Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1805-10-02
From the Csnntcticut Couyaat.
A SHORT cArEcH1sM.

SHORT CATEcHIsM.
@. What was the value OF imports to the
o. STATES in the year / So4?
A. Eighty million dollars.
q Wnat was The value of exports from
the u. States in the year 1904
A. Sevcniy-seven million, six hundred
ninety nine thousand, and seventy four dol.
lars.
@. How much did the imports exceed
the exports, in the United States the last
year!
A. Two million. three hundred thou.
sand, nine hundred and twenty six dol.
lars
@. When nations imports exceed its
exports. how is the balance paid
A. The excess is payable only in cash
and in such case the balance of trade is
untavorable, as more money. upon the
whole, is carried out Of the country than is
Or ught intoit.
G. When the imports of nation gene.
rally exceed its exports, what will be the f.
nal couseqne noes?
A. The inevitable consequences finally
will be public and private distress. AS a
family that annually spends more than Its
income, will sooner Or later be plunged In
to embarrassments, so it must fare with a
nation whose imports, generally and for a
considerable length ofsime, exceed its ex.
ports.
@. What can prevent these evils happen.
ingto this country?
A. They may bepreven,ed by associat.
ing fugakty with industry. Tho the in.
dustry of the nation, viewed on general
scale, is great; tho its exports exceed the
exports Of Britain at the beginning of the
last century, in about the portion Of three
to one, and nearly equal the exports of
Great Britain, in the year 1888: yet for
wan of frugality. it spends (if we might
judge merely from a comparison of imports
and exports )% more than it earns. The
old frugal modes of living are in manner
out of fashion. Not only the rich who can
afford II, but families in middling circum-
stances, and even the poorer classes depend
upon the looms of China aud India and
u, GA the factories Of Europe, for their
cloathing. A breakfas, can hardly be made
by a family in ordjnry circumstances,
without the luxurics OF foreign Chimes
And what is worse than all the rest,
large part of the fruits of the nations indus
try goes to purchase brandy, rum and whis-
key /; which, in the incorporate use Of the N
like natural and moral plague combined
together, are wasting the strength, destroy
ing the healths and lives, and corrupling
the morals, of vast mullisudes of people in
this country.
q. Can this state of things continue?
A. 1t cannot possibly continue very
long time. There never was nor ever will
be a nation able, for any length of time to
cloath all classes Of its members from 70.
reign factories. Our specie will be drained
away and lodged in Asia and in Europe.
Foreign merchants will call for their dues.
Large importers will be obliged to urge
their claims against the merchants, and
traders whom they have credited, and they
in their turn must press upon their custom.
ers who owe them. The pressure will be.
come general. Bankers will be forced to
diminish their discounts, and to call 10
large portion of their paper. The distress
will be sudden and extensive.
ina fuHand fair estimate there must,
however, be bro't into yie1v, all the internal
improvements Of the country every one Of
sDhichi real and Substantial addition to
stse enatcn's wealth.