Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-07-19

X ufVNtous niSt0Ty OF Aucficao tvhF
rnefce. All the details, when ana
lyxcd, corrcsposd with this gigantic result
The commercial cities Of the Union nevel
had such growth as they have enjoved since
1850. Our chief emporium, the city OF New
York, with Its dependencies, has within
that period doubled her population and In
creased Der wealth 6yefoid. During tnt
same Period the imports and exports whict
have entered and left her h1rbor are mors
than double in bulk aud value the whole
amount exported by her between the settle
/ meut Of the first Dutch colony on the island
Of Manhattan and the outbreak OF the civil
war In 1880.
AoRIcuITUsg AND THE TARIFF.
The agricultural interest Is by far the
largest In the nation, and Is entitled In
every adjustment OF revenue lsws 10 the
| first consideration. Any policy hostile
| 10 the fullest development OF agriculture
| In the United States must be abandoned.
! Realizing this fact the opponents OF the
/ present system Of revenue have lahoIed
| very earnestly TO persuade the farmers OF
| the United States that they arc robbed
by protective tariff, and the effort Is
| thus made TO consolidate their vast In
fuence in favor OF free trade. But hap
| PLY the farmers OF America are intelIi-
| gent and cannot be misled by sophistry
| when conclusive facts are before them.
They see plainly that during the past
twenty-four years wealth has no. been
| acquired in one section or by one interest
at the expense Of another section or anoth-
| er interest. They see that the agricultural
| States have made even more rapid progress
| than the manufacturing States.
The farmers see that In 1850 Massachu-
sets and Illinois had about the same
wealth-besween eight and nine hundred
million dollars each-and that In 1880 Mas
sachusetts had advanced 10 twenty-six
hundred millions, while Illinois had adj
vanced 10 thirty-two hundred millions.
They see that New Jersey and Iowa
were Just equal in population IN
1860 aud 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 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 aggregate addition 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 al
the general prosperity, and that having re-
covered from the loss and devastation Of
war. has gained so rapidly that It's total
wealth Is at least the double OF that which
Il possessed in 1860, exclusive OF slaves.
In these eXtraOi binary developments the
farmers see the helpful impulse OF a home
market. and they see that the financial and
revenue system. enacted since the Repub-
~ MT h
lished 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 at
home to one they have sold abroad, and
that in the case OF corn. the only other
cereal which we export to any ex-
tent, one hundred bushels have been used
at home TO three and half bushels ex-
ported. 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 farm
ers see that in the increasing COMPETE
ton from the grain fields OF Russia and
from The distant plains OF India the growth
Of the home market becomes daily OF
greater concern 10 them, and that its i'm
pairment would depreciate the value OF
every acre OF tillable 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 vlstness
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 for
eign competition. they enjoy the advan-
tages OF absolute free trade over 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 hindrance, with
out tax, detention or governmental in
reference OF any kind whatever. 1t
spreads freely over an area OF three and
half million square miles-almost equal in
ext mt TO the whole continent Of Europe.
Its profits are enjoyed to-day by ffty-siy
millione OF American freemen, and from
this enjoyment no monopoly is created.
According to Alexander Hamilton, when
he discussed the same subject in $780,
1.-THE internal competition which takes
place does away with everything like mo-
nopOlv, and by degrees reduces the prices
OF articles to the minimum Of reasonable
profit on the capital employed" II is i'm
possible TO point TO a 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 arelncOnceivably
great in mountaineering merely as one
fundamentally as large mileage OF rail
way as 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
twenty times as greatin amount rs
our foreign commerce. IL is into this vast
field Of home trade-at once the creation and
the heritage Of the American people-that
foreign nations are striving by every device
10 enter. II is into this field that the oppo-
nents Of our present revenue system would
freely admit fhe countries OF Europe
Countries into whose internal trade we
could not reciprocally enter; countries to
which we should be surrenderIng every
Of trade-lrom which we should
be gaming nothing in return.
EFFECT UPON THE MECHANIC AND THE
LABORER.
A policy Of this kind would be disastrous
TO the mechanics and workingmen OF the
United States. Wages are uniuStly reduced
when an industrious man is not able by his
earnings TO live in comfort, educate his
children, and lay by sufficient amount for
the necessities OF age. The reduction OF
wages inevitably consequent upon throw
ing our home market open TO the world
would deprive them Of the power TO do
this. 1t would prove great calamity TO
our country. 1t would produce conflict
between the poor and the rich, and in the
sorrowful degradation OF labor would plant
the seeds Of public danger.
The Republican party has steadily aimed
10 maintain Just relations between labor
and capital, guarding with care the rights
Of each. a conflict between the two has
always led in the past, and will always lead
In the future, TO the injury Of both. Labor
is indispensable 10 the creation and profit
able use OF capital, and capital increases the
efficiency and value Of labor. Whoever
arrays the one against the other /. an en-.
envy Of both. That policy is wisest and
best which harmonizes the two on the ba-
sis OF absolute justice. The Republi-
can party has protected the free labor OF
America so that its compensation is larger
than is realized in any other country. IL
has guarded our people against the unfair
competition OF contract labor from China,
and may be called upon 10 prohibit the
growth OF similar evil from Europe. IL
is obviously unfair to permit capitalists TO
make contracts for cheap labor In foreign
countries 10 the hurt and disparagemeut OF
the labor Of American citizens. Such
"A hat w