The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-07-14


makes the following instructive observa'
| tons:
THE PUBLIC DEBT.
The amount of national debt iu 1870 was
- ,4OG, 900 ,000. The amrunt OF public debt
not national vas 1854 100000. This totaiZ' S
tie public debt OF the country at So I'll,
600 600, am,inst assets in estimated weilt b
excluding property OF The Federal Govern
men') Of $50. OGS 900 900. 1t is a if a man
owning 100000 owed lbour $4,000. True
economy would dictate TO him TO allow for
his debt and live only as though possessed oi
S30. 900. less $1,000. BY ignoring his debt in
the budget, and paying it, or, rather, sustain.
ing II Dy promises TO pay, he reilly lives be.
yond his means aud on false theory.
THE PREMIUM Of GOLD.
It is singular coincidence that the average
premium on gold, or, more correctly, the
average discount on rational currency, for
The last few years j. about equal the per-
centage Of public debt on public wealth, As
above stated. | leave it TO wiser financial
| heads to say whether there is vital relation
netwecn these resembances. Apparently,
like the case Of the man just presented, We
do not allow for our debt in our estimate OF
our " eath {; but when the standard Of val
ues Of the world (gOld) tests us the di<cre-
pancy becomes evident.
THE CENSUS DIAGRAM OF TIE DISTRIBUTION OF
WEALTH.
The SUPERINTENDENT OF the census adopts
an admirable plan for exhibiting bIrd's-eye
view of tue distribution of wealth through
out the land. A map Of the United States is
colored with four different tiuts Of the same
a. h.t ri Ct-h Irn IL luff
indicates state OF wealth CT les than three
hundred dollars to each inhabi'ant. The
lirbte,t tint iudica es wealth amounting to
from three hundred 10 seven hundred and
fifty dollars per capita !; the second shade,
from seven hundred anu fifty 10 twelve hun.
dred and fifty; the third, from twelve hun.
dred and fifty 10 two thousand, and the
fourth or darkest tint, from two thousand
dollars un"ardS.
The map, tinted according TO this method,
presents true picture OF the condition Of the
land as to accumulated resources. An at.
tempt will be made to bring it before the
mind of the reader.
SOME OF THE FEATURES OF THE DIAGRAM.
South OF the latitu de of Richmond there is
almost an uubroken eXpanse Of white, indi.
eating comparative destllution, or an average
wealth of less than $500 to each individual.
| Arkansas, Tennessee, aud Mississippi have
| large districts overspread with the igbtest
| property tint. the exponent OF wealth
ranging frem S3O0to $50 per cdp,ld, but the
rest OF the States south OF Virgnia's south
] ern parallel of latitude have few and eXcep-
tional traces Of the wealth tint. None OF The
States south OF that line present higher de-
gree of wealth in any county than from - 5O
! TO $3.50 per head.
| North of the latitude of Richmond there is
almost an uubr0ken sweep OF cOIored map,
indicating The presence everywhere OF wealth,
from three hundred dollars up. In many
States, notably Massachusetts,. Connecticut,
Rhode I>lant. New York, Pennsylvania, New
Jersey, Ohio. Indiana, llnois, Missouri, and
| Iowa, the tint deepcns more or less, Indicating
| the more favored haunts Of money-attain'
ing TO the maximum in the regions around
New York city, Milwaukee, and Chicago,
which appear 10 have more than two tnou'
sand dollars to each inhabitant. In these
favored localities The golden rain appears 70
have descended in greater density than in any
Others but there are many localities "neEt
the ,Xl degree of wealth is attained
that of twelve hundred and fifty TO two
thousand dollars per inhaptant. Eleven
States contain districts Of such character,
greater or less in extent. Massachusetts,
| Connecticut, aud Rhode Island present OF
the map wealth-tint in proportion TO their
extent which is relatively larger than thai
of the same degree in any other State. Tel
of the northern States are entirely covered
with color-viz., Vermont, New Hampshire
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Ohio