n 1894 the 88,415,230
bushels exported brought us only $59,407,041, and in 1895, 76,102,704
bushels brought us but $43,805,663. Similarly it may be shown that our
largest cotton exports have brought us the least money; but this is an old
story. It goes without saying, that to the farmer there are three great
factors in the present situation: a ruinously low price for his products,
a tremendous surplus left over from last year, and an immense crop for
this year now adding to the surplus, with no possible home consumption to
give an adequate outlet. Suppose then the "dump" should come and the farm
produce go--what then?

First of all there must come as a result a rise in prices. Farmers
receiving much more money would immediately pay their most pressing debts;
the release of idle money would break the deadlock which now paralyzes
trade, and from the farmer the money would at once be poured into the
channels of rural business. The consumptive demands would be tremendous
because of the long and forced abstinence, and the farmer would supply
himself with those things he has so long wanted. The railroads would have
a vastly increased business, and as a result there would be a greatly
increased demand for labor. Instead of the ruinous "cut in rates" which we
read of almost every day, made in order to stimulate the movement of
crops, we should soon hear of vastly increased shipments at profitable
rates; these of course would soon be followed by increased net earnings,
which would in time create increased values of securities, which again
would check foreign sales and stimulate purchases. There would be a boom
in stocks to dispel the gloom of Wall Street, and we should do the
money-mongers good in spite of themselves.

Is this all supposition? Well, we are proceeding upon the theory of the
monometallists, that a billion dollars' worth of silver and securities
would be shipped here. We are showing what must inevitably result if their
predictions should hold good--more money for the farmers, more business
for the merchants, more transportation for the railroads, and more
business for their correlated industries; and, as a result, more work,
abundant work, for those now idle. And this last would be the greatest
blessing of all. The benefit would be to the farmer, the handlers of grain
and all who serve them, to the retail tradesmen, the small manufacturers,
all the country artisans immediately dependent upon the farmer, and all
th