The Sweetwater enterprise. (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1869-187?, 1871-06-15
Radical PrOtcetiOnlsts vs.. POpuIa.

States-ahaaNith fatal-0lIasA 10 IA
wealth, population and material growth
OF the entire country, has marked tn
course Of legislation in the Congress o
the United States, when that angus
body could spare time from the para
mount work " crpshipg- out every YES
tige Of civil liberty within the limits o
the late Confederate States. Disastrous
indeed, haa been the policy Of that de
generate Legislative assenbly Fuinon'
to the best interests Of the people Of thu
whole nation, and in direct opposition
to tho FREQ principles they profess t
cherish With such solicitudc, The fol
lowing able and truthful statement Of
few Of the results which have followed
as a natural consequence Of tho labor
OF imbecilo Lawmakers, We find in thu
June number Of an excellent Now Yorl
monthly, 1t is well worth . careful pc.
rusal, as indicative OF the iato that vii
be- ours il we fail to hurl from power
the present corrupt and rotten admins,
tration. 1t says;
II the Protectionists could retain th,
power. they would presently abolish the
census and tho Bureau Of Statistics
Facts arc their worst foes. Scarcely {
single monthly document issues from
tho Bureau Of Statistics that does moi
deal q blow at the system Of monopoly
But the decshuisl consus with its dis.
closure Of the actual progress Of TIL,
country in population, wealth, and each
branch Of industry, is not o blow but q
grand bombardmcnt, under which the
defenses Of Protection crumblo, and its
advocates are glad to hide themselves in
holes. As yet there have been received
but few of the facts ascertained by the
of 1870; yet these are 80 potent
hat the leading advocates of Protection
in Congress are already trying to devise
some compromise bill which shall break
the force Of the popular demand for re.
form, and yet preserve something Of the
system Of favoritiSm.
The population Of tho country, as as
certained BY the census of 1870, surprises
all statiaticians, BY falling fur below the
established rate Of increase. BY the
most intelligent writer's it was supposed
that the aggregate could not fall below
thirty-nine and a half millions, yet it
proves to be loss than thirty-eight and
n half, The increase during the decade
has been less than twenty, two per cent,
whereas in the decade 1850-60 the in
crease was 35l per cent. At first sight
may be supposed that the losses OF
account for this difference; but sta
do not estimate tho loss from
cause higher than 100000 persons,
and adding this to tho asccrtainod pop
u~lation, the increase would be only "a
per cent. Ample allowance for losses
probably. creator than the
actually werc--had been made
by those statisticians who esti-
mated the population at 80, 500, 900.
Yet the facts show a further loss Of one
and a quarter. The increase of
population has not been lower than 80
per cent in any other decade since the
organization Of The government; but now
4 falls, after allowing 100000 for war
.osseE, to "a per cent,
The increase In wealth has not yet
been ascertained with accuracy; the pub
figures are not the returns OF act
lal valuation given to the ce~nsus-takers,
put the aggregate Of assessed value for
.axation. We believe that the assessed
'aluations, compared Nth returns Of Ike
A0ractS' for previous years, afford a fair
Indication of tho progress Of the country
n wealth. 1t may DO presumed that
he valuation for purposes of taxation
,ears about the same relation TO the net
lol value Of property, in all the States
ogether, at Il period rs Mt another.
II some States, property may now be
nore strictly assessed, and in others
moro loosely, than in 1860; in the ag-
,regate, there is reason to suppose the
proportion of assessment to value does
lot materially vary.
Tho aggregate Of assessed valuation in
$50 was six thousand millions, and in
$50 ton and u half, the increase being
twenty-five per cent. But the aggregate
Il assessed valuation in 1870 was about
$4,000, 100000, and tho increase only
2, 500, 00O, 900, or less than twenty-four
yer cent. In 1850, the valuation per
atnta vas 1851; and in in 1860, it was
'334--a gain in wealth as compared
nth population Of $73 for every man,
and child in the United States.
'ut the valuation per capita in 1870 is
$40, and the gain per capita in ten years
My six dollars.
II has been said, and with some truth,
hat the emancipation Of shares has trans
orned about $500, OOO, 900 of assessed
property into persons. This, however,
3 much more than the assessed valua-
ion Of staves in 1860. They wore not
ssessed, even if they were valued, M
as $500 each, women and children
ncluded. And the whole number of
according to the census Of 1860,
,as only 3,953,587. The assessed vaIu-
ton was probably not moro than $3.50
ach, and the Aggregate assessment of
Of this description was there
ore less than n thousand millions.
With allowance for this difference in the
assessments Of 1860 and 1870, the in
rease has been about 3d. SOC, 1000, 900,
r thirty-seven per c%ent--just half Of the
alto of increase been uninterrupted, the
ssessed valuation Of property in 1870
Tould have been about $l7,0O0,0o0,O 900
estimating the increase only upon
than slave property assessed in
$50,