The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-10-16
The Prospects Before Us.

which bids fair to reach every class
nf business men in the county.
From the titne that it was OpeHed
l0s-ihly, and perhaps probable, that
the administration nf public affairs
at Washington would hechaDged,and
a different condition brought about
than that which for nearly n quarter
If "A century had cauSe,i steady ad-
vance in the wealth and general pros
periiy, and which lasted nearly Hp
to the close nf the late session of Con.
gress, there Was y general stagnation
of business individuals began TO
economiZe in their personal expendl-
lures, merchants to lay IN but very
limited stocks of goods at each re-
turning season, and manufact uring
establishments and mechanics were
feeling their way rs gently as pos"
sible, for fear that the crash. which
might ensue Ivy ~ change IN the set
tied policy Of the nation, would over
wheim them in ruin. All this is
now changed, for The present al least
and confidence is again being reslOr-
ed that for a year ur two, at least, we
have good rearon To believe, that no
such calamity rs was Dreaded, and
which some of Tie Older class of cili-
Zens remember 10 have occurred in
former years under similar circuin.
stances, when the cry was heard in
Pennsylvania and other protective
states. of "Polk, Dallas and the Tar
if." Ivy which people were deceived
by the fraudulent claim that Polk
was a better tariff man than Henry
Clay. Mr.. Randall. unlike the Vice
President from his state in the con-
test alluded TO, has, thus far, main
tanned the principles of his state, and
aided in preserving the tariff system
froIh the dangers, by which it was
threatened last winter by the MUrri-
son bii, which 1t was we'll known
wedge to Tie free trade policy, which
is openly avOWed 10y some Of the
friends of that measure, and discus
sed 10y others as II "reviseu" tariff.
If, in the coming election for the
Finie,h Congress, to- take place next
month, a House of Representatives
should be elected which Is opposed to
the free traders. a security will he
given that no change in our present
system of taxation and q nee will
lie possible Tor three or four years at
least.
An Eastern writer, looking at the
prospect now looming up in business
takes the following just view If it:
Lift e doubt Tan now exis. tnat the
country is entering on the fall trade
with decidedly better prospects than
have pr. vailed for year or more
past. While the commercial jour
nails assure us of this. from hegin-
nings already made We are able To $, e
the ba-i of this prosperity, and are
glad to ini it sound and likely to
continue hrring the coming months.
A reasonable gpnl wheat crop is the
fist great fact, and. combined with
that, a foreign demand better than
hts existed for several years. Our
wheat exports in August were over
eleven million buShels-or four times
rs much as year ago for the same
month. This increasing demand for
our farm products Was the first symp-
toms of The revival Of business after
the great depression which prevailed
from 1873 to 1877 -: In large part
of The corn-.rowing region this crop
j. now out of danger, and if not our
largest. will yet he sufficient for all
probable requirement at home or
abroad. ana at better prices than an
0ver-large crop "ouid bring.
1t is not reasonable to expect a
great boom in ha-iness under present
conditions, nor does the country
want it. The margin of profit is
low in every branch of trade, and
the gain male will be rather, in dis
posing of goods at small advances
which have lately been unsable. TIE
farming classes have been economic.
ing sO long that II considerable in-
crease in their purchases is now in
evitable. But it will be nothing ex.
travagant. and less per head than in
the years succeeding the last great
depression. But the country has
increased heavily in population
since t.ien. This even with mol
crate expenditure for each person
makes large aggregate. The pres
ent great danger in our husin So
situation is the tendency to over
hopefulness, which will lead to spec
uiatiiOn. Ii is far better 10 be sati-
fed with the natural growth of
business which increasing population
and wealth will bring, than to grasp