The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1869-09-24


of heavy taxation, fortunes are being real
lied, every year, that put to shame the pos
sessions of European Princes, and this by
men who add nothing to the value of our
property, or to the stores of our informa-
ton.
BALANCE OF TRADE. ..
When you begin talking to these prohi-
bltionlsts about their legalized rascality,
you are met with volume ofjargon, utter
Ell In the most solemn manner, as if it were
the profoundest wisdom, and you are silenc-
ed and confounded by technicalities that
are as incomprehensble to you as they are
to the people who use them.
1t is said that all learning consists in
giving names to facts. Knaves understand
ing this closely initiate the philosopher,
and cover their shams with high sounding
titles that confound honest men. Thus,
when you attempt to discuss your right
to sell your produce in the market that
pays the best price, you are met by the as
! sertion that the balance of trade is against
us, and my individual profit is the nations
ruin, and the chap uttering this looks as
solemn as bull, and as stolid as grindstone.
1t is perfectly ludicrous when you sift out
| the meaning, to find that the sentence so
solemnly uttered, begins in an insult and
ends in lie. 1t insults your understand
ing, and misrepresents the fact.
don't ask what the fellow means. for
that were waste of time. He probably
don't know himself But what is the
meaning of that magical term ''balance of
trade2" Well, I'll tell you. 1t means de-
Quoting at home the value of your exports,
and the result is called the balance, or bal
ance of trade, and really means the profit
OF the transaction.
That is, to illustrate, you take car load
OF wheat to Cincinnati, and bring back
in exchange car load of groceries, and the
difference makes the balance. And if you
have brought back, in value more than YOU
took away, you have made profitable ex-
change But this is the balance of trade
that is to ruin us. 1t will ruin the coun-
try. Well, we like that sort of ruin, and
for nearly century we have been growing
rich on it.
"But," scream the prohibitionists, "you
don't pay for the difference in produce;
you run in debt, and pay it in money"
can't see what this has to do with it. 1t
reminds me of the old sum given us boys
at school, to bother us, which said, "What
will eight and three-quarter pounds of
beef come to at three cents pound, sup
posing one-half fat ?" What has the money
to do with it Before we pay the money
we must get it; and when gold is used in
that way it becomes an article of export,
and counts like wheat, potatoes or tobac-
| co.
To illustrate again; Suppose you discov-
er gold mine on your farm, and instead
of raising wheat you work your mine, and
take to Cincinnati car load of the pre-
cious metal to exchange it for manufacture
ed articles and groceries. 1t would be the
best thing you could do, for you could not
eat the gold nor drink it, nor wear it. That
is precisely what we have been doing as
people. The California mines have been
supplying the world with the precious me-
tails, and had the trade until the discovery
OF the Australian mines, and in consequence
we have been prosperous. Our wives have
worn silks and satins, and our fair daugh-
tiers have made music at the rank a-tank,
called in polite circles the piano.
what extravaganza 2" roars the prohibit
tionists, walk over tapestry carpets, and
listening to concert grand from the make
of Steinway & Sons; 'these farmers" wives
wearing silkes and the daughters playing
the piano, when they ought to be over the
wash tub, or hoeing corn and digging po-
tatoes the country is going to the devil I"
Be patient, my Christian friends. There
is no one in our wide land better entitled
to the best, than the honest, pains-taking,
overworked farmers wife and no girl has
q better right to make home happy with
music, than the daughter. The extrava-
gance consists in getting these things when
you can't pay for them. But it is not be-
coming in these bloated aristocrats, who
are coming colossal fortunes from our hard
earnings, through unjust legislation, to
talk about extravaganza. If they will get
out OF the way and let us repeal these laws,
we will be able to clothe our dear wives in
the best and give our fair daughters their
musical educations, God bless EN-
CONCLUSION.
I make my apology for thus OBTAINING
you. IfPd had more time would have
been briefer. Now, l don't want the gen
tlemen Of tie press to go away and assert
that I have impaired the harmony of
this harvest home by a political speech. If
they do, it will be lie, as usual, Laugh
teri for have made no political speech.
uaFe peen purify agricultural. Renew
ed laughter and cries of That's so."l If
anything have been more religious than
political. 1 have exhorted, and prayed
over this infiction ola dollar ten, with a
downward tendency. Laughter. These
are mighty questions for us farmers to con
slider, for they are purely agricultural.
What is it to us to study the sort of wheat,
the climate, the soil, the time to sow, and
the time to reap, if our wheat, when gath
cred, cannot be sold at q profta Why is
it not sold at profit is question that
comes home to all of us. Then go home
and study. Hunt up the statistics and
satisfy yourself We may not be able in
the end to have lobby or ring in Wash
ington to press our claims but please God,
we can and must have Congressman who
will represent our interests with the same
zeal and ability that distinguishes the
representatives Of the manufacturing inter
ests.
Colonel Piatt retired loudly applauded.
Beautiful Passage.