New-York tribune., 1869-05-06
Comments Ju The Tribune.


The United States are increasing in popula'
ton at a rate of nearly or quite Two Millions
per annum; can it bo that we have year by
wear less property per head than before9 Yet
If the increase of our wealth simply keeps
pace with that Of our population, 1t cannot lall
short of One Thousand Millions of Dollars per
annum. And this, we are confident falls short
of the actual result.
For of what does National wealth consist
Manifestly, of lands, buildings, roads, canals,
bridges, vessels. &C., &C. Are these growing
" fine by degrees, and beautifully less' with
usP Cast your eyes over our cities, our VII
lages. our rural districts, and note how rapid
and general has been the construction of new
and the enlargement or repair of old buildings
since 1865. See how our railroads have been
extended, at the rate of two or three thousand
miles per annum. Remark that, on many old
railroads, iron rails have been replaced by new
steel substitutes of thrice their value. See how
our cities and villages enlarge their borders
at the rate of five to ten per cent. annually
Note how new clcarings are made in the from
tier woods, and new fields fenced off from the
virgin prairies. See how Iowa, Missouri, Kan
sas, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, are grow
ing, not merely in their cities and villages, but
in their farming districts as well. So in the
South, there has been an increased agricul-
tural product of at least twenty per cent. in
each succeeding year since 1865. The
Southern people are living far more
comfortably than they did even three
years ago; and they are not running
in debt for il, but rather reducing the volume
of their obligations. Wo have more stores and
they are far better stocked with goods than in
any former May since 1862; our rural mechan-
les are busy as bees at good, living rates; we
have more produce, more merchandise, and
more money in the savings banks than we had
three or four years ago. Farm-hands and jour
neymen mechanics obtain fair wages; female
labor in the household especially, is paid much
higher than it was. How can it be, when al
most every one has work who wants or will
accept it, and cash payment at increased wages
is the rule, that the country can be growing
poor7 1t is not, and cannot be.
True we import far too many goods, and
pay for part of them in bonds, which is de-
plorablc A deprecated currency, inducing
high prices, is mainly responsible for this. We
ought to reduce prices by resumng Specie
Payment, and thus diminish importation by
rendering it Improbable We ought to be
buying back our bonds held in Europe, instead
of selling her Millions after Millions more. We
ought to keep mp our Income to the present
standard, but reduce our Expenditures at the
rate of several Millions per month thus
enabling the Treasury to buy up our Bonds
until they shall have risen above specie par,
thereby checking their expectation and sale to
Europeans. But these ends are to be attained,
not through n reduction of our Tariff. which
would open new hoOdgatcs Of importation, but
through its maintenance at all events and its
increase whenever we change it at oil If we inn
port too much nOw-as We certainly dove
should agg1avate the evil by reducing our
Tariff. We owe a great Debt; we have vast
Pension List TO pay; We owe large sums to
Europe; an inflated Currency threatens all in
undation Of Foreign Wares and Fabrics. The
Tariff is our sheet anchor, and its loss would
drift us to hopeless wreck. stand fast