The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1890-02-13

The Progress of One Hundred Years
Hon r. p Porter in American Economist
One hundred years have now passed
since the acknowledgment of our indus
trial independence by the signing of the
first tariff bill. Instead of q population
of less than three millions, of whom hall
million were slaves, the forthcoming
census will show a population OF 65,000,
900, eight millions of whom are free
blacks, with all the rights of American
citizenship. This population, instead OF
being settled upon and around the bays
harbors and inlets which indent the
shores of the western shores of the AT
lantic, spreads all over mighty CONT
nent, dotted with busy centers of indus
try, and covered with a system OF rail
roads equal in its mileage toall the other
railroads of the world put together. The
great West, by the aid of waterways
and railroads. is now nearer the sea
board, gagged by the cost OF transpor
tation, than the interior towns of New
York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania, q
hundred miles from tidewater then were
Scattered manufactures then struggling
into existence. the annual value of which
| ten years ago exceeded in value five
/ Thousand million dollars and will proba
bly, aggregate nine thousand million dol
! lars next year The Investigation OF
our national Industries, largely the re-
suit of the Protection of home manu-
| features, has been not less remarkable
From the insignificant beginning pic
tured in our description of the day break
of manufactures in the United States
the various metal industries of the coun
try are to-day employing not less than
100000 hands, consuming probably
$3.50, 900, 900 worth of material. and pro
ducing from seven to eight hundred mil
| lion dollars in value of manufactured
goods In fact, the last report of the
Iron and Steel Association shows that
the manufacture of iron and steel is al
most as extensive in this country as it is
in England
In the manufacture of wood and wood
en- ware, including furniture of all kinds,
nearly 100000 persons are engaged, while
the value of the annual product proba-
bly, now exceeds $600,000,000 annually
The wooden industry, including those
! branches such as the manufacture OF
carpets, of hosiery, and worsted goods,
then springing into existence, now rep
resents the labor of 100000 industrious
artisans and value of more than three
hundred and fifty million dollars annu-
ally.
The cotton industry, at that time
practically carried on, as Hamilton said
in his report, "in the houses of the peo-
ple,' now represents a consumption an
nually. in New England and along the
cotton belt itself, of two million bales OF
cotton, and employs quarter OF million
of people in factories.
The manufacture of a few yards OF
silk in the making of a single gown of
American material throughout, which
was looked upon with so much pride. has
now increased to an industry employing
from forty to fifty thousand people, and
producing annually $50,000,000 worth OF
the finest grades of silk goods
The manufacture of pottery, stone
ware and glass, then represented by es-
Establishments with a few thousand dol
lars worth of capital. now employs mil
lions of capital and from forty to fifty
thousand hands
The chemical industry, so crudely be-
gun, now touches our lives at almost
every point. Not only does it beautify
dress with an infinite variety OF colors.
but it's principles are utilized to sustain
the telephone and the telegraph, and
even the cars in our streets are to be
driven by batteries whose force repre-
sesents the energy of chemical decom-
position 1t is estimated that thirty
thousand people are now employed in
this industry, and the value of the pro-
dnct is not far short of $4,000 900.
The village grist-mills have grown into
mammoth hour-mills, which are the
wonderment of the civilized world The
greatest of all Industries in the United
States is that of the flour and griSt mills,
and the value of this one industry has
now reached 100000, 900 per annum, one
half of which amount is produced in the
States of New York, Illinois, Pennsyl-
vania Minnesota, Ohio and Missouri.
The clothing business, then chiefly
prosecuted in the homes of the people,
now employs 100000 persons, and the
value of the product varies from $780,
000 900 to 300000,000 annually.
With this enormous increase in man
ufacture has come corresponding IN
crease in the products of our fields from
an annual product of $150,000,000 to
SO, 500. 600 900. The number of farms
will probably, in 1890, reach five millions,
and their value 1900, 100000. The pro-
duction of cereals will reach 5000, 900, goo
bushels, and may exceed that amount,
The value of livestock, including ranch
cattle and cattle other than those on
farms, will reach S., 600,000,000
The opening of the valleys of the Mis-
sissippi, the Missouri, the Ohio, the
Wabash, the Columbia and the sacra-
mento, and the increase in the products
of the far-stretching fields drained by
our rivers are not less remarkable than
the development of our mineral resour-
ces from little surface coal and few
insignificant iron-ore mines and copper
deposits in 1889 to total product last
year of $600,0O0,O0O
The cities and villages, many OF which
were laid in ashes by the seven years
war, with total population OF 130, 900,
have increased in number until they will
probably aggregate 100000 population
next June.
In place of 1900 miles of post-roads, we
now have 404, 900 miles; in place OF Is
post offices, we now have nearly 10000;
and the total receipts of the Post-office
Department have increased from $46,294
to $53 200, 600, and the total cost of the
service has gone from 900 to $31 900,
900.
Our luxuriant forests, which even then
furnished an ample and cheap supply of
good fuel and excellent timber for ship
building and other purposes, now an
nually WELD to the woodlands axe $780,
1000, of products.
THE FOLLY OF A CHANGE.
The valuation of all the Accommodations
of the country has increased from 500,0 900,
900 to 43 200, 600, 900 in 1880, and probably
will reach 10000, 100000 in 1890 And
when we look around us and see these
marvellous improvements which have
taken place, does it not increase our
faith in thei policy which has made it
possible? In the face of progress like
this; in the face Of prosperity such as
here described; in the face of a develop
ment of resources like this-is it proba-
BILE that the American people will ex-
change their economic system, imbedded
as it is in the very foundations of their
Government, for the Free-Trade system
known as the Manchester school? Sure
ly not
Under the American system we have