Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-10-20
THE LESSONS OF EXPERIENCE.

the SouthIons having lefb the friends of
Protection in majority in either House Of
Congress, they improved their opportunity
by framing and passing what is known as
the Morrill, and has been stigmatized BY its
enemies as the immoral Tariff Though
moderate in its rates of duty, it was unmis-
taxable in its purpose, and was at once We
hemently denounced by Free Traders as
measure of insane Prohibition-of japanese
isolation. We were to have no more foreign
trade, or next to none, till its repeal, clamored
The Times tLondon,) as well as the great
body of Economist doctrinaires, including
even so masculine a thinker as Harriet Mar
tineau. That we had setourfaces stubbornly
toward the Dark Ages and decreed the in
exorable expulsion from our shores of that
large and respectable class of Europeans who
live to supply us with the Wares and Fabrics
of the Old World was devoutly believed.
And, SO long as the War lasted, they could
not be made 80 realize that our subssting
commerce was not the Fictitious and transi-
tory result Of our belligerent necessities.
But the War was ended nearly or quite six
months ago. We have long since ceased to
import Niter, Lead, Arms, Army Blankets,
or anything of the sort Our armies have
in good part been dissolved and the men
sent home. And yet though our exports
are reduced nearly to minimum by the
Wars suspensicr ofCotton- growing we are
nevertheless importing foreign products
mainly Wares and Fabrics-at the rate of
not less than Three Hundred Millions
worth per annum-importing, to say the
least quite as largely as our existing means
| of payment will warrant. And we are likely
to import more rather than less so soon as
we can grow the crops wherewith larger i'm
portations may be paid for.
And we are paying Federal Taxes alone at
the rate of fully Ten Millions of Dollars per
week, or Five Hundred Millions per apnum
Though our volunteers are not all disbanded
yet and though many bills for War expenses
are from day to day presented and paid we
are already more than paying our cnrrent
expenses including the exceptionally high
rates OF interest on our vast Debt. Our two
last monthly Treasury balance sheets have
astoDished the civilized world by exhibiting
IN either instance diminution by several
Millions of Dollars of the principal of our
Debt and corresponding reduction of the
annually accruing interest.
We are confident that no other nation ever
paralIeled this so closely on the heels ofa
gigantic and devastating War.
Our Labor is generally well employed and
rewarded. There have rarely been fewer
men vainly seeking work in our City than
now. In long inland journey whence we
have recently returned, we could hear of no
dearth Unemployment anywhere. We doubt
that there are One Thousand men looking
for manual labor in the two States of Wis
eonsin and Minnesota which together have
about One Million inhabitants. An ayerae,
mechanic receives in Central Minnesota the
price of three bushels Of Wheat or fifteen
bushels of potatoes for days work; com
mon laborer is paid the price of two bushels
OF Wheat or ten bushels of Potatoes: and
there is work for more men than can be had.
We do not believe there were hundred
men looking for work or wanting il in the
two cities of st. Paul aud Minneapolis.
with joint population of 10000.
VI course, there is some grumblipg. as
there always is. One would have the evi-
dences of our National Debt taxed; though
-as we have all that Debt to borrow afresb
at very short dates-the effect of this would
| inevitably be to raise the rate of interest 40
as to take five dollars out ofthe Treasury for
every four it put in. If you tax the bonds.
the lender will take that circumstance into
account in alaking his bids for the new loans
whereby most of those now running must
soon be replaced; so, that, instead of gradu-
ally working our average rate of interest
down to five if not to four per cent. we shall
have to pay Six or seven, as now.
This project of tightening our burdens by
taxing our Debt is as futile as tits perGdious.
But prices are too high. Admit it. Our
paper makers ask too much for their paner
compelling us to charge accordingly for our
issues the Cotton spinners are making I'VE
are told) large profits; the farmers are get
ting high prices for their products: the a.
boring class demand liberal wages the land
lords require big rents All this. we nre.
sumo, is so; yet we are all getting on. Ner.
| chants are selling many goods and getting
pay for them; farmers are thriving; laborers
are generally comfortable; newspapers are
well supported as we can attest. We doubt
whether this American People we sneak
more especially of the States that took no
part In the late revolt-were overriding bet
ter than now. Considering our mountain of
National and local Debt this is remarkable
of course an effort win be made next Win
ter to reduce the Tariff but we cannot be-
lieve that it stands any chance of success
How should it? Suppose we had, for the
last two or three years, been supplied with
cheaper Paper cheaper Calicoes, cheaxer
Iron from Europe, how should we have uhid
for them? How should we pay for them
overthrown on the assumption that the |
country had been reduced by it to idleness
and embarrassment. Shall such facts he
overborneH The South and the West are
now largely increasing or repairing their
factories; woolen mills, &c, are being erect.
ed or RENTED almost everywhere. Let well
L u