Lexington weekly intelligencer., 1873-10-29
OUR IMPORTS.

A careful analysis Of the import |
trade of the United States discloscs
some facts well calculated to astonish |
the unimfurmed citizen and perplcX
the political economist. The statistics
for 1872 show larger total value than
for any preceding year in the history
of the country. The imports ior the
wear amounted to the enormous
figures of S677, 145, ,2o79 in gold, exceed
ing by more than Ss7 900, 900 the i'm
ports of 1871. Aboat onc-fifth of
this came i'll OH the free list, being
raw material entering into American
manufactures.
The greater portion of the import
trade is made up of staple articles and
more than one half of the imported
value of 1872, some $3.50, coo 900, was
composed Of sugar and molasscs. cof-
fee, cotton, woollen and silk goods,
aud of iron aud steel and the manu-,
fnctures thereof. We arc the largest
consumers of sugar and coffee in the
world, the value Of our sugar and
molasscs importation alone being
$50. .OOO, 900, or onc-seventil of the ell
tire import trade. and this in the fact
of the fact that We have in Louisian,
and Texas some of the finest cam
lands in the world. Coffee is fourtl
i'll magnitude on the list, being il
value about $42 600, 900. The value @
the tea importation is set down d
SIS 500. 900, and we have grand tot:
yalue Of sugar, coffee and tea col
sumed in the United States in OIL
year $l57 800 900, to which may L
: added $4,000, 900 worth of forcis
wine, in addition TO our enormol
home production of that gcncrol
beverage. AS bibulous people the
can he no question as to our success
but with all the stimulants we emplt
aud use and ray for, it takes Ss;
OOO, 600 of foreign woollcns 10 prote
usagainst the vicissiludes of our wi
ter climate. Woollcns are second
sweetening, in point Of value, on
list. and this is true Of q country pc
sesscd of a practically boundlt
domain, free as uir to the shephcl
mud ss well adapted I" sheep h'
bandry as any country OH the gre
earth. Iron and steel arc third
value on the list, the total Va
being $62 cOsy0Oo
The curIeuJ year, it is tnou@
will diseh.se 4 rryOlutton III the tr'
ct iron and steel and t'm.r ina
f.riulcs. TI- raoidity WITH VIII
l,as, furnaces, rolling minis. 3:
works mJI M utufaciuri fur
fuhriratiun of ipua aud sjr,l 21o
have multiplied il. the CM,tcd Sta
Si. the las, four or five years, Is
Gfyhs lnarvels Of our inanufactur
history, and places our people il
condition to contest with Engl,
the supremacy in the iron trade
the world. The Importation of {
ton and silk goods are about 60,
being in value $50, ,0Oo,aoO each.
fakes $2s, ,O00,O 900 worth os fore
hides and leather to shoe our geo
and $23, ,0OO, 900 worth Of foreign
and liunen goods to keep them c
and comfortable In their persons
homes. We eat $l1, ,000, 900 wort
foreign fruits aud take foreign d
and medicines of equal value
takes sl7,0O0.000 to pay for our
portation Of tiu. aud $ll, 90
pay for English aud French
Ritase,
A nation We are liberal CT
mers, aud have not iatterly stoo'
expense. " addition TO the pl
cost OF the goeds. we pay an i'm
duty, which, In inApy articles, eq
III amount tile prin,e cost, aud
wS pay foreign ship ownesj for u
!. porting them.