St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-07-19
ports and imports Of country regardless Of the


creased, increased indeed at a rate and to an
amount which absolutely dwarf oil previous de-
velopments of our trade beyond the sea. From
1860 to the present time the foreign commerce
of the United States, divided with approximate
equality between exports and imports,) reached
the astounding aggregate of twenty-four thou
sand millions of dollars ($24, OOO, ,oOO). The
balance in this vast commerce inclined in our
favor, but it would have been much larger if our
trade with the countries Of America, elsewhere
referred to, had been more wisely adjusted.
1t is difficult even to appreciate the magnitude
or our export trade since 1860 and we can gain a
correct conception of 1t only by comparison with
preceding results in the same field. The total
exports from the United States from the declara-
ton of independence in 1776 down to the day of
Lincoln's election in 1860, dded to all that had
previously been exported from the American col
onies from their original settlement, amounted
to less than nine thousand millions OF dollars
go, 600, 0OO, 000) On the other hand our ex-
ports from 1850 to the close of the last fiscal year
exceeded twelve thousand millions OF dollars
(S12, 0O0 600 oOO)-the whole of it being the pro-
duct of American labor. Evidently protective
tariff has not injured 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 American commerce. All the details,
when Analysed correspond with this gigantic
result The commercial cities of the Union
never had such growth ms they have enjoyed
since 1860. Our chief emporium. the city or
York, with its dependencies, has within that
period doubled her population and increased her
wealth five fold During the same period the
imports and exports which have entered and left
her harbor are more than double in bulk and
value the whole amount imported and exported
by her between the settlement of the first Dutch
colony on the island of Manhattan and the out
break of the civil war in 1850.
AGRICULTURE AND TARIFF.
The agricultural interest is by far the largest
in the nation, and is entitled i'll every adjust
ment of revenue laws to the first consideration.
Any policy hostile to the fullest development of
agriculture in the United States must be aband-
oned. Realizing this fact, the opponents Of the
present system of revenue have labored very
earnestly to persuade the farmers of the United
States that they are robbed by the protective
tariff, and their effort is thus made to consoil-
date their vast influence in favor of free trade.
But happily, the farmers of America are inteli-
ligent and cannot be msled by sophistry when
conclusive facts are before them. They see
plainly that during the past twenty four years,
wealth has not been acquired in one section or
by one interest at the expense of another section
or another interest. They that the agri-
cultural states have made even more rapid pro-
gress than the manufacturing states
The farmers see that in 1860 massachusetts,
aud Illinois had about the same wealth-between
eight and nine hundred million dollars each-and
that in 1880 Massachusetts had adv q ICED to
twenty -six hundred millions, while Illinois had
advanced to thirty two hundred millions. They
see that New Jersey and Iowa were just equal III
population in 1850, and that in twenty years the
wealth of New Jersey was increased by the sam
of eight hundred and fifty millions Of dollars,
while the wealth of Iowa has increased by the
sum of fifteen hundred millions. They see that
the nine leading agricultural states of the west
have grown so rapidly in prosperity that the ag-
gregate addition to their wealth since 1850 is al
most as great Us the wealth OF the entire country
| in that year. They that the south, which is
almost exclusively agricultural, has shared in the
general prosperity and that having recovered
from the loss and devastation of war, has gained
so rapidly that its total wealth is at least the
double of that which it possessed in 1860, e1clu-
siye of slaves.
In these extraordinary Developments the
farmers see the helpful impulse of home
market, and they see that the financial and
revenue system, enacted since the Republican
party came into power, has established and con-
stantly expanded the home market. They see
| that even in the case Of wheat, which is our
chief cereal export, they have sold i'll the average
| of the years since the close of the war, three
bushels at home to one they have sold abroad,
| and that in the case OF corn, the only othcr
cereal which we export to any extent, one
| hundred bushels have been used at home to
| three and a half bushels exported. In Some
| years the disparity has been great that for
| every peck of corn exported one hundred bushels
| have been consumed i'll the home market The
farmers see that in the increasing competition
Aid of and Tho a.
tant plains OF India, the growth of the home
market becomes daily of greater concern to them
and that its Impairment would dopreciaie the
value of every of tillable land III the Union.
CUR INTERNAL COMMERCE..
Such facts as these touching the growth and
consumption of cereals at home give us some
slight conception of the vastness of the internal
commerce of the United States They suggest
also that, in addition to the advantages which the
American people enjoy from protection against
foreign competition, they enjoy the advantages OF
absolute free trade over a larger area and with
greater population than any other nation. The
internal commerce of our thirty eight states and
nine territories is carried on without let or hin
drance, without tax, detention or governmental
interference of any kind whatever. 1t spreads
freely over an area of three and half million
whole continent of Europe. Its profits are en-.
J joyed to-day by ifty-six millions of American
freemen, and from this enjoyment no monopoly
is created. According to Alexander Hamilton,
when he discussed the same subject in 1870
''the internal competition which takes place
does away with every thing like monopoly and
! bv degrees reduces the prices OF articles to the
| minimum OF a reasonable profit on the capital
employed" 1t is impossible to point to single
| monopoly in the United States that has been
! created or fostered by the industrial system
| which is upheld by the Republican party.
Compared with our foreign commerce these
! domestic exchanges are inconcevably great II
| notwithstanding merely one instrumentality
! Il large mileage OF railway exists TO day in
| all the other nations of the world combined.
| These internal exchanges are estimated By the
statistical bureau of The treasury department to
| be annually twenty times great in amount rs
| our foreign commerce. Ii is into this vast field
! of home tradc-at once the creation and the
| heritage of the American people-that foreign
| nations striving by every device To enter. II
! is into this field that the opponents of our pres
| ent revenue system would freely admit the coun-
| tries of Europe-countries into whose internal
| trade we could not recprocaliy enser; countries
| to which we should be surrendering every Gdvan.
| tage OF trade; from which we should be gaining
nothing in return.
EFFKCT UPON THE MECHANIC AND THE LABoRER.
A policy of this kind would be disastrous ID
| the mechanics and workingmen of the United
States. Wages are unjustly reduced when an
| industrious man is not able by his calniugs tc
live in comfort, educate his children, and lay by
sufficient amount for the necessities of age
The reduction of wages inevitably consequent
upon throwing our home market open to the
world, would deprive them of the power to dc
this. 1t would prove great calamity to oul
country. 1t would produce conflict between
the poor and the rich, and in the sorrowful de-
graduation of labor would plant the seeds of pub
lie danger.
The Republican party has steadily aimed to
maintain just relations between labor and capital
guarding with cSre the rights of each. A con
81. ,turo.,, Tia t.., hos al,.nr-