The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-06-22
Uncle SAINTS Balance Sheet.

gAGAGs StsA4A 0te4thASg AG99S'
AT the beginning of the presidential
campaign it is wise to make FIRST i'm
pressions, which are said to be lasting.
In this respect It Is well to call attention
to the stewardship of the Republican
party from its inception to the present
day, after having administered the af-
fairs of the country throughout two
wars and pulled 1t out of the slough OF
dependency, where 1t was twice
dumped by the Democracy, The facts
are set forth in an admirable article
complied by the American Economist,
entitled Uncle Sans Balance Sheet"
Commencing with 1855, the figures
CLEANED from official sources show that
in the two periods OF free trade DEM
ocratic ascendancy C1S5s.1SSO) 1898
1880, there were but three years-lS56,
1857, 1S9S-in which government raw
enues exceeded government expendi-
lures. There was in 1856 an excess of
A,4s5,673; in 1867, S1,1s9.6O4; in 1898,
$2,34l,6I4. In all the other years OF
free trade domination, all Of them
years of peace, the treasury deficits
ranged from S7,O65,99O in 1860 to $685.
SO3,26O in 1894. In the protection pc
riod we find deficits only in war times,
1S61-1sG5 and 1s9S-1S99, with the single
exception of 1897, when the burdens in
herited from the Cleveland free trade
administration produced a deficit Of
S1S,O52,254. Leaving out the exception
Just noted, twenty-seven years of con-
tinuous protection saw each year a
surplus of receipts over expenses rang
ing from $2.S44.SS2 in 1874 to Sl45, 1880
in 1852.
We find that the interest bearing debt
of the government steadily decreased
from $2,3S1, 53O295 in 1865 to S5s5.O29, $3.50
in 1892, all these years being years Of
protection. The public debt showed a
steady Increase from 1898 to 1897 in
elusive under Cleveland and free trade.
1t increased slightly In 1897, for rea-
sons already stated, and again in 1885,
1880, the Spanish war period. Wealth
per capita Increased from S5l4 in 1860
to $1,O3S in 1890, and is now estimated
at upward of Sl,4OO. Miles of railroad
built fell from 1856 in 1887 (protectIon
Year, to 1850 in 1895 Gree trade year,,
and IN 1899 (protection Year, had in
creased again to 4.5OO
Domestic exports rose from S251 $751;
O3S in 1858 Gree trade) to S1,21O, 2s1, 91S
in 1898 Cprotection). gain of close upon
$1,000 100000. Imports in 1857 (free trade)
were larger than exports by S70,O00.OO0
At the end of the war period in 1865
exports began to Increase rapidly un-
der protection, and in 1892 had grown
to Sl,OlJ, 732,Oll. They dropped of
sharply in the next four years Of free
trade. only to increase nightly in the
ensuing three years OF protection QS97-
1899. In 1893 Gree trade) we had an
adverse trade balance OF $35, 1000; in
1895 (protection) the trade balance in
our favor amounted in round figures to
$500, 100000.
In 1860 Gree trade) SSIS,SISi966 was
the total amount OF wages paid in the
United States. In 1870. after nine
years Of protection, the total amount
had been increased to S775.5s4.343; in
1850 (aftar nineteen years of protec-
tom, s947, 953,7s5 in 1890 (afte. twenty
nine years of protection), the total
wages paid had Increased to t2,2S2. $685.
2s5. In 1900 1t is expected that the ag-
gregate of wages paid will reach fully
$4,000. 100000
Manufacturing increased from $l,sS5,-
SCI, SIG in 1860 Gree trade), to S4,2sS,325.-
Az in 1870. $500, 57O.19l in 1880. $780,
1O7,62l in 1890, and the aggregate value
Of American manufactured products for
1900 is estimated at Sl2,777,O7S.755. The
difference between the volume of our
manufactures is the difference between
Sl.SS5. SCI. $40 in 1860 and S12,777O7S,755 in
19OO-a difference OF about eleven bill
lions of dollars in favor Of the protecs
ton year 1900. as contrasted with the
free trade year 1860.