The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1881-04-29
CHAPTER II.

HOW MUCH is ACTUALLY TAKEN YEARLY.
By the census of 1870 the popula-
ton of the United States was found
to be 3s, s,6O0,0 and the number
over ten years of age was %, Dds, 900.
OF these, 12,606, coo were engaged in
various kinds of occupations, the rest
being women, young persons of both
sexes, idlers, etc.. What were the
respective employments of these u,
100000 workers According TO the
census returns there we're
se2s, 900 persons engaged in agriculture.
2es5,soo persons engaged in professional aud per
1l91 900 persons engaged In trade and transporta-
tiou.
e54 600 persons engaged in nlereautiie trades and
2os4. 700 persons engaged in manufactures.
is,s0s.o0o
In round numbers, there were two
millions of persons engaged in manu-
factures, and these were exclusively
privileged to supply all the physical
wants fexcpt food and ledging) OF the
other ten and half millions of work
ers and their families.
AS in these pages we only profess
to represent the case of the American
farmer, we must confine our atten-
ton to the six millions of persons and
their families who are engaged in
the cultivation ST the soil. Iti quite
true that the remaining four and a
half millions engaged in professions,
in trading, in mining, and in person
al service, are sufferers TO quite a
proportionate extent, but they do not
come within the scope of the present
inquiry.
Now let US see what is the actual
amount which the farmers (that
is, soil workers generality spend
yearly on the goods produced by the
manufacturers.
In the first place the six millions
OF agricuIturalists of 1870 must by
this time have increased to at
least Z 100000 as will no doubt be
seen.by the census of 1880. To be
within the mark we will call them
1000, 900, nearly all of them having
wives and children. Now what is
the annual average expenditure on
all articles of consumption, except
food and drink of each of these fam
lies On caaefuI investigation and
consultation with conscientious in
auiregs and with persons most COM
Befcnt to judge, we feel confident
that We are within the mark In COM
putting such annual expenditure at
200 dollars per family, including
within that average the small minor
ity of unmarried men among the
1000, 900 agriculturalists. It must
be borne in mind that this amount
inclsdes 81. Woolen, cotton, linen
and silk fabrics, and therefore every
species Of clothing for male and fe-
male, as also sheets, curtains, blank
cts, carpets, etc. . Iron and steel
manufactures, and therefore all iron
work, wire, cutlery, tools, farming
implements, farriery, agricultural
machinery, as well as railway con-
veyance on iron, which cost very
much more thar it would have cost
had it been imported from abroad.
Leathern fabrics, and therefore boots
and shoes, saddIery, gloves, etc.
4. Earthenware and crockery, tin
ware and glass, and numberless 9TH
er household necessaries, all Of which
come under the price-indating infa-
once of the Customs tariff. It Is on
these subjects that the. greater por-
ton of the agriculturalist's outg pings
Is expended, for he is but at little
expense for his food. Moreover this
yearly average of 200 dollars per
iaInily comprises large number of
rich and. well-te-do persons, and it
may safely be assumed as rather under
than over the reality.
Having now cleared the way thus
far, il is easier to calculate the total
sum annually spent on manufactured
goods by the farmers and agricultur.
alits generally of the great Central
aud Western States. The amount
being 200 dollars to 900, 900 families
is, therefore, 1,400, 900, 900 dollars In
the aggregate.
The next step is to ascertain what
portion Of that amount the farmers
would save II, by the abolition of the