The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1874-10-10

U1aited States
THE Northern Wisconsin Fair at
Oshkosh has surpassed even the ex-
pectations of its friends. September
3Oth was "Grangers day" Adj
dresses were delivered by Gov Tay-
lor on the railroad question, by
Grand Master Cochrane, of the State
Grange, and by E. w. Dwight, of
this county. The last named speak
CT was very spicy.
October lst was the gala day Of
the Fair. 'The attendance was
immense, and the display far sur
passed that of any fair ever before
held in Oshkosh, if it did not sur
pass any ever before seen in the
State. Everything was fully up to
the highest expectations of the man
ayers, and the result is a triumph
ant success"
The feature of Thursday, aside
from the attractions III the halls and
the cattle department, was by ali
odds the address Of Hon. James @.
Blaine on Municipal debt in the
United States"
The speaker, after remarking that
he considered that modern usage in
agricultural addresses, left agricul-
ture severely alone, said that public
DEBT is an outgrowth of modern
civilization. The custom of ancient
nations was rather to accumulate
treasures. Nearly l,6O0 years Of
the Christian era had passed before
nations learned the art of borrow
ing. England entered the list Of
borrowers in 1854, and from that
time borrowing seemed to have be-
come contagious among nations
The borrowing nations Of the world
number 5000, 900, 900 souls, with an
aggregate debt Of $40, 900, 900, 900,
and an annual interest charge of
$500, 100000. 1t was painful fact
that this in alcuIable sun OF money
represented the waste, cruelty and
untold agonies Of war Our own
debt carried with it at least so much
consolation as that we could say it
was incurred III a contest which we
could not avoid.
Our form of government gives eX-
traordlnary opportunities tor the
use OF credit. The General Govern
ment borrows on the faith of the ma
ton; the State bprrOws on it's faith;
the county on county credit, an-i ,h-,
town and city on municipal faith.
This quadtupIe arrangement is too
often used to pile up heavy burdens
on the shoulders Of the people, and,
while burdens thus multiply, proper
ty does not experience a correspond
ing expansion of value. Our ma
tional debt is s., 1900, 1000; and,
except ,he Pacific railway debt of
S64, ooo, 900, it was AL incurred in
war
There were in 1e United States
sixteen cities of over loo, 900 popu
iation each, which aggregates $780,
600, 900, or $50 per capita. New
York alone bears nearly one-third Of
this amount OF debt.
The next class of cities, those with
more than $4,000 and less than loo,-
900 people, carry a debt Of $50, ,ooo,-
900, being about $40 per capita
The next class, Of over 20, 900 and
less than $4,000, has total debt of
S75, ,ooo,o
Those between 10000 and 10000
have a debt Of about $50, 900, 900,
giving total of cities in the coun-
try, with over 10000 population,
which aggregate is $49o, 900 of
debt.
The county debts of the country
amount to $3.50, 100000; the State
debts to 100000, 900, making
grand total Of 81, l,l4o,ooo.ooo Of
debt for States, counties, cities and
towns.
From this array Of figures, the
speaker went on to show ihat in
point OF productive power we stand
at the head of nations, and vet we
are borrowers from the less produc-
tive. This was because we spend
more layishly than any other nation
in the world. He found the only
hope for our salvation from the dan
gers incident to such endless bor-
rowing, in our rapid increase of pop
ulation and property values. Many
of the municipal debts OF the coun-
try could have been avoided, and
many could not. 1t had been too
easy to obtain Legislative authority
to contract debt, and equally easy to
put city bonds to sale. Capitalists
highly yprize such securities. Instead
of Ievying Il severe tax at once and
paying for the thing needed, resort
was made to the convenient method
of shifting the burden to the future,
and thus Improvements had too Of
ten become a constantly Y growing
incumbrance upon property.
The way 10 avoid mourning these
burdens in the future, lay IN an
awakened, active, Il-balanced
judgment, which will suggest, de
mand, and enforce a wise caution
and conservative course on this
subject. He had no patent remedy
to propose, but he suggested that
too wide a discretion III these mat
ters was IefG 70 the Legislatures in
many States The subject ought to