28 HISTORY OF THE WHEEL AND ALLIANCE. 



and powerful corporation does not lay a tribute thereon. 

 And this is true, not only for what he sells, but on every- 

 thing he buys these same exacting corporate monopolies, 

 trusts and combinations which are protected by legal 

 enactment, and their property guarded by armed detectives, 

 have levied their contributions. A few men combine and 

 make the price of beef and pork; of steel and iron; of 

 sugar and salt, nails, earthenware, cotton bagging, binder 

 twine, and of almost every other article of necessity to the 

 farmer. A combination will "bear" the price of wheat 

 down to-day and the u bulls" will toss it up to-morrow. 

 The dealer or producer ships for the high price and his 

 grain reaches the market after the "bulls" have unloaded 

 and the bottom has gone out of prices. Another serious 

 drawback and heavy tax upon the farmer is the exorbitant 

 prices he is compelled to pay for supplies while raising his 

 crop, and this is more especially true if he buys on a credit, 

 as most farmers do, especially in the Southern States. We 

 do not mean to say that the town or country merchant is 

 making too much money; it is the system that is at fault 

 more than the men. Those merchants do precisely what 

 the farmer would do if he was in the same business; and 

 those of the farmers who think most are beginning to see 

 that they are in a great manner responsible for the system. 

 As has been remarked a majority of the farmers buy their 

 goods of the local traders on credit, paying when they sell 

 their crops. These traders have, therefore, in fixing their 

 prices, to make allowance for bad debts and for interest. 

 But as they do not receive cash, they of course cannot buy 

 for cash, and the wholesale merchants who carry the traders 

 have to be paid for their risks and loss of interest. And 

 besides all this, there is hardly a town in which there is not 

 about twice as many stores as there ought to be. It is a 

 mistake to think, that by overcrowding the business in small 

 towns the people get the benefit of competition. Where 



