The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1886-06-03
NO. 10.

especially marked. ''It is doubtful
i whether any agricultural growth was ever
SO rapid as that of wheat in this country
during the past thirty years." The most
valuable of American crops. however, is
neither wheat, nor maize, nor cotton, but
hay. The live stock is numerous enough
to give every family in the United States
horse, cow, four pigs, and three sheep.
Mr.. Carnegie makes the picturesque cal
culation that s'were the livestock upon
Uncle Sans estate ranged five abreast,
each animal estimated to occupy space
five feet long, and marched round the
world, the head and tail of the procession
would overlap
1t will surprise most of Mr.. Carnegie's
readers to be told that America is not only
the first of agricultural nations but the
first of manufacturing nations. The an
nual value of our manufactures is fifteen
hundred millions greater than that of
Great Britain-popularly supposed to be
the workshop of the woodland in thirty
years it has increased 600 per cent, while
that OF Great Britain has increased only
100 per cent. In the same time the annual
product of each American operative has
about doubled. Our foremost manufac-
turing industry is in Touring and grist
mills next follow in order Strengthening
and meat-packing, iron and steel, lumber,
foundry and machine shops, cotton,
wooden, etc. The strides made by the
iron workers are enormous. America
now makes one-fifth of the iron and one
fourth of the steel of the world, and is
second. only to Great Britain. In steel
America will probably lead lie world in
$780," We already lead the world in Bes-
semer steel; in 1870 we made only 10000
tone in 1882 we made 800, 900 tons.
First in agriculture, first in manufac-
lures, the Republic is also first in mining,
producing the most gold of any country in
the world, the most silver, the most cop
per, the most lead having all the metals
except tin ; and owning three.quarters of
all the, coal area of the earth. In the de-
velopment of our mineral resources we
have advanced with the same GREATNESS
rapidity which distinguishes our progress
in other fields. The time seems to be
close at hand when we can offer to supply
all mankind with everything they need
Already we have made ourselves virtually
independent of the rest of the world and
Indispensable to Europe. Our foreign
commerce iii fifty years has increased
eleven fold our imports in 1880 were
$40, 1000, 900, and our exports $725 900, 900.
but in the past twenty -liye years the ex-
ports ha, increased twice as fast as the
imports. Mr.. Carnegie is not writing
treatise on political economy. but he does
not fal to note how much of the enormous
indnSt, ial development is due to a Pro-
tective tariff, and how false is the idea
that Protection has crippled commerce.
1.-THE question is not now which policy is
the better for new nation, Free Trade or
Protection, but how is the huge fabric of
manufactures to be dealt with, the greatest
in the world, as we have seen. 1t has
been called into existence upon certain
conditions and has accommodated itself
thereto. The conservatism of the democ-
racy is so ingrained as to justify one in
prophesying that great care win be taken
not to disturb it unduly.
Mr.. Carnegie's review of the progress of
the Republic in literature, painting,
sculpture, architecture, and music is rose
coiored, but he pays some well-tleseryed
compliments and treats the whole of this
branch of the subject i'll spirit which a
few Of onr native critics might remark
with advantage. Ii We have not vet made
our place in TIC liberal arts we have adj
vanceti with surprising rapidity, and have
at least reached tilr stage OF Il pretty gen
eral diffusiOirof TASTE. The most inter-
esting points in MIR. Carnegie's chapters
on art and literature are illustrative of the
march of culture in the new and remote
communities of the west. He gives. this
curious statistical item 1T is estimated
that there are %, 900 school libraries in
America, containing 45O0O000 books
u 900, 900 more than all the public libraries
of Europe combined" A survey of the
organization and operations of the Gov
eminent will be found deeply interesting
to the English readers for whose benefit it
is written !; and a chapter of General Re-
fiections,n summing up the principal
things in the work, brings to an effective
close the admiring contrast between the
blessings of ademocratic government and
the workings of Il system founded upon
class privilege.