon the market that can not
average less than S10 ner head.
bringing 30,000,000
vz tne iac nogs, allowing txj.uuu neaa
for home consumption, we will
market l.ooo ooo head, at an aver
age of f 11 per head 11.000,COO
Total value of marketable stuff... t 92.600,000
These figures are not altogether
correct, but for our present purpose
we will assume them to be so. It will
be observed that they are incomplete.
It matters not how much may be real
ized in gross from the annual pro
ducts of the state. No estimate of
the prosperity of the people can be
justly based upon such an aggregate
summary. Cost of production must
first be deducted, and this is an ele
ment that does not enter into Mr.
Mnlvane's calculation. He treats the
grops valae of all the products of the
state as so much clear profit, and re
publican newspaper men proceed to
base their estimate of the prosperity
of the people upon this result. Does
Mr. Mulvane figure in this way when
estimating the profits of the Topeka
bank? Do the officers of this institu
tion declare their dividend before de
ducting the expense account?
Let us apply the same rules to
fanning that Mr. Mulvane applies to
the banking business, or that any bus
iness man applies to any business
whatever, and see then how the ac
count will stand. He says there are
75,000,000 bushels of wheat, which he
estimates at 50 cents per bushel, mak
ing a gross value of $37,500,000. But
Mr. Mohler, our good republican sec
retary of agriculture, has found by a
careful investigation that the average
cost of raising a bushel of wheat for
the entire state is 49 cents. This
would leave the munificent profit of
1 cent per bushel for the farmer.
Mr. Mulvane figures the corn crop
at 140,000,000 of bushel?, which he
places at 35 cents per bushel. Al
though this is more than the farmer
will receive for it we will accept it as
correct. Mr. Mohler finds the cost of
raising corn to be 21 cents per bushel.
The secretary has not made an inves
tigation of the cost of raising other
cereal?, but it may be readily com
puted by taking the cost per acre of
raising wheat and simply dividing by
the average number of bushels of the
others to the acre. There is no prac
tical difference in the cost per acre of
wheat, oats, barley or rye. Figuring
upon this basis, and using Secretary
Mohler's statistics, we find the cost as
follows:
Oats, per bushel, $ .22
Rye, per bushel 35
Barley, per bushel, 27
Flax, per bushel, 75
Potatoes, per bushel 15
Broom corn, per pound 01
Cost of millet per ton in the stack 2.83
Cost of tame bay per ton In the stack 2 50
Cost of prairie hay per ton In the stack 3.50
The above will be recognized by
any farmer as very conservative esti
mates. This does not include the
cost of taking to market
Now let us figure upon the live
stock. Agaia taking Secretary Moh
ler's figures, he finds the cost of rais
ing a steer to the 8ge of 3 years to
be $21.05, and as it would cost as much
to raise a heifer to the 'same age, it is
certainly fair to place the cost of cows
at this figure. But this does not in
clude the cost of feeding a steer to fit
him for market, and Mr. Mulvane's
figures treat of cattle to be marketed
during the year as marketable or fat
tened cattle. In Seoretary Mohler's
report but few estimates are given of
the cost of feeding. In Ottawa county
the cost of a steer fitted for market is
placed at $49; in Pottawatomie county
at $27; in Republio county at $75.
The Pottawatomie estimate is cer
tainly too low, while that of Republio
county is as certainly too high. The
best estimates of conservative feeders
place the average cost at $45.
The cost of the average hog fitted
for market could not be placed below
$8, and the stockers cost about all
they are worth as stockers.
Now let us tabulate these figures
and see how the result compares with
that obtained by Mr. Mulvane: