The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-12-21
ouR WASHINGTON LETTER.


NEEDS OF THE WEST AND soUTH-how
TO HELP THE soUTHwEsT-rREE TRADE
AND SAILORS.
WASHINGTON, Dec, 10th, 1877 Last
night amused myself with Dickens
"Hard Times, "a subject quite appropriate
lust now, and walked up this morning
with terribly grandgrindish feeling,
| and hearing the cry Of "facts, gentleman,
| more facts" Therefore | went at once
| to the bureau of statistics, thence to my
good friend, Col. Dodge, the sta tistician
| of the agricultural department, thence to
document rooms at the capital and came
home loaded down with fifty pounds OF
solid facts and figures. Don't think for
moment that i am going to inflict this
great burden upon your readers. My
only purpose is to select few OF the
leading and most important points such
as should teach us wholesome lessons in
the present condition of the worlds re.
public.
SIZE OF THB NATIONAL HOMESTEAD.
Leaving out Alaska, fit only for bears,
seals and savages, the thirty-eight States
and ten territories Of the United States
Sf' T,S16, 10000 acres. No similar area
In the world has so much fertile soil,
such excellent climate characteristics, or
is capable of such varied and valuable
productions. The ten Eastern and Mid
die States cover an area Of III IT'S square
miles, or o little more than one-twentieth
of the whole territory, and about two
thirds of the area occupied by the single
State of Texas. Until recently the ten
Eastern and Middle States preponderated
over all the other States and territories,
both in population and wealth. But
Westward the course of empire takes
its way" and this condition of things is
now reversed. The West and the South>
west together now aold the larger share,
net only OF population, but OF political
power and actual wealth.
AGGREGATE WEALTH OF THE COUNTRY,
! Taking the value given to the real and
personal estate of the country by the
census OF 1870, and allowing for the same
progress as was made during the war de-
cadc, from 1850 to 1870, tine property Of
the people Of the United States at this
time, excluding government property,
amounts to the enormous and inc0mpre-
henslble sum OF flfty-four thousand mil
lions of dollars.
ANNUlL PRODUCTS.
In estimating he amounts OF products
of the country, IhaYe consulted the care
fully-prepared statistics Of the agricul-
tural department, and when these were
wanting, have depended upon other
equally reliable sources OF information.
These estimates are tor the year 1876.
| According to these, the natural and art
products OF the country for 1876 we're as
follows:
. Farm products including every va
riety known to the United states So, j94 O6l esq
Mining .."..'s.''.. leS oye, stl
| flshereS " O5o,oZz
Manuiaeturers" neutrality-suspicious.. S,i3@ $50, az
S7,5Ol ,OS2, 30
| OF this vast amount of annual products
the eastern and middle states are entitled
to nearly three fifths of the manufactures
while the other states and territories
should be credited with still larger pro-
portion Of the products of the mine.
THE MORAL OF THESE FIGURES
Is that the nation has wealth enough to
ensure the par value of twice the present
amount of circulation, and that such
increase is absolutely needed to restore
prosperity to the languishing industries
of the country. Amongst these resour-
ces of the United States are the immense
silver mines of the southwest, q portion
OF whose products turned into coin and
made legal tender for all debts, would
place the debtor class on level with the
creditor, and without any I'M zee to the
latter, allow the former chance to res
cover from the evils inflicted by the ru.
nous policy of the last few years
NEEDS oF TIE WEST AND SOUTH.
The South and the West proper, en-
bracing the territory from the eastern
boundry OF Ohio and Maryland to the
western coast Of California, and from the
iortieth parallel down to the mouth OF
the Rio Grande, comprise about two
thirds of the territory OF the United
States, and constitute the grandest en-
pire of industry in the world. Their ca.
paclty tor production is almost limitless,
and embraces not only every variety OF
farm products, with cotton, sugar and
rice added, bur such stores OF mineral
wealth as have hitherto been unknown
to the Civilized world. Extending, as
they do, over SO vast an area, nearly two
million square miles, they suffer great
and constant loss on account of made,
quate facilities for placing their products
In market. The grain. producing dis
tricts west of the Mississippi suffer more
In this respect than any other portion OF
the country Tho Mississippi river, in
the present obstructed condition of its
channel, is entirely inadequate to the de,
mands OF internal commerce. An earn
est movement is row on foot to secure
the Improvement OF this great natural
channel OF trade, but, even with the
. great river and It's tributaries made
/ atvtss IL