The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1875-05-01
SNggeStiUe.

non. dugH MCOullOCui OeCIotoiy VI eno AAN-
sury Of the United States under Andrew johnson, |
has been spending some time in Europe and has
been writing some very interesting letters home
concerning the finances and the financial policies
that have always prevailed in France His let
tiers are written with considerable ability and re-
veal the fact that he has studied the subjects of
which he writes with a great deal of care. He
shows why France has always been able to raise
any required amount of money from the Golfers
of her own people and why she has always been
able to meet her financial requirementseven when
the heaviest drains have been made upon her
treasury by exhaustive wars.
II must be borne in mind that it has been less
than FIVE years since she was involved ia war
with Germany. She was unfortunate enough to
be beaten, have portion of her domain wrested
from her and be obliged to pay heavy indemni-
ty in cash Down before the German soldiers were
removed frem her territory. The amount OF
money that was to be raised in short space OF
time was locked upon as being enormous. There
was much surprise expressed that so large an
amount should be exacted on the part of Germa-
ny, and yet civilization was much more surprised
that vanquished people should be able to raise
such an amount in so short time without bank
rupting the nation. L.
Whqt is the secret? Mr.. McCnlloch tells US that
the French are Tan eminently economical and
thrifty people. There are but few artisans in the
cities or peasants in the agricultural districts that
do net keep a reserve Of coin in their custody"
individual industry, economy and thrift reveal the
secret of what does the work and furnishes the
money If the common labOring artisans and
the agricultural laborers always have "a reserve
of coin in their custody" what can be expected
of those who own the land and control the man.
ufacturing interests of the nation Upon refec-
ten it will be seen that the individual solves the
whole problem. If the individual is industrious,
economical and thrifty, the nation cannot be
otherwise than rich Mr.. McCulloch tells Us ''the
people part with these hoardngs only upon press
ing necessity or in exchange for French loans, in
which they have the most implicit confidence
they have not yet advanced to the Democratic
idea of reputation. He informs US that this in
dividual wealth in France is the results of eco
nomical habits and skill in cookery, asserting
that "a French family can live well on what it
would take to save an American family of the
same number from starvation" This is the Sc
cret of the French being able to raise any requir-
ed amount of money from their own people when
the national emergency requires it. The French
have always had an excellent financial system
Through all changes and vicisstudes Of govern
ment in France they have never departed from
their financial policy. This has been kept out of
politics. Nobody thinks of repudiating the ma
tional debt there We wish it were so in the
United States. France has always been blessed
with able fnanciers. Necker shaped their fnan-
cial policies nearly century age, and they have
adhered to them with but little variation. He was
four times removed fren the control Of the Trea-
sury, but recalled each time. So excellent is
their system of finances that they have paid off
the German indemnity and have resumed specie
payment. Yet the war has net been concluded
Eve years. When she called for money on loans,
her peasants came forth with their reserve funds.
Her bank note circulation had to be increased,
specie payment was suspended. In order to ex-
tricate herself from this situation she adopted a
system for decreasing the bank note circulation
and increasing the coin circulation in proportion.
To-day her debt is paid and specie payment has
been resumed.
Why can't we do likew,se? The reason is en-
Win france fnanciaf syssn1and her e na~"'ATS
toput itinto operation, we could not do as France
has DONE because we do not have the individual
industry, economy and thrift with reserve fund
in every family to sustain and execute it. 1t is a
singular fact that most of the money raised on
French loans in France has been furnished by the
farmers. 1t was so in the days of the first Napo-
leon. They would come to him with stocking
leg full of coins and devote them to the prosecu-
ton Of the campaigns that were being waged for
French glory. The recuperative powers of France
are marvellous. They are such as can emily be-
long to a remarkably industrious and thrifty
people. 1t is chiefly owing to the excellence of
her agricultural system. Her lands have been
cultivated for centuries and are now more pro-
ductive than ever before. She feeds population
nearly as great as that of the United States from
the products of an area smaller than Texas-and
exports large quantities of agricultural products
If we would have the same intrinsic wealth in
our farms we must adopt the French example,
Farmers must be attentive to their business, in
dustrious, misunderstanding to the soil the
qualities extracted in the production of crops,
building up their lands to better production and
keep reserve fund on hand. Every beginner
should begin at the bottom and not where bis
father left off. The dashing horse and buggy for
the beginner with other things to correspond is
having what his father could only get after TWEEN
ty or thirty years of toll. We must return to the
old paths. The sooner we learn and do this the
better.
re- On Monday of this week the second
County Grange in the State of Maryland was
organized at Annapolis. The assembly was
composed of forty-four members, representing
thirteen local Oranges in Anne Arundel coun-
ty. They proceeded to the election of officers,
after the meeting had been called to order by
Joseph I. Moore, Worthy Master of the State
Grange. The officers were installed by the
Worthy Master of the State Grange. There is
a peculiar feature about the elections held in
the Oranges. There is no one put in nomina-
ton. There is no electioneering. Every one
votes for whom he pleases without regard to
the wish of him for whom he votes. This
seems to be a free and easy, straightforward
manner of proceeding. How would this do
for the election of county officers?