Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1862-11-21
Prices Advancing.-The Causes.

prices current" We End the significant
word advancing written asains, almost
every article in the lis,. And tais Is moth
in: newt, has been 30 for weeks and
months, until the prices now asked Tor
many things. are almost fabulous. This
state Of thing, naturally creates more or
les excitsmsn, IN business circles. and e1'
tend, in many localities TO nearly whole
communities. Men are making fortune. in
a day. on the rl.O Of goods and usrehan.
die. on their hands. Everybody almost,
sIeep, the consumers. are growing rich.
Spectators are half insane with excitement.
while the poor and inds@,. are troubled
with fearful iorebodings. OF enormous rries.
ahead In this whirlw,bd % financial sI.
element, Il l. we'll enough for US to study
oaESCs. In order TO end our latitude aud lon.
gi,ute and make our calculations lor the
future. We propose now to state some OF
the more prominent, reasons, which have
operated TO bring Abou, this unnatural state
Of thing. in the business world. l. som
article. are high because they are scarce.
be-; there are exceptions to the general rule.
THIS remark will apply 10 cotton. taken out
Of the marke, to great extent by the rcb,l.
lion. - Of other artieles, such a. tobacco,
rice, spirits OF turren,inc. ro.in. &c. raised
principally in rebeldOm. Scarcity Of cotton
naturally affect. the price. Of all cotton fab
ric-. and does no, stop here. bu, extends 20
woolsn, hence the great advance in wool.
and wcollen goods . Speculation has
had. and s,ill has good deal TO DO with
the rapid advance in prices. A auc,ua,ins.
unsettled market. naturally invites .peeula.
ton. We have in every town, and in near.
IN every village. class u men who live by
wha, !. generally termed specula,ins."
They are non proluccrs-,hey neither plant
or -ow, while they add no,hln; 10 the com
mon stock. Their business i. 10 live on
other uen's earnings anI lsbors. while IN
too many case-. they grow rich out OF their
neishbJr.' mi,ioEiunes. These modern Shy.
locks stand ready at every corner, 70 make
grab whenever luck or accident seems 10
favor them. To them, pAnic- and other
violent fluctuations in the bu.iress world.
are streaks oi fortune. Ia times like the-e.
ihsss men are bu,y, anl ;heir schemes. and
plots, and combinations. o'ieniims. Affect
the bu.ines, relation. Of whole commuui-
iie.. Rich and opulsn, mercantile houses,
have a powerful influence IN getting up al.
vance pricr.. They seize upon and buy up
whatever commodities are scarce in the
market, and thereby obtain complete mo
u1roiy Of the article. Thi. enables them TO
cottrol the market and dictate priec-
Bu.inc.. mcu OF loscr grade, such a. ,ec-
oni baud purchasers. retailers and country
dealers, are comparatively IN the power OF
these merchant kir:s. Country traders are
often een.ur,d unJu.,ly. for = rice in iher
merchandise, whru the hGl, Is not with
ihem but with the nAhos.. who dictate
prices no, only to them. bat the world }.
Army consumption and army waste. both
tend u advance the price. Of all such good.
and article. as ATE u.,d by our troops, du.
ring the progress. Of tbe var. This remark
Srphc- % both TODD and clothing. In ihe
f5od Furnished tho amy, gr-a, deal /.
consumed aud much wasted. STREET se0Bo-
my. from the circumstances % the case.
cannot be rcilIy enforced IN feeding hund-
rel. of thousand. Of uen. exposed TO all the
vic..s,iai,s 81 climate. weather. aud az.
vlncine, re,r,s,iu: or 6sh,ins, jus, as the
force % circumstances dictate. - with
soldiers clothing; the hArd,hirs attending
their Roget co1r,,. son makes old gar
meu,s cut q usv. The increased tariff
ca imports, under the several trrig bills
which have Ys.-si Congress within a few
year,, all h,v, bah a tendency 20 carry up
prices. 4 uriT Of duties on imports. i. an
indirect TAX cn al articles upon which these
dutic. are imp -. The additional SUN
thu. pail ~ toe importer, Il by hin adied
TO the Pre-. Of the good, 10 bc paid Cor in
the end ~ tie consumer. ; The excise
'ur dir,c; ;aI Ta.,ei al the last session VI
the Irc-en; Congress, tend. 10 increase pr.
c.. The lic-nc. cIacirl Of merchants, both
wholesale AMI retail. wall be hy them con-
sIteryi Z licsnce u mark Up their goods.
Th, amount 70 b. PAID by railroad c0mpa.
MES under I'll. tar, has already hccu an CT.
cuse Tor ;hea ~ raise the price, on irsigh,s.
- with the manufacturer. Of cotton and
wllllen iahr.c.; the per ecntum paid the
Cover msui i added TO the price Of their
goods. o. TIC iualiion Of the circulating
melilm IN the currency o. the country. ha-
brouch, up prices. twas supposed that
alis- tie Banks. a. a matter OF self preser.
va,ion, bad stopped specie payment. and
era.sd TO redeem their bills m rold aud Ill.
w. tia, they would not increase their die.
counts. especially in view Of the large
amour, Of government Treasury Notes pu,
IN circulation. Bu, instead OF eur,ailipg,
they have expanded, until the paper eur.
rency Of the country has become Very plen-
". When " money !, plenty" ito use a
Common .yins) goods are high. These
iua.li'ns Of PAPER money always make
bushes. active. and at the sane time create
a ri.e on goods. ~ i, always has been, 50
it, now. :. The high rate paid for for
si:n exchange la. done much to make a