The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-06-15

ing convinced that the Irresistible pro-
gressye march o; nature requires an I'M
mense population to cultivate some DAY
this large extent OF ground lying i1ie
now, indeed. but whlcn only wants the
hand of man TO produce everything In
abundance" The fugitive from the
French republic saw clearly that the new
American republic was 10 be one or the
great and fruitful countries OF the world.
Probably he foresaw that IL was TO De
the richest country In the world ne
evidently feared TO give utterance 10 al
that his imagination pictured, Tor ne
added, II leave TO others the satisfaction
OF foretelling the prospects OF ihose couh-
tries"
Clear as TalIeyrand's vision was. and
whatever his Imagination may have PIC
tured. he could not have begun 10 reaiize
the truth as IL Is now presented by the
British statistician Mulnall in the cur
rent number OF the North American ke-
view Mr.. Mulhall begins by saying that
II we take survey OF mankind IN
ancient or modern times as regards tis
physical. mechanical and intellectual
force OF nations, We ma nothing 10
compare with the United states in TINS
present year of 1885, II is fiattering 10
our pride that this foreign economist
should tell us the news OF our success Is
what IaIleyrand calls her irresistible
progressive march" have been more than
met. The great population IS mere Due
more than that, the genius OF the race
that inhabits the country mas N4suy
multiplied the productive powers Of the
individual. Since 1919 the WORKING power
of the individual IN this country mas
been almost doubled through useful IN
ventioGs. The working power measured
IN foot-tons Is 1870 tons daily, while the
working power OF an individual IN Great
Britain is 40 tons. The working power
OF a single person IN this country Is
twice that Of q German or OF French
man. more than three times that OF an
Austrian, and five times that OF an
In 1880 we produced $50 bushels Of grain
and 80 pounds OF meat per mana en-
ployed, while each hand employed IN
similar tasks in the United klnGdCm pro-
duco1 only 1l9 bushels OF grain ana
900 pounds OF meat. In France TINS pro-
ductiOn amounted 10 only % bushels OF
Germany Austria and Italy 1t was still
less As Mr.. Mulhall puts II, AN ordl-
nary farm hand in the United states
raises as much gram as three IN England,
four i'm France, five In Germany, or SIX
in Austria. which shows what an enor-
nous waste OF labor occurs in Europe
because farmers are not possessed OF the
same mechanical appliances as IN the
United States"
Speaking of our educational statistics
in the census OF 1891 Mr.. Mulhall says
1T may be fearlessly asserted that in the
history Of the human race no natlon
ever before possessed II 10000 instructed
citizens" The annual school expenditure
i'm this country is $40 per inhaDitant
Great Britain comes next Win al IN
penditure OF little more than half as
much. France spends only 80 cents,
Germany. 80 cents; Austria, 30 cents
and Italy. p cents.
This country is also the richest in the
world. It's wealth exceeds that OF Great
Britain by s5 per cent. The gains and
wages OF both rural and urban working
people have also increased. From DOL 10
1870 the yearly Accommodations OF Sn urban
' orker amounted to $3.50 and OF rural
worker to Sl7.1. In the period from 1881
70 1880 these annual accumulatiOns
amounted to 1890 ana Si7; % respectively.
In 1860 the average yearly wage OF an
American operative amounted to SZS. In
1880 II amounted 10 S4S5.
An interesting fact is that agricultural
wealth has greatly increased in this
country. In fact" says Mr. MulhaH. IF
the United States had no urban popula-
ton or industries whatever the advance
of agricultural interests would be enough
10 claim the admiration of mankind, for
il has no parallel in history.
The statistics which Mr.. Mulhall has
taken from our Owl census confOund the
prophets of evil. the socialists. the com
munists. the currency tinkers and those
VINO believe that the American man is so
incompetent and America is SO poor
country that competition with the rest Of
the world on even terms is impossible.
our enormous wealth has saved us from
what otherwise would have been the dis
astrOus consequences of our trifiing with
the laws OF nature; but the result of
wasting money in the purchase of silver
bullion shows MS that there is a limit
beyond which even the rich republic can
not safely go in the effort TO repeal the
universal laws that govern trade and
money by experimental human statutes.