, 1873-05-24
AGRICULTURE THE BASIS OF OUR INDUS

AGRICULTURE THE BASIS OF OUR INpUS-
TRY.
Why does tho prosperity of manufactures do
! pend upon the growth aid prosperity Of agri-
culture?
Noarly every Intelligent person comedies tho
fact not every ono comprohouds tue cause or
the oxtont Of that dopondoucc.
Erect mills, secure materials and l,anils turn
out products however abundant, mnintain them
at artificial prices however high, and tloro got
remainH ono absolutely essential condition Of
succoss-adcquato consumption Of products.
Tho largo production yields only largo loes If,
for want Of adequate consumption, too much OF
tho product remains on land mud unconsumed.
For this reason, many establishments lavo
failed, and many arc failing, under the opera
ton Of tho prosont protective tariff. Honce,
tho first md surost tost Of tho progress Of manu.
factures in my branch is not the increase Of
production, but tho Increase in consumption Of
its products.
Tho hands employed in manufactures, nnd
those depondcnt Oh them, can consume but d
small part Of thoir products, nor, it ali porsons
engaged in trade and transportation and in per-
aonal or professional services, haye NO got o
| body OF consumers ut all adequate to tho sup
port Of manufacturing. Tho imnenso body OF
persons who depend upon agriculture for liy-
ing must III thiy country consume moro than half
OF tho products Of manufaoturos, il they
arc consumed at all In 1860, only 61,000
workers produced all the woolon goods con-
Sumod by S1,00Oooo OF people. except the
quantity imported, then about one-fourth Of
tho whole, go that $4,000 workers would
have supplied mora wooden goods than the whole
nation consumed. Only 900 workers aup-
piled moro than 1yo-axtI1s Of tie cotton goods
then consumed in tho country; and 900
| workers. supplied niae-tentls Of tho iron aud
its products consumed. 80 OF other ma1ufac-
lures; it We arc shut out from foreign markets
for our products, the number Of persons who
can protltaDly 10 employed in any branch Of
manufactures is limited by the ability Of perHons
not employed in manufacturer to consume it's
products, and must, in any case, be very small
part Of tho whole population.
Now, Of persona not employed in manufae-
turos, far more than ono-half arc dependent
upon agriculture for uubagtonce. In 1860,
those directly engaged in agriculture were
moro than ono~half Of tho whole NUM-
Der of poreous employed, but of tho
persons mob 40 engaged worry con-
siderable proportion wore fomaIes who lad
not families depending upon thon. go that tho
proportion OF families or persona dependent
upon agriculture was much mors than ono-l,alf,
According to the consus Of 1870, out OF II. .Coo,-
COG malcB engaged In gainful occupations,
6,525,6o9, or "a per cont, wore engaged in agri-
culture, and OF the remainder about 100 600 wora
domestic Beryauta, 30 that mucl moro than half
Of tho families and inhnbitanta Of tho ontiro
country arc now, and wcto in 1885, dependent
| upon agriculture for subsistence. In proportion
to the prosperity Of that industry must bo their
ability to consume tho products Of manu-
factnroa. Whom crops fail, When prices
fall 30 that cropa yioll no fair return
for labor. tho vast body Of persons dependent
upon this great industry must porforco restrict
their purchases; theY make tho old clothoB wear
yet q Httlo longer, the old shoos aro more
patiently patched, tho dealrod repairs and i'm
provements ind purcllasos of implements and
machinery arc doforred az far aa poaBiblo. Az
they consume 30 largo proportion of all goods
aud warca manufactured, worry moderate de-
orease in their consumption makea all tho dlf-
forenco between large profit and largo loss tom-
portaat branclos of manufacture. Any contln~
ued depression Of the farming interoht is an snre
to be followed by tho closing OF factories, the
abandonment OF mills, and tho daohargo Of
laborerH. aa tho uprootIng Of the piant is to he
followed by tho whitening OF Its foliage mud
fruit.
Not only tho prosperity OF farmers, but