The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1875-11-18
THE BEGINsIna OF BETTEH IIn1s

3 gsssr. - 80 ----------- Is y
prosperity Of trade dependson
the condition Of the classes who are
engaged il production. In the Unit
ed States the agricultural class Of
producers far sslrpasses in importance
any Of the others. If we can show
that the condition Of the farmers and
planters IS an improving one it will
follow that q correspo bonding improve
ment will before Iong be manifest in
the general trade of the country.
When we speak Of men In masses of
millions, as wesmusts I'M Discussing
the affairs # such q nation i,as the
United States, We necessarily have to
disregard a multitude of exceptions
to the general rule. Taking the
farmers and planters as a:class we do
say that there i ample statistical
proof Of the fact that they are better
off than they have been at: any time
for three years past. We point in
the first place to the quantities of
wheat, corn cotton, beef, pork, cheese,
hams, and bacon exported in the
second place to the prices obtained
tor those articles, not in the portaof
New York, but at the places where
they are produced, for the farmer
has had the advantage for over a
year Of internal freights low beyond
precedent; in the third place to the
lower rate Of wages-at which farmers
and planters have this year procured
their labor; and in the fourth place
to the fact which naturally follows
rom the three already mentioned,
|. that the imports Of tea, coffee, and
sugar 9l.hla have been larger IN the fiscal
year ended with June last than in
any previous year in the history Of
the country. aIn her dealings with
|:the United States Great Britain has
proved good customer. While our
imports from the British Isles have
been enormously curtailed,. our ex-
ports to those regions have greatly
increased since the close Of the year
1872. In either~one of the three
calendar years 1873, 1874, and 1876,
We have found a market for more
grainfin Great Britain than we ever
did before. Much Of that grain has
gone to reduce Indebtedness, but new
ertheless the farmers who produced
i have been paid for ii, and well
paid, for it. it to-. II Zs''-. "a. Etr1
Another favorable circumstance in
the condition of trade throughout
the United States isa the absence Of
speculation Probably there is no
important article whose price is now
upheld beyond fair level by the
competition Of spectators. The de-
mand that at present exists for mer-
chandise and manufactures can be
depended on to continue and to grow,
because it comes almost direct from
| the consumer. The population of
the Union is now in round numbers
forty-fve millions, and it is increas-
ing at the rate of about two and a
half per cent per~annum, and much
faster than that in the great agricul-
! tural States of the d West. Under
such circumstances Of prosperity
and increase Of the agricultural pop
ulahon, how long can the market for
cotton goods remain glutted at the
present low prices? It must, within
no very distant period, feel the in
creased consumption. At the same
time we are bound to say that there
are no grounds for expecting a reviv-
al OF speculation. Since the tele-
graph has united the business world,
speculation does not play the part
it formerly did in trade and COM
merce. Hence, the slow and almost
lmperceptible steps by which business
revlves where it is not too heavily
weighed by debt and taxes.
We cannot think it out of place to
urge economy on those who are in
debt, from the Mayor, Aldermen, and
Commonality Of the City, OF New
York down to that man who merely
owes his grocer and tailor Prompt
payment is quite as conducive to the
welfare Of business as large purchases.
We believe at this very time that
nothing could tend more strongly to
bring about good times than q reduc-
ton Of taxes, and the only. honest
way to reduce taxes is to cut down
expenditures. -Neau York Iibss,e.>s,{
now II IS DONE N MISSISSIPPI:
| z5t;.. g ) ~ ~ T. Esa3 81. $
correspondence Of Cincinnati Cbmmereial.
| II witnessed many strange scenes at
the polls, and around about among
the crow d. This sort of thing was
repeated often by men who were sup
piled with money, for: the purpose.
"A man would select his darkey and
Operate On him in this wise: {.
"Uncle, have you voted?'' i8S i =,
mo, sah.' -'s'5 ~s'7fsS: 80 f2}
'FGoing to vote?''* "','; - s5:Eas -
Yes, sah." s''5.'. 81. 80
-aHowy, fs>:>l 40 50 syas $50. -
"The Publican ticket, sab"
Cant I persuade you to vote the
Democratic ticket ?'''" - - 's :
"No, sah.'
"You are afraid to vote it, are
your
| ':'"No sab not a bit" I'd
I'll bet 50 you are afraid to step
up there and vote the Democratic
| ticket.,' s:.%" .,s.s.-,,,