Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1874-11-05

Situated in the center of one of the rich
est agricultural counties in the State, she has
continued thus far to extend her trade with
the surrounding region until it has reached
a magnitude scarcely dreamed of few
years since. We have continued to push
our competitors back, enlarging our bound
aries of trade until we have attained a po-
sition and character for enterprize and
push, second to none in this part of the
State. We have reached this position by
the energy and enterprise of our mer-
chants; but while we have been doing
this, some, at least, of our competitors,
have far outstripped US. We have de-
pended upon commerce alone, for our ad-
vancement, while others have wisely di-
versifed their pursuits. We have had
one interest only; they have had several
While we have made good progress they
have made better. While we are slowly
gaining a competency, they hay grown
rich. Let US seek for the cause We have
a commerce OF traffic founded on agricul-
ture alone. The merchant, although ne
cessity to community, adds nothing to
the real wealth of the country, unless he
is engaged in foreign trade and draws his
profits from abroad. He simply exchang-
es his goods for the products or money Of
his customers. He does not create new
values. The manufacturer, the mechanic,
takes the raw material in the shape of coal
and iron from the earth, or timber from the
forest, intrinsically of little value in their
raw state, and with his labor-saving ma
chinery and skilled labor, adds from 25 to
500 per cert. to it's value. He creates new
values. creates money, and adds enormous
ly to tho general wealth and prosperity of
the section in which he is located. He
not only produces new values, but he
stimulates agriculture; and from this COM
bination flows commencement fuctuating,
not periodical with the seasons or with
the annual crops, but extending over the
entire year. Wherever manufactures
have been extensively established and sus-
tanned, there we find agriculture in a
healthy, prosperous condition; and wher-
ever we find these two creators of values,
sound, healthy condition, ,and we do not find
it elsewhere. Agriculture and manufac-
lures are twin sisters, the one sustaining
the other. Deprive one of the support of
the other, and both are dwarfed and COM
merce crippled. That city or section that
first provides for its own wants, and then
lays other and less enterprizing communi-
ties under contribution by supplying their
necessities, will grow rich and powerful.
That city that wisely diversifes her pur-
suits-that builds up and sustains manu-
factures-will surround herself with a
prosperous agricultural people; prosper
GUS because they are thus furnished with
a continuous or daily market for all the
products of their farms; and thus place
her commerce on a sure footing. We are
not doing this. We import; we do not ex-
port. The balance of trade is against u.s.
But how can we establish manufactures?
Certainly not with our present rates for
coal. The manufacturer can find other
points where motive power is cheaper, and
hence, no matter what other advantages
we may offer him, he locates elsewhere.
Within fifty miles of our Streets in
Southeastern Ohio, are vast fields of coal
unequaled in purity and inexhastible in
quantity. Our proposed Narrow-Gauge
Railroad will penetrate those fields, and
will furnish us coal at such low rates as
will attract manufacturers to our midst,
and thus we will have that diversity of
pursuits which will enable US to compete
with others. Without it = without the
! means of producing new values ourselves
we cannot look for that degree of prosper
ity and progress which our natural posi-
ton entities US to. Our capitalists and
real estate owners should realize this fact,
and take care that our proposed road re-
ceives such a support as will insure its
early construction. It's completion will
give us cheap coal, and enable US not only
to establish but successfully maintain
manufactures. Its success will be our
success. Its failure our failure. We do
not propose to fail. We cannot afford to.