Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1858-01-22

AN'itui'urai htausttt hrc out cumputa-
ton OF the bread and butter. meat, wool,
&C., which our fields and animal. yield
their cost, their price, demand, supply, and
whatever else concerns them.
The merchant often takes an account Of
stock; the pruden, householder. before
setting Of winter, examines his bin. aud
barrcls and woodpilS; the farmer looks
sharp to sce IL be can winter all his cattle
we'll the shipmastcr, before weighing an
chor on years voyage, serutiniIcs closely
the quantity and condition Of hi storrs.
and Wha, other than such like would the
state DO in collecting agricultural stats.
ucse
I, may he said, and with truth, that It j.
no easy matter to obtain rall and accurate
statistics ON any points. bat If We may no,
obtain complete accuracy We may gradually
improve, aud approximations to truth are
OF great value conparod with mere guess
work. Il is also doubtless true that some
minds associate the idea OF taxation a,
closely or necessarily connected with such
inquiries. aud IL they be iirs; made by asses
s0r., many might naturally tall into this
error, and - be lei to unic-,a,c acts-to
avoid which. might it not be begun at least
hy district school teachers, whose daily oc-
cupaiion il j. to impart knowlcdee, ana a
Few whose leisure winter evening. might
thus serve TO gather somc for the hcuch, Of
a larger school. The lull benefits to b. ob-
taineI by means Of statistics are developed
very gradually. Itis no, by one, nor by a
few, but by long continued periodical ob.cr.
wiions alone that data are O. b. had from
which may be dcducsi all the conclusions
which they are capable Of yielding
Asa first step, we should cndeayor TO
comprehend their value and use. II such
b. even yet the case, in some degree. abroad
much more is it noedful here. \ late In.
s'ish writer ays "To arrive ata correct
Of the sabcc,, We must first
h. con,inccl Of IT, importance and Of It.
then distinctly apprchcni wha,
&. required, and lastly by what means Il,
may b. attained Gu the Importance and
expediency Of collecting statistics OF agricul.
iurll produce, IL might seem hardly neccs-
sary TO enlarge, but the claims Of statistical
scicacc in this direction have not hitherto
b,cn universally rccosuird, l, lisa mclan.
choly truth. that. A. yet, few believe in
statistics. The philosophy Of induciivc sci-
cncc j. with Arso numbers a mysterious
problem. Everybody admits tina, il in r..
peated instances over a long space Of time,
a certain even, has happened at certain y.
riods, there j. good ground for believing
that the same will continue TO happen but
a prrconceiyed skep,iclsm in numbers pre-
vents them applying common reason to
great bat every day occurrences. They
have not the power of masnlfying figures
and Of preserving the sane faith in them.
Besides, other considerations foreign 20 tie
purpose. as we'll as self.intercst, political
tendencies, or drcad Of revelations, enter
the mind and are suifcicn, to make them
decided enemies 70 statistical inquiries. The
masses. therefore, must be taught the mean
in: Of statistics, their obrc, and province.
Statistic. is the science Of observation. II
takes actual facts and .,udies them in their
nature and ELECTS. Il /. founded rather on
experience than on theory. \ chemical
discovery j. made. Il isapplicd 10 the cul-
tiyation Of the soil The statistics Of pro-
duce Of that soil before and after the appli.
cation Of such chemical discovery Is the
.urc.t tcst Of is worth. Within the domain
ol statistics b. whatever is imporan, to the
interest Of a State. whether it De institu-
tions, physical forces, education, science,
crime. or religion. IT, province Is to elab.
ora,c truths which lie remote from the sur
face Of daily life, and to reduce into sia,is-
tical analysis, the wants, the resources and
the experiences Of society at large
And again e" The collection Of agrieuI,
tural statistics is an essential duty Of ma
tions and Of iniiyiduals--a duty, the per,
fJrmaucc Of which demanding an extensive
and permaneu, machinery, i, bohoovcs gov
crnmcnt to undertake. The difficulties to
IL Performance are more ephemeral than
real, and the objections raised against il,
are inconsistent with the true interests OF
the nation collectively and Of the indIyidu'
ais composing il respectively. Such inquiry
D. demanded by the uncertainty to which
tbe people j. exposed as 20 the amount OF
food il possesses within certain time, with
its ever increasing wants-by the aueiua'
ton which follows in the prices Of produce,
increasing or reducing it. value largely
aud by the necessity Of having timely
warning Of future wants. Further, thar II
. a measure both eHpedient and necessary
% the legislators 20 ascertain and study thC
wants, tho resources and the productive
forces u the State whose helm they bear
10 the jurist and moralist to ponder oyer
those moral phenomena 50 powerfully de-
,elopcd by abundance or indisenCe, by the
prevalence or deelensiOn Of asrarian crimes
aud offences against Persors or proPeriy-tc
the merchant, to appreciate the extent o
the field he is to operate, to bo prompt
energetic and calculating in his speculation
or 10 bo slow in giving eredenee to vague
f,ars ard o,,r,sb,,s --,,J IN the frmA,