The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1868-01-31
Values Before and Since the War.
From the Providence Journal

1t is dsagreeable to US to tell our readers
that they have not nearly as much value in
property as they think they have We
wish that the fact were otherwise, bat it is
our Office to state things as they are rather
than as we wish them to be.
We estimate values upon the legal tender
rather than the coin standard, and are not
mindful that there is full one-third diff
ference in these measures of values Then
we forget to take into the account that t e
imitation of the currency has put it into the
power of the Spectator to unduiy enhance
values by creating an artificial demand for
property, and by monopolizing the supply.
Then we forget that the Government has
a mortgage upon our property for the pay
ment of the national debt equal to one
seventh Of its value; aud that in addition 10
this there is further ncumberance for
municipal and State Indebtedness, which
will augment the public charges upon our
property to nearly twenty-five per cent or
one fourth of what it is worth.
The idea that the country has grown
richer during the war Is simply absurd,
and the quicker the people are brought to
appreciate the real condition of things the
better. The allegation that one nillion of
men, for near four years, were Withdrawn
from the producing classes, and employed
not only in consuming products, but in de-
stroying them, and in imraring the ca
pacity of the country to produce, without
impoverishing the country, is too mon
strons for belief The men and the capital
employed during the war in providing ma
terials of war and supplies for its prosecu,
ton, contributed little to advance the ma
terial wealth of the alton, for these were
expended In the war or left on hand and of
lite value at its conclusion.
The fact is, We have simply marked up
our goods" and based our wealth upon the
advanced price. To sustain this price We
must stop producing. But then we shall
soon cat out our subsistence. This will not
do What then? This is a secret worth
knowing and acting upon. We shall impart
it to our readers. First, discard all these
panaceas which demagogues propose as
sudden and complete remedies for the evils
of the time, and take to labor and economy.
See to it that public affairs are admins
tered upon just principles that peace is
thoroughly established, and the productive
industry of the country is everywhere en-
couraged and developed to its utmost ca
pacity. Ii the nation, with one mind,
should will it, our exports might be doub-
led, the balance of trade could be turned
in our favor In a single year, and from
this source alone, i'm course of compare
lively few years, We could pay our national
debt. But We cannot attain this result un-
less we economic in practices, and ener-
ges and industry Increase our labor, en-
large the intelligence by which it is directed
increase our productions in quantity and
kind, enlarge the fields of our commence,
and open new markets for our commodities,
cconomize in our expenditures, and bring
the consumer and producer in closer prox.
unity and utilize our resources by liberia.
ting large number of middle men TO be-
come producers, and then by husbanding
all the resources of national wealth. we can
show that we are not only equal. but su-
perior, to all acknowledgements which are up
on Us.