The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-01-15
A Memorable Year.

of signal triumph, both here and iIh
Europe, of those political principles
which promote the prosperity
nations. In this country ,he cralH
have been extraordinary (; in EuropeF|
generally good, excepting in Russia
and in Ireland Throuhghout the|
Western World there has been an lil6
crease in com lierce and expanSion 'N
! industry, in comparison with iiIR|
4 year 1879; but America has enjny9A
larger share of the imnr0velnenl
than Europe, and the. United Stafes
8 largsE slsaEs than sslsy ofllsf g,a4
The splendid triumph of puldf
J virtue and of free institutions, in The
late Presidential election, was in lmrt
due to the prosperity which the coan
try has enjoyed since resumptiou Of
| specie payments. That triumph
makes the y,ar 1890 memorable in
the history of this country. 1t will
prove, let us hope on The threshold of
a new year, the beginning of new
era in the politics Of the United States
With 1880, the controversies and the
sectional divisions which the civil
war has left behind ought to be for
ever terminated. There ought hence.
! loren to De no question us 10 the
n aintrhance of equal rights for all,
or public faith, or a sound currency,
nor any question as to the supremacy
of the National Government. La
other words, there ought hencelerth
to be no Sold South, united in resis
tance To just National laws, in oppo-
sition to equality of civil and politi-
cal rights, and in hostility to the
strictest maintenance Of pablic faith.
When the people of the South turn
their attention to their own true
interests, and govern their political
action, not by the passions and pre-
judices inherited from dead past,
but by an intelligent desire for their
own welfare, in harmony with Ma
tional justice, honor and prosperity,
then the fruits of the war and of the
great victory of 1880 will be gathered,
and sectional divisions will vanish,
from the land. This ought to be the
workeAofathe year 1881. Before the
new year ends. tins country ought II
rejoice in the certainty that new
South has arisen TO assert its legiti
mate and paulotic aims, and to vie
with the North III maintaining the
honor and promoting the prosperity
Of the Nation.
Enough is already known of the
commerce and industry of 1880 to as
sure Us that 1t has no rivalamung all
the years OF our past history rs a
Nation. A larger crop of Wheat
than ever before has been harvested.
and partly delivered to consumers.
The crop OF other grains, and of cot
ton, will also prove extraordinarily
large. L production of lren during
the year 1880 has doubtless been
larg + than that Of amy previous year,
aud The results of that great naau.
iacture in all It's branches have been
ell the whole most satisfactory to
many capitalists and to thousands of
workers. The manufacture of textile
fabrics has made great progress dur
ing the past year, Notwithstanding
some periods of embarrassment on
account OF the condition of markets
for materials or products. lit will
probably be found that more yards of
cloth have been made in this country
in 1880 than in any previous year ofI
our history, and that the aggregate
profits have been such as to encour-
age still greater expansion of indus
tries hereafter. In learly-all branches
OF manufacture and trade the record
has been much the same; unprece-
dented production and traffic. viii
falr wages for labor profits for capital. |
During much OF the year the course
OF prices was such that labor securt d
the lions share of the gains, and
there probably has never been an
other year in which the aggregate
wages of labor were as large, IN pro
portion to the eo,t of living for liz
borerS and those dependent on them,
as III the year 1880 The profits OF
trade and' manufacture were at ne
time extraordinarily large, and dur.
ing part OF the year very narrow,
and YET the net result for the year has
probably been fair return for enter
prise and capital in the large major
lty of cases, because the transactions
OF the year were so enormous.
Of the magnitude of these transac-
toms some idea may be formed from
the fact that the payments made in
one room in this city during the year
1880 swere $40 ,526, 939, ,546. of which
S3o, ,957 ,O25, SOL We're effected by ex-
changes, aud the remainder-about