Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-07-19

ahty of the vessel tat may carry
the commodities Of exchange. Our carry.
ing trade has from obvious causes suffered
many discoursgements since 1860, but our
foreign commerce has in the same period
steadily and prodigiously increased-in-
creased indeed at rate and to an amount
which absolutely dwarf all previous deyel-
opments 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 thousand millions
Of dollars $4,000, ,O0O,OOO). The balance
in this vast commerce inclined in our
favor but il would have been much larger
if our trade with the countries Of Americe,
elsewhere referred to. had been more wisely
adjusted.
1t is difficult even 10 appreciate the mag
nitude OF our export trade since 1860 and
We can gain correct conception oft only
by comparison with preceding results in the
same field. The total exports from the
United States from the Declaration Of In
dependence in l176 down to the day Of
Lincoln's election in 1860, added to all that
had previously been exported from the
American colonies from their original set
tlement amounted to less than nine thous-
and millions Of dollars $4,000, 900, ,000).
On the other hand our exports from 1860
to the close OF the last fiscal year exceeded
twelve thousand millions OF dollars 2
600, 900 0O0)-the whole Of it being the
product OF American labor. Evidently q
Protective tariff has not injured our
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 analyzed, correspond with this gigan.
tic result. The commercial cities Of the
Union never had such growth as they have
enioyed since 1860. Our chief emporium,
the Civ of New York, with his dependen-
cies, has within that period doubled her
population and increased her wealth five
fold. During the same period the imports
which have entered and left her harbor are
more than double in bulk and value tie
whole amount imported and exported by
her between the settlement of the first ID, I h
colony on the Island of Manhattan and the
outbreak of the Civil War in 1850.
Agriculture and the Tarin.
The agricultural interest is by far the
largest in the nation, andis entitled in every
adjustment Of revenue laws to The first con-
sideratiou. ANY policy hostile to the fullest
development OF agriculture in the United
States must be abandoned. Realizing this
TACT the opponents Of the present system Of
revenue have labored very earnestly to per
suade the farmers Of the United States that
they are robbed by protective tariff and
the effort is thus made to consolidate their
vast influence in favor Of free trade, But
happily the farmers Of America are intelll.
gent and cannot be mis- e 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 nj the expense OF
another section or another interest They
see that the agricultural States have made
even more rapid progress than the manu-.
featuring States.
The farmers see that in 1860 Massachg.
setts and Illinois had about the same wealth
between eight and nine hundred mill on
dollars eaCh-and that in 1850 Massachu-
setts had advanced TO twenty-six hundred
millions, while Illinois had advanced TO
thirty-two hundred millions. They sec that
New jersey and Iowa wsIe just equal in
population 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 hun.
dred millions. They see that the nine lead
ing agricultural States Of the West have
grown so rapidly in prosperity that the az
eregate addition TO their wealth since 1860
is almost as great as the wealth Of the en-
tire country Of that year They see that
the Sou h. wL ch is almost exclusively agri.
cultural, has shared in the general prosper.
ity and that having recovered from the loss
and devastation Of war. has gained so rap
idlv that its total wealth is at least the
double of that which it possessed in 1860,
exclusive OF slaves
In these extraordinary developments the
farmers see the helpful impulse Of a home
market, and they see that the financial and
revenue system, enacted since the Repubii.
can party came into power. has established
and constantly expanded the home market
They see that even in the case OF wheat,
which is our chief cereal export, they have
sold. in the average Of the years since the
close of the war, three bushels nj home to
one they have sold abroad, and that in the
case Of corn, the only other cereal which
We export 10 any extent, one hundred bush
els have been used az home TO three and
half bushels exported In some years the
disparity has been so 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
competition from the grain fields Of Russia
and from the distant plains Of India, the
growth Of the home market becomes daily
of greater concern to them and that its
Impairment would depreciate the value OF
e7ery acre Of tillabIe land in the Union.
Our Internal Commerce.
Such facts as these touching the growth
and consumption Of cereals at home give Us
some slight conception Of the yastness OF
the internal commerce Of the United Stats.
They suggest also that in addition 10 the
advantages which the American people en-
ioy from protection sgains. foreign compe-
tition. they enjoy the advantages Of abso-
lnte free trade over a larger area and wiih
a greater population than any other nation
The internal commerce Of our thirty-eight
States and nine Territories is carried
on without let or hndrance, with
oat tax, detention or Governmental
interference OF any kind whatever.
II spreads freely over an area OF three and
a half million square rniles--almost equal
in extent to the whole continent Europe.
Its profits are enjoyed to-day BY iftysix mil
lions Of American freemen, and from this
endowment no monopoly is created. Accord
ing 10 Alexander Hamilton. when be dis
cussed the same subject in 1890. the IT,
ternsl composition which takes place does
away with everything ike monopoly, and
by degrees reduces the prices Of articles 20
the minimum Of a reasonable profit on the
capital emplosed." II is impossible TO point
to single monopoly in the United States
that has been created or fostered BY the In-
dustrial System which is upheld by the Re
publican Party.
Compared with our foreign commerce
IT.. Jx.-...sn az ck noes a re fnc0arei sainiv