The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1867-02-03
OF. AnnnacAH xuDusrnY.


Zivel - follows, for the year 1seO;
In Agriculture 3I,oVy,vo0,vvv
dAnufncfures vlf,vvv,vvv
Mining 100, 200, 600 |
t1snlng A........... Ao,vvo'voe
Hunting x,vvV,oov
W God cutting Io,v0v,ouo
Domestic Commerce ...... l.bsOvvs,esv
Foreign Commerce. lW,vOss
Real Property 1s4ss,Voss0s
These figures seem enormous, ~ the actual
gains of one year, and yet they are all based
on actual and reliable statistics. except the
advance on real property, which isestimated
uocn partial returns and general averages.
Agriculture is, of course, the leading in.
terest, but it is only slightly in excess Of Do
mestic Commerce; and Manufactures comes
third on the list, and not very far behind
them. While Foreign Commerce, which is
represented as the chief glory, and the most
effective fundamentally in enriching nation,
occupies very humble position. And our
readers willn that this estimate was madein
1860, before the war, and before the passage
of the Morrill, tariff.
The truths, Foreign Commerce is mere
incident to Domestic Production and Domes.
tic Commerce in all great nations, and the
idea of trying to build up Foreign Commerce
by destroying Domestic Manufactures and
Commerce is simply preposterous.
But moreover, it is a principle of common
sense that our legislation should bear some
proportion in its relations to the interests in
volved, and yetit is proposed, by the advocates
of Free Trade and Foreign Commerce, that
we shall break down Domestic Manu-
features aud Commerce, which yield
near two billions and half per annum, in
order to b~iad-- up foreign commerce, from
which our income is less than two millions Of
dollars.
Great Britain is held up to our admiration
as country which has grown rich. in conse-
quence Of her. foreign commerce. Great
Britain had and has stock in trade upon
which she can operate in foreign commerce.
Several hundred years ago Great Britain had
no foreign commerce, because she had no
manufactures, and no domestic commerce a.
capital in trade.
She encouraged manufactures, she gave
bounties to Flemings and Hollanders, and the
best artifcers and manufacturers of the mos,
advanced countries of Europe we're induced
TO settle in England and prosecute their bus.
mess, and under fostering legislation, and a
stringent protective policy,pursued for years,
the manufactures of England finally exceed
ed in extent and variety those Of any other
country in the world.
Then, with an abundant supply of capital
NJ low rates Of interest. and with surplus OF
laborers ut low wages, England was prepared
to undersell any other nation, and to break
down the manufacturing interests of all ma
tons that were stupid enough 10 engage in
the game of free trade with her; for they had
no better chance to win than a green hand
would have with an expert gambler at his fa.
vorite game.
True enough, say the free trader, then lei
rs abandon the field to her, because she can
manufacture cheaper and better than We can,
and we will raise grain and meat to feed her
labcrers, and exchange for her manufactures.
That is precisely what she wants US to do,
and We do not like to do the very thing that
our opponents or enemies want us to, lest j,
might prove of more advantage to them than
70 US, as they evidently think it will, or they
would not want us to do it.
But what is our experience in that kind Of
policy We have found that England don
take much of our pork, and takes none Of
our corn in exchange for her manufactures
and even during the past season sent back q
goodly portion Of the few boxes of meat we
sent over, and thereby Knocked down the
price of hogs here this season to one hall
what it was last year.
And if we of the West unite with the free
traders elsewhere, to destroy the manufactur
ing interests of the country, in order to build
MP foreign commerce, we will rue our fo,ly
the longest day We live. We would hav.
neither foreign nor domestic market for tn,
products Of the farmer in the Mississippi
Valley. For, if We break down the manu-
featuring and the wool-growing interest, W,
drive the people Of New England, and of tn,
middle States and the Western States, int,
Agriculture, and they can raise grain ant
pork enouge to supply the world; can get i
to Europe quicker, and at less cost for trans
portation, than we can possibly. Where
then, will we find a market? No where on tn,
face ofthe earth. 1t won't pay TO raise SIR
plus, then, any better than it used to do be-
fore We had any means Of transporting it t
market.
Indeed, even now, With the immens
and growing manufacturing interests
and the widely extended ant
highly stimulated expansion of domestic com
merce, employing SO large proportion o
the population, our farmers have sometime
but very poor market here, and their sur
plus will hardly bear the cost of transports
lion to the seaboard. Now, let those manu-
facturers, and the greater portion of thos
engaged in domestic commerce, be withdraw
from the class of consumers, and enter int
the class of producers of food, and ws pre-
dict that it would take two bushels of grain
or two hogs, to pay expenses Of one over tn
railroads. to the seaboard, and then over til
ocean 70 England. -
Foreign importers find their interes. in ad
vocating free trrde; and our railroad compa
MES. in their short sightedness, fare ready /
put the country in utter dependence O.
Great Britain, for the sake of cheaper iron I
build their roads. But, iftheir policy i
carried out, and our domestic commerce an
manufactures arc sacrificed to the csy of fire.
trade and foreign commerce, By the s;ne Ia
railroads are built, there will DO ncshiur 70
them to transport aud the people will hay
neither the meats nor occasion to travel owe
them.
REMOVAL OF ILLINOIS STATE CAPT
TAI.
The project of removing the State Capits
from Springfield TO Decatur is before III
Legislature, and is being pressed with ear
nestnsss; though we are not advised A to i,
prospects Of success
Decatar has offered large bonus for II
Capital, Axcseding million dollars in valne
The Illinois Central Railroad favor. N
project, - Decatur is on their road.