Farmers Discontent in the 19th Century
Farmers Discontent in the 19th Century
The late 19th century can be described as a time of political prosperity in America. The majority of citizens were living successfully and there was peace throughout the country, but between the years of 1880 and 1900, many farmers faced problems that they saw as threats to their way of life. There was a dramatic drop in the profits that farmers accumulated from the harvesting of their crops, such as cotton, and with the improvements in transportation, foreign competition was spreading throughout the country making it difficult for farmers to sell their crops. These factors along with others inevitably caused an agricultural depression, leading to the formation of farmer groups such as the Populist Party, which would help to reduce the problems troubling the farmers. Some problems that these farmers felt threatened their way of life included transportation, such as trains, monopolies and trusts, money shortage and the demonetizing of silver.
The growth of railroads was very beneficial to industries across America. Although, the benefits bought to these companies were at the expense of farmers. The competition between railroad companies led to a method of dispensing rebates in order to attract larger companies. Basically the railroad companies as stated by George W. Parker, vice president of the Cairo Short Line Railroad, said that “the local business of the road of itself is not of sufficient volume to make up paying trains, nor is it sufficient to make the earnings, over and above current expenses, sufficient to meet the fixed charges against the road.” In order to correct this problem Mr. Parker continues to say “So that in order to run paying trains…we generally… endeavor to get a connection for through business to be super-added to the local business… when we make up a train of ten or fifteen cars of local freight to go over our line from Saint Louis, we can attach fifteen or twenty cars more of strictly through business. We can take the latter at a very low rate rather than go without it.” (Document G) These practices seriously hurt the farmers by raising their shipping rates in order to lower that of larger companies. A farmer named Dyke exemplifies the loss of business of a farmer from the rising rates of Railroad companies. “The Railroad had raised the rate on hops from two cents to five… The new rate ate up...