The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-07-30

can party 10 power.
The period between 1860 and To-
day has not been one Of material
prosperity only. At no time in the
history of the United States has
there been such progress in the
moral and philanthropic field. Re
ligious and charitable institutions,
schools, seminaries and colleges
have been founded and endowed far
more generously than at any previ-
Gus time in our history. Greater
and more varied relief has been ex-
tended to human suffering, and the
entire progress of the country in
wealth has been accompanied and
dignifed by broadening and ele-
waiting of our National character as a
people.
Our opponents find fault that our
revenue system produces surplus.
But thew should not forget that the
law has given a specific purpose to
which all the surplus is proftably
and honorably applied--the reduc-
ton of the public debt, and the con-
sequent relief of the burden of taxa
ton. No dollar has been wasted,
and the only extravaganza with
which the party stands charged is
the generous pensioning of soldiers,
sailors, and their families--an ex-
travaeance which embodies the
highest form of justice in the recog-
milton and payment of a sacred debt.
When reduction of taxation is to
he made, the Republican party can
be trusted to accomplish it in such a
form as will most effectively aid the
industries Of the Nation.
OUR FOREIGN COMMERCE.
A frequent accusation by our op-
ponents is that the foreign commerce
Of the country has steadily decayed
under the influence of the Protective
Tariff. In this way they seek to
array the importing interests against
the Republican party. 1t is COM
mon and yet radical error to con-
found the commerce OF the country
with its carrying .rade-an error
often committed innocently and
sometimes designedly-but an error
so gross that it does not distinguish
between the ship and the cargo. For
eign commerce represents the ex-
ports and imports of country, re-
gardless of the nationality of the
vessel that may carry the commodi-
ties of exchange. Our carrying trade
has from obvious causes suffered
many discouragements since 1860,
but our foreign commerce has in the
same period steadily and prodig-
iously increased, indeed, at rate
and TO an amount which absolutely
dwarf all previous developments of
our trade beyond the sea. From 1860
to the present time the foreign com
merce of the United States divided
with approximate equality between
exports and imports), reached the
astounding aggregate of twenty-four
thousand millions of dollars ($24.-
600, ,000,000). The balance of this
vast commerce inclined in our favor
but il 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 of our export trade
since 1860, and we can gain a correct
conception of it only by comparison
with preceding results in the same
field. The total exports from the
United States from the Declaration
of Independence in 1866 down to
the day of Lincoln's election in 1860
added to all that had been previous
ly exported from the American
colonies from their original settle
nept, amounted to less than nine
thousand millions of dollars $1,000
0OO,O0O. On the other hand our
exports from 1860 to the close of the
last fiscal year exceeded twelve
thousand millions of dollars (S12,-
10000, ,O00)-the whole of it being
the product of American labor.
Evidently a Protective Tariff has
not injured our export trade when.
under its influences, we exported in
twenty-four years 40 per cent. more
than the total amount that had been
exported in the entire previous his
tory OF American commerce. All
the details, wien analyzed, cores
pond with this gigantic result The
commercial cities of the Union new
er had such growth as they have
enjoyed since 1860. Our chief en-
porium, the CITY of New York, with
Its dependencies, has within that
period doubled her population and
increased her wealth five fold. Dur
ing 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
exported by her between ths settle
ment of the first Dutch colony on
the Island of Manhattan, and
the outbreak of the Civil War in
1860.
AGRICULTURE AND THE TARIFF.
The agricultural interest is by far
the largest in the Nation, and is en-
titled In every adjustment of the
revenue laws to the first copsidera-
ton. Any policy hostile to the full
est development of agriculture in the
United States must be abandoned.
Realizing this fact the opponents OF
the present system have labored very
earnestly to persuade 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 intelligent and cannot
be misled by sophistry when con-
elusive 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 anoth-
er section or another interest. They
see that the agricultural States have
made even more rapid progress than
the manufacturing States.
The farmers see that in 1860 Mas