The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-08-22
The Condition Of the Country in DC
1855 60 and lS7O.sl


The July number of the North Amer
lean Review has an article from the pen
of Mr. David A Wells, on Revenue Re
form, which is full of pertinent illustra
tons aud telling facts. A very effect
i've point is made at the outset, bv a
statement of the condition of the Uni
ted States Immediately preceding the
war-that is to say, at the close of the
era of Free Trade which was terminated
by the disastrous reintroduction of the
protective policy in 1861. In the last
three years of the Free Trade policy,
US5S, 1859, 1861 "more substantial
progress was made than in any equal
period in the history of the country,
either before or since 1t was in that
series of years that the commercial tom
mage of the United States rose for the
first and last time to upward of five and
a half millions Of tons, (5,353, 1868 in
1S59-60, and 5,539,S13 in 1S6O-6l y
that the annual crop of cotton exceeded
five millions of bales. (5,196944 bales
of 400 pounds each-United States CEN
sus 1860: } that the value of the exports
of manufactured cotton a2proximated
eleven millions per annum, (Sl0.934,-
796 in lS99-60; S3,527,736 in 1909
while the nation at large purchased and
consumed the largest per capita quantl-
ties of sugar, coffee, and cotton cloth.
The number of miles of railway con-
structcd ana the number of cotton spin.
dies put in operation during those years
was also far greater than for any for
mer equal period; while the number of
pounds of cotton which the manufac-
turers of the United States converted
into yarn, cloth, or other products for
the year 1S59-60, exceeded the quanti-
ty consumed for the same purpose for
the year 1870 by over fifteen millions
of pounds, or forty six thousand bales
of 461 pounds each.*
During the same time our purchases
and imports from foreign countries
greatly increased, but our exports and
sales of domestic products and mer-
chandise increased in ar equal or great
er proportions; 50 that, during each OF
the years under consideration, the bal
ance Of Indebtedness remained uniform
ly in favor of the United States; our
imports for the years 1858, 1859, and
1860 being S2S2 100000, S33S,00O,oO0
and 1862 100000, while the exports fol
the same periods were S323,000,O00
$685., 100000; $500, 100000, respective
ly, gold valuations.
Turning now to compare the present
condition of the country with this pic.
ture of what it was ten or twelve years
ago, we find now san almost universal
complaint, among the producing or la
boring classes, that the receipts from
income or wages are entirely dispropor
tionate to the expenses of living. =
We find enforced idleness, ships unem
ployed, commerce departing from it
old and legitimate channels, producer:
of great staple articles complaining tha
they are working to no profit, imports
increasing, and exports of domestic
manufactures relatively decreasing, trade
dull, collections difficult.
*Tbe consumption of cotton, Nortl
and South, for the year 1S59-60 is re
turned at 92S,043 bales, of the average
net weight of 461 pounds per bale. Th'
total consumption of the United State
for the year 1S69-70 was SSl, 1861 bales
of approximately the same weight.