Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1868-10-15
~ -. = 49,
what are the United states
Worth! ~ ~

/ tors and editors about the enOrmity OF the
nationaidebt, and the impossibility Of pay,
| ing 1t off for ever SO many generations. 1t
is denomiuated a permanent mortgage up.
on The whole property and labor of the
country. We are cody invited TO contenn-
riate ourselves, not only as groaning UNI
der load of debt that is never likely TO
be discharged, but as acquiescing in our
own dishonor,tand emancipatiDg ourselves
from the incubus by attempting TO paw II
of by an unlimited issue OF gresnbacks.-
Such remedy would be so much worse
than the disease, that any party which
should carry it into execution would be
itself utterly repudiated by the people OF
our nation,
But let us consider, for moment. the
actual ngures OF our debt, as compared
win the probable resources of our people.
we say probable resources, because allthc
means Tor estimating the value of property
or The aggregate ofwealth in this country,
are necessarily imperfect and necessarily
remotely approximate. The science of
statistics Is yet in its infancy, nor has even
the hrst rude attempt been made to tabu-
late the value of property in The national
census until within the last thirty years.
The basis OF these tables, in fact, was the
State levy of all property for purposes OF
taxation, which is no orIously greatly be-
low the real value. 1t also excluded All
property belonging tothe States or 10 the
Cni'et States. When il is considered thai
this rough estimate thus excludes from val
nation, as property, the entire public do.
main, with its enomons, though undevel>
oped wealth, as well as every other spe>
cies or Government property, whether
STATE or national, ii will readily appear
That The figures are sufficiently moderate.
The first attempt 10 procure data for an
estimate OF our national wealth was in the
census oil $40. Since then we have had
Two inventories of property, and il ia prob
aoie that the figures 0hough as yet far
from trustworthy grow steadily more and
more complete at the end of each census
decade. Made up rs they arc,
certainty can not be suspected
OF over-statemcnts.
The following are The figures oft ag-
gregaie valuation Of property, both real
and personal, III the national census, al the
respective periods named:
So, 16f. 900 900
ioev. --.---..-................. .l3j, 7S0, 22S
icoo: .....--.-........ 16, los, GIG, 06S
III VIII thus be seen that, while the per
ccntaSc OF increase in the decade from 40
10 20 was less than 100 per cent, the ratio
during The next decade was increased to
ever l26 per cent.
But in the last census the Marshals were
| instructed To go further. They procure,l
retnn from individuals. i'm each census
district throughout the United States. of
real estate and personal property as value
at The time. which was the ist day of
June. 1860. The aggregate of this distinct
valuation was, forfhe whole United States.
no less Than s19-0S9. I5G. 2ss. or round
nineteen fhOgs0nd millions ofdO{lars.
II we offset the whole sum of The nation
al debt against this. Excluding, ms il does.
all national and State property. and embra-
cling only the individual wealth of the ma
ilon). we shall have the following result:
Aggregate OF private wealth
in the United States in
o.-..:--......-.... ....... $4,000, GO0,0 900
Amount or national debt in
IN icOS....... -............ 200, 000, 900
Balance. SIR, 1o0. oOo. 600
But the above leaves out of account the
great INCREASE, during The past eight wears.
of our aggregate of wealth. This has been
prodigionsly rapid in some directions. Gas
in agricultural, and less so in others. We
will not claim that it is equal To The ratio
OF the preceding ten years, although il is
certain that The growth Of certain indus
tries and the great influx OF foreign popu-
l.tion since 1sG5, ere doing much, (and
viii do stu more between ibis snd 1901
10 repair the waste and losses caused by
orr four years wsr. Suppose we state
the increase for the current decade az only
one half Of wbet II was ten years prece
dios- This {, certainly moderate enough.
And. as we are aware that the value OF
sieve property was reckoned in The census
OF 1850. we will deduct tina; item from the
basis of calculation. We shall then hare
the following h Hffsru
Aggregate ofprivste yvesIih
in the United States in
iS66....@.. ............ $40, 000, 000, 900
Deduct estimate value of
4,Oo0,O00 sl4ycs ~ SEQ. 1000, OO0, 900
Ai. ST., 900, ooe, 900
Add percentage of incrcs Sc = -.'si
1850 Ia 1870. ut one half -.s-'i 80.
that of 1874 IN 1850 or 81