The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-04-14

twenty years have sufficed to expand less
than $50, 600 900 to more than 1896, 900, 600.
But some of you may ask whether these
figures are not exceptional, and whether the
iron interest has not been specially favored.
No, my friends, these fgures are not ex-
eeptional the iron interest has not been
favored beyond all others. The results l
have indicated are parallefed by those of
every other branch of business and ex
ceeded by those of many other departments
of industry.
a PROSPERITY SHARED BY ALL.
The chemical industry as found by the
takers of the last census did not exist in
1860. With the wonderful progress of
analytical science, chemistry is the recog-
nized handmade of every productive pur-
suit Its progress may therefore be accepted
as an indication of general growth and pros
perity. Making no figure in any previous
census, it appears in that OF 1880 as employ
ing more than $S5 00O, 900 of capital, paying
$4,000, 600 of wages, and consuming nearly
$50, 1000 900 of material.
Like unto this statement is that of carriage
building. We could not, in 1860 make
thoroughly American pleasure carriage; we
must import the springs and other steel work
and most of the textile trimmings; but as we
now make as good steel as we import, and
produce our own silks, fringes and tassels,
we build our own carriages Yes, after
twenty years of highly protective duties, we
build in the single State of Ohio more pleas
ure carriages annually than are produced in
Great Britain and France combined, and the
returns of the census show the existence in
1880, of more than $1,000 establishments for
the manufacture of carriages and smithing,
which employed in that year 105, 900 hands,
to whom were paid as wages more than $685.
100000.
Anomalous as it may seem, it is neverthe-
less true that the work of railroad construc-
ton strikingiy illustrates the value to the
American people OF the maintenance of ade-
quate protective duties. In 1860 we had
built less than thirty thousand miles; in
1880 we worked about $1,000 miles, and are
now working 120, 900 miles, or more miles
than are owned by the whole of Europe. In
this connection there is one truth that Amer
lean legislators should never forget 1t is
the supreme value of home market.
Though England's foreign trade greatly ex-
ceeds ours, our domestic commerce exceeds
her foreign and home trade combined
Speaking on this point, Mr.. Alexander Nc
Even, in an open letter to the Earl OF Bea-
eonsfeld in 1879, said: 1.-The United States
have grown from 10000, 600 of population in
1915 to 100000 at the present day, their
exports from 920, 100000 to 9155 600, 900 per
annum. Their home trade, carefully pro
tected, estimated now at more than 81, 000,-
600, 600, exceeds our whole home and foreign
trade put together. As far as their relations
to us are concerned, they are sending us this
year 9lOO, 600 of commodities, and taking
away from us about 200, 600 000."
Great Britain is unquestionably the conf
mercial mistress of the seas; nor need we
envy her her foreign carrying trade while we
remain masters of the granary and the great
autr lrct,n fI,O, ".
than 10 per cent of our cereal productions.
Our mining and manufacturing population
furnish a home market for 90 per cent
Small however, as is the percentage of our
export, it has suffieed to destroy the agricul-
raj value of the farms of the British Islands,
France, as producer of wheat, is next to
the United States. having produced in 1880
230,000,000 bushels against our 450, 100000
bushels. Our production of grain in that
year represented 81, sos 600, 000 and exceeded
that of Russia in value by more than 81, 100,-
000,00O and the value of our manufactures
in 1880 was found to have been S., 1863 $40, 1911.
Until we accepted the protective principle
and established it in 1861, England was con-
fessedly the worlds workshop. The animal
income OF Great Britain, as shown by her
census of 1880, was SIS 1850 900, 900; the annual
income of the United States in the same year
was 81, 030 100000, and so able to bear taxa
ton have the protected people of the United
States been that, though at the close of our
war our debt was comparable 10 that of Great
Britain or France our too-rapidly diminish
ing Understanding debt to-day is less than
that of Turkey, about one-half that of Spain
or Italy, and scarcely one-third that of France
or Great Britain.
The figures have presented, though taken
almost al random, illustrate the present pros
perity of the American people and suffice to
show how wonderfully our industries have
grown and matured under ''the coddling care
of old Dame Protection" whom you honor
tonight in the person OF her most devoted
adherent