The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1867-06-07
HOW AMERICANS DEsPIsE THEIR
BIRTHRIGHT. gs.

The mineral weaitho Of Missouri Embedded in
her soil and piled up in mountainous masses
exceeds all computation, and her mineral
lands containing coal, iron, lead, copper,
zinc, tin and manganese cover an area of
from $4,000, 900 to 2o,O01, 600 of acres
The coal OF Missouri covers a great extent
of territory and is estimated at hundreds of
millions OF tons, the profits on the sale of
which, if there was any market at ALL would
amount to sum sufficient to pay the Federal
debe
Missouri estimates her iron not by tons and
masses but by mountains, the three principal
ones being Iron Mountain, Pilot Knob and
Shepherd Aosntaip. Ihess knobs average
somefive hundred feet high aud over a mile
square, with an unsounded depth. A thin
surface section would supply the country for
generations with all the iron needed for con.
sumption In the whole country.
This is but sample Of The undeyeloped
RESOURCES of the country, for we have abun.
dance Of mineral throughout the entire region
west of the Alleghanies, inexhaustible bodies
of timber, and throughout the west bound
less expanse of the richest and most produce
tive sdlin the world. While farther west,
and on the Pacific slope, are nnnumbered
and exhaustless mines Of the precious
metals, yielding a very large proportion Of
the gold and silver production of the world,
ct with all natural resources and advan-
tages Of our own country, and the rightful
inheritance of our own people, slarse class
of politicians advocate policy of depend
ence on foreign countries for manufactured
articles, and the expectation of gold and sill
yer to pay for them. We can buy foreign
iron for a less sum Of money than il will cost
10 make it at home, therefore go abroad for
it; English cloth costs less than American,
therefore buy Of the English manufacturers,
and so on to the end of the chapter.
The system is one which utterly ignores, or
rather practically repudstes, the material re-
sources and advantages Of our own country,
and sacrifices its industrial interests, and the
prosperity Of the masses, in order BIZ our
trade and custom to enrich the capitalists
o
Our lines have fallen to us in pleasant
places Astounding in all the natural resources
of wealth and prosperity; our Government
was formed to protect our ria hts and liber>
ties, and to promote the general welfare. We
are the possessors and owners Of all these ad.
vantages of position and of resources, and
we are accustomed to boast of them as esss
sndto pay fof additions of TerAory, to lie
crease our possessions. And then the cry
of Free Trade is raised, and the whole world
is invited not to come here and HELM
deveiope these resources, but to
stay where they are and reap the
LIONS share Cf the mesger profits which
with our limited means we can dig out Of the
earth, or raise on its soil and transport in
their crude state across the. ocean to ex>
change for the products Of the manufacturing
and skilled and profitable labor OF European
operatives
Every man Of common sense knows better
and acts on different principle in his own
affairs. Every community, town and village
recognizes the benefits Of angfaeturing 60
adjustments in their midst, and are ready 10
favor and patronize them. And every farmer
would be ready to subscribe portion Of his
hard earnings TO build railroad, if he was
assured that thereby he could get his produce
to market at a less cost that is if it would
bring him practically in closer communities
ton with the manufacturer and the market
Encouragement and protection to home
msnufactures,would do this for the whole
country, would retain within our own coun.
try the profits Of labor and capital, and at.
tract them hither, and develop our resources
and multiply on every hand the facilities o,
business, stimulate improvements, enhance
the value of real estate, and tend to the con.
slant increase of prosperity at home, bv the
circulation Of the accumulated pro6ts Of az.
riculture, manufacture and trade in our
midst, rather than drain them of to stimu
late the production and promote the welfar,
of the people in foreign countries, to th,
detnment Of our own favored soil.