The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1884-07-25

xport trade sinoo 1850, and we can gain
orrect conception of 1t only by a comparison
With the preceding results in the same field.
The total exports from the United States
rom the Declaration of Independence, 1776,
lewn to the day Of Lincoln's election In 1850,
lddsd to all that had previously been ex-
ported from the American colonies from
heir original settlement, amounted to less
han nine thousand millions Of dollars. On |
he other hand, our exports from 1860 to the
Hose Of the present year exceeded twelve
thousand millions Of dollars-the whole oft
being the produce Of American labor. Evil
iently protective tariff has not injured eur
export trade, when under its influence We
exported in twenty -four years forty per cent.
more than the total amount that had been
exported in the entire previous history OF the
All the details, when analysed,
with this gigantic result. The
cities Of the Union never had
,uch growth as they have enjoyed since 1860.
Our chief emporium, the city Of Now York,
with its tendencies, has within that period
doubled her population and increased her
wealth. During the same period the imports
and exports which have entered and left her
harbor are moro than double in bulk and
value the whole amount reported by her be-
tween the settlement Of the first Dutch col
ony On the Island Of Manhattan and the out
break Of the civil war in 1860.
AGRICULTURE AND TARIFF.
The agricultural interest is by far the
largest in the Nation, and is entitled in every
~ fn ha ErQf
alton. Any policy hostile to the fullest de-
vslopment Of agriculture in the United States
must be abandoned. Realizing the fact, the
opponents Of the present system of revenue
have labsred very earnestly to persuade the
farmers OF the United States that they are
robbed by a protective tariff, and the effort is
thus made to consolidate their vast influence
in favor of FREQ trade; but happily the farm
srs Of America are intelligent, and cannot be
misled by sophistry. When conclusive facts
are before them they see plainly that during
the past twenty-fsur years wealth has not
been acquired in one section or by one inter-
est at the expense Of another. They see that
the agricultural States have made even more
rapid progress than the manufacturing
States. The farmers see that in 1860 Massa-
chusetts and Illinois had about the same
wealth-betwsen eight and nine hundred
million dollars each--and that in 1880 Nassa-
chusetts had advanced to twenty-six hundred
millions, while Illinois had advanced to
thirty-fvs hundred millions. They see that
New Jersey and Iowa were just equal in pop.
ulation in 1860, and that in twenty years the
wealth Of New Jersey was increased by the
sum Of eight hundred and fifty millions Of
dollars, while the wealth Of Iowa was in
creased by the sum of fifteen hundred mil
lions. They SEQ that the nine leading agri-
cultural States of the West have grown so
rapidly in prosperity that the aggregate ad-
dition to their wealth since 1860 is almost as
great as the wealth Of the entire country In
that year. They see that the South, which Is
almost exclusively agricultural, has shared
in the general prosperity, and that having
recovered from tho loss and devastation Of
war, has gained so rapidly that its total is at
least double Of that which 1t possessed in
1860, exclusive Of slaves. In these extraor-
binary developments the farmers see the
helpful impulses Of home market, and they
see that the financial and revenue system en-
acted since the Republican party came into
power has established and constantly ex-
banded the home market. They see that
even in the case of wheat, which is your
chief cereal export, they have sold in the
average, In tho years since the close OF the
war, three bushels at home to one they have
sold abroad, and that in the increase of corn,
the only other cereal which we export to any
extent, one hundred bushels have been used
at home to three and half bushels which
we have exported. In some years tho dis
parity has been 30 great that for every peck
Of corn exported one hundred bushels have
been consumed in the home market. The
farmers see that in the increasing compsti.
ton from the grain fields Of Russia and from
the grain fields Of India the growth Of the
home market becomes daily Of greater con-
Germ to them, and that its impairment would
deprecate the value of every acre of tillable
laui in the Union. Our internal commerce
on such facts rs these, touching the growth
and consumption of cereals at home, gives
US some slight conception Of the vastness
Of tho
INTERNAL COMMERCE. OF THE UNITED
STATES.
They suggest also that in addition to the
advantages which the American people en-
Joy from protection against foreign comps-
tition, they enjoy the advantages of absolute
free trade over large area, and with q
greater population than any other Nation.
The internal commerce of our thirty-eight
States and niue Territories Is carried on
without let or hindrance, without tax deten-
ton or governmental interference of any
kind whatever; 1t spreads freely over three
and one-half million square miles-almost in
extent equal to thewhole continent of Europe.
Its profits are enjoyed to-day by ffty.six
millions of American freemen, and from this
enjoyment no monopoly is created. Accord
ing to Alexander Hamilton, whom he dis
cussed the same subject in 1870, the internal
which takes place does away
with everything like monopoly, and by de-
grees reduces the prices Of articles to the
minimum of reasonable profit. 1t is impes-
sible to point to single monopoly created
or fostered by tho industrial system which Is
upheld by the Republican party. Compared
with our foreign commerce these domestic
exchanges are inconcsivably great in amount,
merely ss one fundamentally as
large mileage Of railway s. exists to-day in
all the other nations Of the world combined.
These internal exchanges are estimated by
the Statistical Bureau Of the Treasury De-
partment to be annually twenty times 81
great In amount IS our foreign commerce.
1t Is int this vast field of home trade, at
once the creation and tho heritage Of the
American people, that foreign nations are
striving BY every device to enter. 1t is into
his field that the opponents of eur present
revenue system would fresly admit the coun-
sries Of Eurepe-countries into whose inter-
nal trade we could net reciprocally enter;
countries to which We should be surrender
ing every advantage Of trade, and from
which, as we should be gaining nothing in
return, would be disastrous to the mechanics
and workingmen Of the United States.
RELATION or LABOR AND CAPITAL.
Wages are undoubtedly reduced whom an
Industrious man is not able by his earnings
20 live in comfort, educate his children, and
az by sufficient for the necessities of age.
The reduction Of wages, inevitably conse-
luent upon throwing eur home market open
% the world, would deprive them Of the
power to do this. It would prove O great
calamity to our country; it would produce