Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1857-02-28
WY las the Cost OF iv.ng Eun Up 50
H;g;ty


asked in various tones of curiosity or com.
plant. Of the fact there can be no doubt
Every housekeepcr knows it. and some who
are not houseEe'pers. When we suffer there
Is some satisfaction in knowing the cause Of
ouf.sufterngs, even when we are unable to-
ebvlate them In the first place, then.
the prices of everything have advanced be-
cause the country is in Il state of unexam-
Piled prosperity. This is a comfortable re-
fiction at least, though it may at first sight
seem paradoxical How can any apparent
suffering, it may be asked arise out Of great
prosperity? The answer is very simple and
dlrect.-ln prosperous community every
one has more money to spend, and there
fore can afford to give higher prices for
everything. In prosperous community
wages are high and every one is employed,
earning something. ana in This way great
er demand Is created for everything that can
supply a human want.
AS Il nation, we are prosperous for manv
reasons We have the best and cbeanes,
government i'll the world. and we are there's
fore not impoverished by enormous taxation.
We have perfect freedom and therefore en-.
terprise and in lustry expand themselves in
every direction and the physical energies Of
man are stretched to their utmost limit. The
aggregate earnings of the people are greater
than they are anywhere else There is there
fore more competition for everything that is
bought and sold. For instance, the article
OF meats has gone up by the confession of
all, to an enormous price. But go into the
market and you will see the reason of this.
Everybody buys meat, foi the simple req.
son that everybody can afford to pay for it.
Aud everybody can afford to pay for it be-
cause everybody is employed at high wages.
There are portions OF the world where the
price OF labor is So bow that the laboring
classes caltnot afford to buy meat This il
the case throughout nearly all Asia and no
considerable part Of Europe Is the ques-
tlon asked why wages are so much higher ia
this country than in the old wolll?-Opc
reason has already been given, We have tho
best government Ca earth. Another and
perhaps more important reason is, that cur
population bears s.uall proportion to the
breadth of our soil. There is room, there
fore for the expansion ef enterprise .ad in
dusrry on al sides There is anether con-
sideration which is rot to be lost sight Of:
wages are kept high by the facilities Of com
muhicatioii aud the cheap rates at which /.
man may transport himself and family from
one part ct the country to another Labor
cannot become drug in any locality An
other circumstance OF car condition is unex.
ampied; the rapidity with which emigration
pours into the country, bringing hot only
luoUths TO consume Lut n,olley to Inv wha.
Is produced iroiG year to wear. No increase
at. 4, l..
with the increase OF our population FROM,
foreign emigration added to cur native
growth.
We can see what is taking place al over
the country b. what has happened to US here
in Baltimore. Within thirty yeas the pop.
ulation of eur city has neatly @, quite quad
rupled, and there has been no inconsl.ier-
ab.e accumulation OF wealth The consu,np-
ton Of everything has Increased III greater
ratio Bat the land under cultivation for
tie supply Of the city has not increased in
the sane proportion. 1t is not p Flaps twice
as large. Demand aud supply always rcgu.
lst.ns prices, the cost a. aeefythiue ha,
gone M If course, What has happened
here Is taking place all over the country.
anu hence tie gfeat increase Of living. lr
ia aild IA hltioi.S population, that there is IL
great Neiinat2n - iorsake tho country AMI
fioek Il HE cts. There is an eminol.s
cloud Of .siyeniurrrs who seem to have de-
tcrHiined 70 get their living hy their wills in.
stead ii their hanlS, and hcuce the balaaco
OF employment is destroyed = The collsl,ers
are multiplied faster ,han thu producers.
The influx ii GOLD from Gal.fainia has nm.
doubte',ly nlUeh to do with the high prices
OF everything So great an accession Of tho
precious metals is unexanllcd IN the history
Of tue world. What it, ei,.cts are and NAV
be can only be learnt BY the lapse OF time
lii re is ~ previous history, except that
perhaps OF spain, which enables rs 10 form
any conjecture. We are told, and perhaps
justly, that it is fortunate for rs that no
more Of our gold remains with us to siimu.
late our appetite fox cNttayagance aud ex~
cess.
This last cause Of high prices is the least
reputable Of all 1t cpunot he denied THAI
the Americans, independent az they pretend
to be, are too much the slaves If c,nyen-
tiolsaiism. They live too much for show
and too little for comfort, and are governed
by the opinions Of Others more than their
sense Of right or their eonyiofious of pro-
priety. We all incline to sail too high, ana
if it be so, the inevitable consequences will
be that our balloon will hurst, and W. shall
come to the ground with crash, and happy
will it be for US ii our lives be not Destroy
ed or our bones broken. Bait Sam
SWANS MONEY.
Our friend Swan seems to he sowing his