Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-01-11

NIL IDS ClON uGu Il lOhS liAC
OF usefulness and craftsmanship by dar-
ing to do measure of justice to the peO-
pie of ireland. In this country We
would consider it much of 4 concession
on the part of any Legislature in a State
where such grlevoHs ills prevailed. SIM
to enact law forbidding landlord to
not only coniscate to his own use at the
end of lease all the substantial i'm
provements made by the tenant, but to
actually use those improvements as
means of advancing the rent for the
next lease. And yet this simple act of
justice was considered SO radical in its
nature that the Duke of Argyle resigned
from Mr. Gladstone's cabinet rather than
seem to consent to it as measure of the
government. To the honor Of Mr.. Glad
stone be it recorded that he dared to let
this powerful Liberal leader resign his
place rather than abandon this act of
| justice.
The American farmer is playing his
part, however, unconsclOuSly in the sue
cess of Gladstone's land reform policy,
in Ireland, and in fact in the success of
all the measures that have for their ten
dency such change of policy as will
eventually subdivide immense holdings
of lands into many pieces by the gradual
reduction of their rents.
THE EFFECT OF AMERICAN EXPORTS.
The immense exports of this country
! have thoroughly alarmed the landed
ariStocracy of all Europe, but especially
of Great Britain. Steam is the agency
that is giving America control of the
British markets-steam on the ocean
and steam and steel rails on land. We
are laying down wheat, corn. pork and
beef in Liverpool for less than the Eng
lish agriculturist can produce them on
land subject to such high rentals. Hence
reduction of rents has not only been
demanded, but in many cases conceded.
This reduction, however, from seven
pounds to five pounds is only the begin
ming of the end. No English farmer
can pay S25 per acre rental and compete
with the products of the Western States
of America raised on land that will not
average S25 per acre in actual selling
price. American wheat raised in the
trans-Mississippi States has been laid
down at Liverpool this year at less than
twenty-five cents per bushel for trans
portation, and when the Welland canal
/ 10 COh pIClON' hduIllulup bilO pdoodSO vi
vessels of $500 tons burthen, and the
Mississippi river improvement are COM
pleted, admitting ocean vessels perhaps
to ST. Louis, and when the Erie ceral,
now made free, is deepened and enlarged,
the cost of grain carriage from Dakota
to- London will not for six months of
the year exceed twenty-five cents. Then
with dollar wheat in London and sew
enty-tive cent corn, (allowing fifty cents
as the price in Chicagol and mess pork
and beef at prOportiOned prices, the rem
tai of land will have to fall decidedly
lower. Then will commence the aIiena-
ton OF land to which have alluded
then will set in the bursting of the
bonds of entail and primOgeniture, and
then will follow both political and So
cial revolution. Let US hope that it will
be peaceful.
THE DEMAND FOR DUTY ON AMERICAN
BGEADSTUFFS.
Some of you noticed no doubt the agi-
tation that sprang up in England year
or so ago for the revival of dutI'S on
| American breadstuffs, under the rame
OF lair trade" as opposed to free trade.
The agitation was short lived and re-
ceived no cOuntenance from the govern
ment nor the great papers of England,
not withstanding it was agitated on the
stump by several members of Parlia
ment. 1t proceeded of course from the
landed interest, which thus sought to
protect its rentals end perpetuate to its
power. But all the sagaciOus states
men and editors and business men of
| England saw at once that such propo-
hcn nrH nd
| first necessity in England is cheap bread
in order that she may continue to have
cheap labor and produce cheap goods as
against all her rivals among the manu-
featuring nations. 1t was this necessity
| for cheap bread that compelled the re
peal of the corn laws over generation
ago, and this necessity is greater now
| than it was then, since England has been
so largely excluded from tire markets of
this country and this continent by our
American manufacturers. Less now
than formerly can she afford to revive
her corn laws. She must continue to
give the products of an American farmer
an unwilling welcome, free of duty
not all for his sake but her own preser-
yation.
A NOTABLE ADMISSION.
Only a short time ago the London
Times made very significant acknOwl
edgement in regard to the American
breadstnff situation, in which it con-
ceded fully the dependence of England
on the United States for cheap bread.
And like Balaam the son of PeOr, when
called upon to open his mouth and curse
the children of Israel, it was constrain-
ed to take up his words and exclaim how
goodly are thy tents o, Jacob, and thy
tabernacles o, Israel Lifting up its
eyes like the ancient seer it saw across
the Atlantic the vision of the future in
the shape of the infinite possibilities of
American agriculture. 1t reviewed the
past one hundred years of our growth,
showing how from the close of the revo-
luton to tie census of 1880 we had in
creased from 100000 TO 50,0OO,0OO, and
it ventured to predict that at the same
ratio of increase during the next one
hundred years, the census of 1880 would
show Il population of S00,0OO,OOO, or
more than all Europe now contains, on
American soil. More than this, it re
viewed the possibilities of our vast do
main. alluding to our illimitable area of
100000 square miles, only half of which
Is settled to-day, and saw as in trance
every sea of Europe crowded from shore
to shore with the vessels that would
distribute the products of our soil to
every nation. Against this future, it
practically conceded, it was useless for
England to contend. This conclusion
was fitting sequel to the collapse of
the fair trade agitation to which have
alluded.
THE ANTI-AMERICAN BEEF AGITATION.
About three years ago an agitation
set in in England against the importa-
tion of American beef. 1t was alleged
to be diseased-to contain germs of
pleuro-pneumonia--an to be infectious.
With small foundation of fact t. go