Omaha daily bee., 1884-11-20
Advertiser.

The United States, in its material
development, has become, by the az
vance of the last ten years, the foremost
nation of all the earth. Our only real
rival is Great Britain, and we surpass
Great Britain In the amount of our
wealth or capital, in the amount Of our
income or yearly earnings, In the product
of our mines, in the product of our
manufactures, and in the product of our
carrying trade.
The wealth of the United States, as
given by the latest statisticians for 1880,
was SAL, 900, 600, 900; that of Great Bri-
tain about $40, 900, COO, 600, the yearly
income of the United States was over 81,
900, OOO, coo, that of Great Britain less
than So, 900, 600, 900, the p;oduct of
agriculture in the United States was g.
600, 600, 900, that of Great Britain ST.
200, 600, 0C0; the mining of the United
States yields $500, 000, 600, that of Great
Britain 1925, 600, 900, the manufactures
of the United States produce yearly 81
400, 000, 900 those of treat Britain 49,
700, 900, 600, and our carrying trade
amounts to $3.50, 0OO, 600 whllo that of
Great Britain is but $500, 0L0, 600. In
all these industrial branches the rapidity
OF our growth is greater than that of
any Of tho other nations.
But in ono respect, We are not only
much behind Great Britain, but behind
Germany and even France, and that is
commerce. Tho N Of Great
Britain is So, 400, DOC, GOO; that Of Germ
any 81, 02O, OoO, COO; that of France 81
66L, 600, 600; while that of the United
States Ia only Sl,554 600, eco. Surpass.
ing these nations In all the other great de.
partments of work, as we do in popula,
ton aud activity, we follow them, largely
in the rear. in the mastery OF the seas.
Our sailors, who were AZ one time report
ed to be the best in the world, are out
doneIby the sailors of,theU United Kingdom
of Germany and of France, and the flags
of these nations are h0ated where ouI
flag is seldom seen. rt r.
In view of these prodigious yet encour'
aging facts, the party which controls the
government has two principal duties to
perform: first, to maintain the conditions
and policies, as far % they can be ascer-
tanned, which have led to our unexam-
pied growth in all the great lines of pro-
duction and exchange; and, second, to
modify and read ust those conditions and
policies, az far as it is possible to do it by
legislation, so as to bring the one de-
ficient and limping element, commerce,
up to its proper proportions In regard to
the other elements Certainly that
school of economists who maintain that
real and substantial national prosperity
requires an equable development of the
,npn.a1 ,nr,,,t Fn-,ti,na nf ,r,lnn.
ton, exchange and distribution, must re-
gard this as essential. No one of the
great channels must be obstruoted at the
expense of the others, nc one limb Grip.
pied or paralyzed-that is, permanently,
In order that another may swell. IL is
the tack Of Statesmen they say, to pre-
serve the equilibrium by timely expedi.
enta; and indeed, in their opinion, the
supreme object Of tho state itself, after
tho protection # individual liberty, ID to
preserve the balance of the great indus
trial and social forces. Commerce must,
therefore, by their own showing be
brought to its proper level.
Whether it will be possible, and how
far 1t will be possible, to attain these
endg-that is, the resuscitation of com.
biVibO ~ ~ WIZ bhulD lliilO INC pTebGENd-
ton of u general industries-is a prob.
lem for the craftsmanship of the future
to decide. Ii is clear. from the very
greatness Of our industrial development,
that nothing should be undertaken In
haste, or without the most careful scruti.
ny of the probable effects of any change
At the same time that greatness would
seem to be 80 firmly established that we
are not to doubt OF it's continued stability
or to be afraid that it is going to be top
pied over by a nero 'wind of doctrine"
We have grown 80 strong by means of the
freedom of our institutions, the masses
the people have developed 80 lively and
massive a power, because their energies
ha ve been left free to expand, that they
may we'll hold themselves capable of fac
ing almost any enemy, on the broad field
or on the ocean If you will, of the worlds
great battle of civiliz ition.