Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1883-12-06
The Argentine Republic.

Within the last score OF years the Ar
gentine Confederation has taken the
front seat among the South American
Republics, and of late begins to chal-
lenge the respect and confidence of
mankind. The States fourteen in
number) composing this Republic were
nearly all colonized either from Spain
or Portugal a century before Plymouth
Rock was heard of. Buenos Ayres is
more than four hundred and fifty years
older than Philadelphia. But from the.
planting of the colonies to the end of the
Paraguayan war. few years ago, they
were periodically rent and torn, pill
LACED and plundered by the Gauchos, so
that enduring Governments, save by the
hard hand of dictators like Rosas, DIR.
Francia, Lopez, and outlaws like
Quiroga, were impossible. There is
hardly town from the mouth of La
Plata to the Andes, and from the Pata-
gonian line to Brazil that has not been
many times sacked. All that seems to
be now at an end. The influence of
Buenos Ayres' civilization stretches from
that city to Mendoza, and is felt all over
the one million, two hundred and fifty
thousand square miles of territory which
the Republic embraces. Its natural adj
Vantages bear very striking resem-
blance to those of the United States. Its
climate is tropical in parts, semi-tropical
in other parts, and moderately cool else
where. Its rivers are on q scale of grand
eur equal to the Mississippi, Missouri,
and Ohio, and about as far back from
its sea frontage as our Rocky Mountains
are from Atlantic ports, the majestic
Andes from its western boundary, an
impossible line of military defense in
thatquarter and a perpetual regulator
of temperature in the valleys and
pampas The soil and productions are
like ours. Wheat, corn, and all the
cereals and most of the temperate zone
and tropical fruits grow in some parts
of the country. And since 1870 the in
crease of population, like ours, has been
much assisted by immigration from the
vital races of Europe. For the six years
from 1871 to 1876 this immigration has
reached 275, 900, and for the six years
ended 1882 the estimate is $50, 000-a
total of 625, 900 in twelve years. The
population in 1882 was just about equal
to that of the thirteen American colonies
one century ago. But the resources of
the country are UNNECESSARILY greater
than ours then were. 1t has 10000, 600
sheep, 100000 cattle, 3,80O,OOO
horses, a capital city of 100000 people,
whose exports are valued at over $780,
900. 900 a year. with corresponding i'm
ports-both rapidly increasing. It
has nearly 1900 miles of railway
and 5000 of telegraph in opera
ton and many new lines in
course of construction. It has an
admirable system of public schools,
supported by taxation. And, though
the national debt is comparatively great,
the interest absorbing half the revenues,
still the receipts, which in 1880 aggre-
gated S19,7OO, 900, were, considerably
more than the expenditures, interest in
cIuded. The Argentines have but a
standing army of $500. Like the
United States, they trust the defense of
the country to an enrolled militia, which
in 1881 numbered 100000.
Now here is the South American Re
public of the future ia embryo. With
sensible constitution. a Congress of two
Houses like ours. President salaried at
$50. 900 a year, Vice-President $4,000,
Cabinet Ministers $4,000 each, free
schools, free RELIGIOUS worship, every
port open to immigration, which is
flowing in at the rate of fifty thousand a
year, lands at the lowest prices, sufficient
IN extent Tor population OF 1OO,OOO,-
900, and resources in cattle, sheep,
horses, wool, wheat, corn and fruit on
the orandest scale. the Argentine Re
public bids fair in time to reach as high
q figure among the nations of the earth
as the United States touches now; and
when that time comes. the great Repub-
lie of the North and the great Republic
of the South, with an equally great one
in the far-off South Seas, ought to exer-
else together controlling influence in
the politics of the whole world.-SGn
francisco Chronicle.