The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-03-17

slave States, $40, l21 ,yIt 96-tbe proportion OF
the South having gone down from Third 10
less than fourth Of the whole amount The
tonnage in 1870 was, SAG, 254, of which, ~.
042 was set down TO the free States, and l2,2l2,
not one-third Ofthe whole amount, TO the slave
States.
So much for the novel discovery by Mr.. Fish
| er, that the two sections were about equal in
commerce.
"Even the property held by the two sections
was almost exactly the same in amount, being
about S4OO ,0O0, 900 in value each, according to
an assessment for direct taxes in 1899"
| The entire valuation in the free States was
1922 $50 75-in the slave States. exclu-
ding slaves, 1897, 742,357 IL; adding the slaves,
the valuation Of the latter would be Increased to
near S4O0,OoopO0, twenty-five millions less
than that OF the free States--so that the two
sections were far from being "almcst exactly
equal In wealth.
according 10 assessments made by authority
Of the Federal Government in 1915, for direct
taxes, the value of property in the Southern
States had rsen to $3.50 ,574 ,697, the white pop
ulation being then, according TO an average OF
the census Of 1910 and that Of 1920, about
2,749, 1876, or about 1912 per head, whilst the
property of he Northern States amounted to
81 ,042, 762 ,2a for '4,326,550 population, or,
only s240 perhead."
A mistake asd fallacy both. The property
Of the North amounted TO Sl,097 ,666,7ls, or
s253a per headiwhile the property Of the South,
excluding the shves, was only 1885,, 800, 476, or
si30h per headof the whole population.
alt was at Thu period us16) that the system
Of direct taxatSoa was finally abandoned, and
the whole interet Of the public debt, then 50
much augmented by the war. as well as the
increased expenditures OF the Government, were
made chargeable a tho foreign commerce OF the
country, except TN slight income from public
iands.'' &c. "ft aas held that the nep policy
was peculiar burden on the States that pro-
duced these staples1.rice. cotton, and tobacco
| The representation made is, that the policy Of
raising the revenae By customs was a new poll
cy, adopted In 1916 when the old policy ofrais-
ing IL BY direct tazq was finally abandoned!
Capital authority for Mr.. Bedinger. The
revenue OF this Government. from its founda-
ton ill this hour. Jas been chiefly derived from
customs. Direct nxes were never imposed TO
any considerable ixtent, except In 1900 and
lsoi-in each Of Hose years yielding about a
sixth part Of tho reyenue-and, during five
years, commencing with 1914, IA period OF war
and its consequent burthens,) but even then,
for that entire period, they yielded only one
fourth Of the Wide revenue. Nor were direct
taxes abandoned D 1916, for in tho three fol-
flowing years tfr receipts from such taxes
amounted to six millions Of dollars. Nor was
the income fromthe public lands "slight," as
Mr.. Fisher assers. In the four years follow
ing 1916, 1t amounted TO more than nine mil
lions Of dollars
''Sixteen year ago, when our population was
little more thauhalf what IL is now. this Gov
eminent exertet $32 900 900 as duties on for
eign imports, md that, too, when in conse-
Iquence Of this ieavy burthen on our foreign
trade, we only imported So, 100000"
Our population, sixteen years ago 1882 was
fourteen millio,s; ii is now almost twenty-five
millions. Ourpopulation doubles in twenty
Il three and a hif years, not in sixteen. The
IGovernment hacted, not S32 100000, but
ltwenty-eight tad half millions, as duties on
foreign import, and those imports, instead Of
being only $4,000, 900, were Sl0l 900, 900.
"Even in manufactures, the South at this Pc
riod from l7g to 1876 exeelled the North in
proportion to he number OF their population.
In 1910, according 10 the returns Of the mar
shals Of the Tilted States, the fabrics Of wool,
cotton, and lin N manufactures in the Northern
s2l ,06l sos. whist the South fabricated "a
1861 yards. estimated at Sl5,77l, 724."
We do not trouble ourselves to inquire whsth-
er these hgufs are correct. II is sufficient 90
show that theliata quoted by Mr.. Fisher to sus-
tain his position that the South exceIled the
North in manufactures, prove exactly the re-
verse. Thus,in 1910, the population of "the
North" was s,7S2 ,9l3; vrlue Of the manufac-
lures named. S2l .06l ,525-showing produces Of
S. 56a head. In the same year, the population
Of "the Soutf" was 3. Asst. sol; value Of manu-
features nam,d, $l5,77l ,72i-showing a pro-
duct Of 81 81 head. Comment Is needless.
| soar popu alton is now twenty millions, and
yet il is thought by all parties that twenty-five
millions Of dollars per annum Ia enough for the
support of Government in time of peace"
Our population Is now twenty-five millions,
and, NO matter wha. all parties think, the total
annual expenditure Of the Government from
$40 up to June 3eh, 1876, "a period Of pro-
found peace,) ranged from twenty eight to thir-
| ty-two millions. The two succeeding years are
burthened with war expenses.
"lf, however, we compare this iavorite Of the
| North (Massachuetts) with Maryland. a South
ern State Of similar territorial srseni, and one
| Of the oldest OF the Southern States, we shall
find tho latter 10 be decidedly superior in wealth.
| in proportion to the number of her citizens
According to the census Of lS40, Maryland had
| free population Of 3s0, $50; and in 1917 her
property was assessed at $500 ,272 $50. Massa-
chusetts, N 1910, had a population Of 737 500,
| and her property now is only $500 900, 000.-
Taking these two assessments as the basis Of
comparison. and Il appears that the average
property Of free person in Maryland was 1881
whilst in Massachusetts, IL is now, in the
Pnmiest days she has ever seen, only $lO6 per
head J"
A precioas specimen of statistical reasoning.
First, he assumes that assessed value Is correct
standard Of real value; secondly, he throws the
laboring population out Of the distribution Of
wealth per head in the case Of Maryland, and
includes IL il the case Of Masssch usetts; thirdly
he aPPortions the wealth Of Maryland in ls47
according 10 her free population in 1910, al
though II that population increased at the same
rate 1t did from 1890, II would have reached
405,0 600 in 1877; and, fourthly, he guesses at
the assessed valuation Of Massachusetts, at the
present time, and then apportions il according
to her population eight years ago. The won
derful conclusion he arrives abby this tissue of
blunders is, hat the free people Of Massschu-
setts are much poorer than their brethren in
Maryland. The total value Of property in
Massachusetts, zoe guess, is nearer S456, OO6, 900
than $500, 100000. We must not overlook the
loose statement that Maryland and Massache.
sets are "of SIMILAR territorial extent" Every
well-taught SOCIOLOGY knows, that while Mary
land embraces 100000 acres, Massachusetts,
has but 1910, oOO-being one-third less in ter
ritorial extent!
"The States Of New York and Virginia are
both OF great territorial extent, and not M NE
rally unequalin that respect"
New York comprises an area Of &C, 900 square
miles; Virginia, an area Of Gil ,352-a differ
ence in favor Of Virginia Of 1882, nearly
equal to the aggregated area of Massac husetts
and Mainel
1t is evident thstshis disciple Of Mr.. Calhoun,
like his great head, understands very little of
the power Of figures, except figures Of speech
lie proceeds to compare the wealth Of the
free people Of both States, committing again
the ridiculous blunder Of apportioning the