Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-07-24

/ ports and impQrtsl reached the astounding aggre-
gate ct twentv-four billions of dollars ,2h000.-
1 oQQ00 The balance IN this vast commerce il.
I elined In our favor bat it would have been much
/ larger U our trade with The countries OF Ameri-
| ca elsewhere referred 70, had been more wisely
adjusted
1 10 IS difficult even 20 appreciate the magnitude
/ or our export trade since lSt0 and we can gain
correct conception OF t only bY comparison with
/ preceding results In the same field, The total
exports from the United states from the Declare.
/ ZION ot Independence Ia loo down 10 the days of
l-iucolns election In 1860, added 10 all that had
j previously been exported frorS the American
colonies from their original settlement Amounted
/ 10 less than zine thousand millions OF dollars
/ lsHVDOOo0VW On the other hanA our exports
from 1850 TO the close OF the last fiscal wear eN
Ceeded twelve thousand millions OF dollars tSl2
/ eN,OVO, O0l-thc whole of it being the produce Of
/ American labor Evidently a protective tariff
has Sot injured our export trade when under its
influence, we exported In tweuty-tour years forty
I per cent more than the total amount that had
/ been exported Ia the entire previous history
/ OF American commerce An the details whom
analyzed, correspond 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
lbs dependencies, has within that period doubled
her population and increased her wealth i've fold
During the same period the imports aud exports
which have entered and left her harhor are more
ndouble in bulk and value the whole amount
exported by her between the settlement of the
first Dutch colony ON the island OF Manhattan ami
! heoutbreaS of the civii war i'm 1860.
AoBIcuLTURE AND the rARrr
The agriculture interest is by far the largest ia
the nation ana is entitled in every adjustment
OF revenue laws. to the first consideration. ANY
policy hostile 90 the fullest development of agr
culture In the United States must be abandoned
Realizing this fact the opponents of the present
system of revenue have labored very earnestly 60
persuade the farmers of the United States That
they are robbed hy 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 inteu-
gent and cannot Ice miSle4 by SOphistry when
/ conclusive facts are before them They see
plainly that during the past twenty -four years
wealth has net been acquired in one section or by
one interest at the expense of another section or
another interest They see that the agricultural
l states have made even more rapid progress than
The farmers see that in 1851 Massachusetts
and Illinois had about the same wealth between
eight mud nine hundred million dollars each-a and
I that i'm 1850 Massachusetts had advanced 90
/ twenty six hundred millions, while Illinois had
4 advanced TO thirty two hundred millions. They
see that New Jersey and Iowa were Just equal IN
I population in 1860 and that IN twenty years the
wealth of New Jersey Was increased 10y 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 t4e West
I have grown 50 rapidly ia prosperity that the aE
cregcte addition TO their wealth since lNto ls
Amos, as great ms the wealth of the entire
/ country I'm that year They see that The south
which is almost exclusively agricultural, Inns
+ recovered from the loss aud devastation of war.
I has gained $50 rapidly that It's total wealth is at
/ least the double of that which 10 possessed ~
I 1850 inclusive of slaves.
4 lu these extraordinary developments the farm
I or see the helpful impulse of "a home market,
ana they see that the tiuancial and revenue sys-
/ tenn. enacted since the republican party came ul-
! To power has established ami constantly expand
/ ed the home market. They see that even In the
4 case of wheat which les our chief cereal export
they have sold, iu the average of the years since
i bp a. ID nome
the one they have sold abroad, aud in the case of
( corn, the only other cereal which we export 20
any extent enc hundred bushels hnve been used
at home To- three and a half bushels exported.
i'm some years the disparity has been ego great
that for every peck OF corn exported
1 one hundred bushes have been consumed in tile
the increasing competition from the grain fields
of Russia and from the distant plains of India
greater concern 10 them and that It's impairment
4 would depreeate the value of every acre of ili-
able land in the Union.
OUR INTERNAL COMMERCE.
Such facts as these touching the growth and
consumption of cereals at home give MS some
slight conception of the vastuess of the internal
commerce of the United States. They suggest
also that, in addition 90 the advantages which the
4 American people enjoy from protection against
/ foreign competition they enjoy the advantage
OF absolute free trade over larger area end
with greater population tsan any other nation
Tie internal commerce of Our thirty eight states
and nine territories is craried ON without let or
hndrance, without tax, detention or govern
mental interference of any kind whatever. IL
spreads freely over an area Of three ann a halt
million square miles almost equal m extent
to the whole continent Of Europe lts
profits are enjoyed to-day by fifty six millions
of American freemcn and from this enjoyment
! no monopoly is created. According 10 Alexander
Hamilton. when he discussed the same subject in
/ 1890. the internal competition which takes place
does away with every thing like monopoly ana
by degrees reduces the prices Of articles to the
4 minimum Of a reasonable profit on the capital
( employed" II is Impossible 60 point to a single
/ MONOPOLY in the United States that has been ere
ated or fostered by the industrial system which is
/ upheld 10y the republican party.
/ COMPARED with our foreign commerce these
/ domestic exchanges are incohcelvably great IN
! amouut-requring merely as one inntiumehf amy
/ as large mileage Of railway as exists to-day in
all the utheruations of The world combined, These
I internal exchanges are estimated by the statisti-
cal bureau of the treasury department 90 be an
I nuaily twenty times as great IN amount as our
/ foreign commerce. IL Is into this vast field Of
home trade at once the creation and the
/ heritage Of the American people-that iorelgr
nations are striving by every device TO enter. IL
/ is into this field that the opponents of our pres
ent revenue system would freely admit the couu.
tries Of Europe countries into whose internal
trade we could not reciprocally enter; countries
/ 10 which we should be surrenderiug every advan-
! tage OF trade from which we should Doe gaining
+ nothing IN return
4 EFFECT UpoN THE MECHANIC AND THE LABoREH
A policy of this kind would be disastrous 70
the mechanics and working men OF the United
] States. Wages are uulustly reduced Wlten an
/ industrious man Is not able by his earnings TO
/ live IN comfort educate ms children, and lay by
{ a sufficient amount for the necessities Of age
4 The reduction of wages inevitably consequent
I upon throwing our home market open TO the
/ world would deprive them Of the power To 90
/ this II would prove a great calamity 10 our
country II would produce q conflict between
/ the poor and the rich, and in the soT0Wtul deE
radiation of labor would plant The seeds OF pubic
I danger
Tie republican party has seadily aimed 70
maintain Just relations between labor dud capital
I guarding with care The rights OF each a con
4 hict between the two has always led 40 the past
and VIII always lea.i Ia the future ~ the injury
/ Of both Labor is Indispensable 20 the creation
and profitable use Of capital and capital IN
I creases the efficiency and yaluc of labor VINO
ever arrays the one against thc other Is an enemy
I Of both That policy IS wlsc.t and best Whlch
Z haruouizes the two on the basis ei absolute Jus
I tce The republican party has protected the
Z free labor OF America So that ITS compensation is
{ larger than Is realized in any other country. u
has guarded oar people against the unfair com
uetlii0n of contract labor from China, and may
be called upon % prohibit the growth Of a similar
evii from Europe It Is obviously unfair % per.
init capitalists ~ make contracts for cheap lhboF
In foreign countries 10 the hurt and dsparage
ueut al the labor of American citizens. Such o
policy dixie that which would leave the time and
other conditions OF home labor exclusively in the
control of the employer siniurious ~ all parties
NOT the least SO To- the unhaUDy persons who
are made the subjects Of the contract The tnsti-
buttons 81 tine United states 80 upon me inteli