Daily Republican., 1884-07-19


A frequent accusation by our oppo.
nents is that the foreign commerce O,
the country has steadily decayed under
the influence Of the protective tariff.
In this way they seek to array the
importing interest against the Repubii
lean party. 1t IL q common and YET
radical error to ccnfound the commerce
OF the country with Its carry ing trade
Ian error often committed innocently
and sometimes designedly-tut an er.
ror 30 gross that 1t does not distinguish
between the ship and the cargo. For.
eign commerce represents the exports
and imports ofa country regardless OF
the nationality of the vessel
that may carry the commodities OF
Exchange. f
Our carrying trade has from obvious
since 1860, but our foreign Commerce
has In the same period steadily and
prodigiously ncreased-increased in.
deed at rate and to an amount which
absolutely dwarf all previous develop.
ments 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 $24, ,OOO,.
OOO,OOO The balance in this vast com
merce inclined in our favor, but It
woald have been much larger IL our
trade with the countries Of America
elsewhere referred TO, had been more
wisely adj listed.
1t is difficult even to appreciate the
magnitude of our export trade since
1850, and we can gain correct
conception of 1t only by COM
parison with preceding results in the
same field. The total exports from tho
United States from the Declaration of
Independence in 1776 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 settlement, amounted to less
than $9, ,O00, 900, 900. On the other hand
our exports from 1860 to the close of the
last fiscal year exceeded S12, 200, 900 600
the whole of 1t being the product of
American labor.
Evidently q protective tariff has not in
jured our export trade when, under its
Influence, we exported in twenty. four
years 40 per cent more than the total
amount that bad been exported in the
entire previous history of American
commerce. All the details, when ana.
lyzed; corresponds with this gigantic
result. The commercial cities Of the
Union never had such growth as they
have enjoyed since 1860. Our chief
emporium, the city Of New York, with
its dependencies, has within that period
doubled her population and increased
her wealth tive.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 aud exported
by her between the settlement of the
first dutch colony on the island of Man
haitian and the outbreak of the civil
war In 1850.
AGRICULTURE AND THE TARIFF.
The agricultural interest is by far
the largest in the nation, and is enti.
tied in every adjustment of revenue
laws TO the first consideration. Any
policy hostile to the fullest development
of agriculture in the United States m must
be abandoned. Realizing this fact the
opponents of the present system of reve-
nue. 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 influences in fa-
vor of free trade. But happily the far
mers of America are intelligent and
| cannot be misled by sophistry when
conclusive facts are before them. They
see plainly that during thepast 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 seq that the agricultur
al States have made even more rapid
progress than the manufacturing States.
The farmers nee that in 1860 Massa-
chusetta ard Illinois had abont the
same wea!th-beiween $500 ol0, 900 and
5000, 600 OU0 e.ch--and That iu 1880
| Massachusetts had aivauced 10 80, 6OU,-
000, 900, while Illinois hat ai vancad 10
50, 200, ,00O,0 900 They Sc thas Now Je-
sey AMI Iowa were just equal in pppula
ton III 1860 and that In swenty years
the wealth of New Jersey was Increased
by the sum of $3.50, 600, 900, While the
wealth Of Iowa was increased by the
sum ofSl, 800, ,0e0,0 900 They see that the
nine leading agricultural States OF the
West have grown 80 rapidly in prosper
ity 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 almost exclusively agricultural, has
shared in the general prosperity, and,
having recovered from the loss and de.
vastation of war, has gained 30 rapidly
that its total wealth is at least the dou.
BILE OF that which it possessed In 1860,
exclusive of slaves.
In these extraordinary developments
the farmers see the helpful impulse
of a home marine market, and they see
that the financial and revenue syste III,
enacted since the Republican party
cane into power, has established and
| constantly expanded the home market.
They say 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 BUSH
els at home to one they have sold
| abr Dad, and that in the case OF corn,
the only other cereal which we export
to any extent, 100 bushels have been
used at home to 81 bushels exported.
In some years the disparity has been
80 great that for every peck of corn ex-
ported 100 bush els have been consumed
| in the home market. Tue farmers see
thar in the increasing competition from
| the grain helds of Russia and from the
distau ut plains OF India the growth oi
rhe home market becomes daily great
or concern to them, and that its i'm
pairment would deprsciate the value
of every acre oftillable land in the
Union.
OUR INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE.
| Such facts as these touching the
growth aud consumption of cereals at
home gives us some slight conception
OF the vastncss Of the internal COM
merce OF the United States. They
MI pn..t nlsa Ihaf In addif ion To the