The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-08-29
Furniture
Carpets
Drapleriies
Rugs


Rugs WI
message of Dec. g. 1906 in discussing the
disposal to be made of an expected sur
plus in the treasury, asks this pertinent
question:
Shall we suppress the impost and give that ad-
vantage. to- foreign over domestic manufactures?
And James Madison, one of the chief
factors in our constitutional convention,
in his seventh annual message Of Dec: S,
1915, makes this comprehensive and far
reaching statement:
= In adjusting the duties on imports to the OBJ
ject Of revenue the influence of the tariff on
manufactures will necessarily present itself for
iconsiderat ion. However wise the theory may be
which leaves to the sagacity and interest of In
d1viduals the application Of their industry and
resources, there are in this, as in other cases,
exceptions 10 the general rule. Besides the con-
Editon which the theory itself implies Of recip-
roeal' adoption by other nations, experience
teaches us that so many circumstances must con-
cur in introducing and maturing manufacturing
establishments, especially of the more compi-
Gated kinds, that a country may remain long
without them altho sufficiently advanced and
in some respects even peculiarly fitted for carry
giving powerful impulse to manufacturing
industry it has made among us a progress and
exhibited an efficiency which justify the belief
That with a protection not more than Is due to
the enterprising citizens whose interests are
now at stake It will become at early day not
only safe aeaisnt occasional competitions from
abroad, but source of domestic wealth and
even Of external commerce. In selecting the
branches more especially entitled to the public
patronage a preference is obviously claimed by
such as will relieve the United States from
nvpn m
casual failures, for articles necessary for the
defnse or With h the
Recommendation of particular manufactures
where the materials for them are extensively
drawn from our agriculture. and consequently
impart and insure to that great fund Of national
prosperity. and independence encouragement
which cannot fail to be rewarded.
These fathers of the republic dealt with
this question in spirit of non partizan-
ship, and therefore I feel that I may be
permitted on this occasion, in a spirit
Of non partizanship and@as a matter Of
history, to, refer to these, things in con
nectiOn with our industrial progress and
development
The founders Of the republic were wise
enough to see that, however much they
might encourage and foster agriculture
with liberal land laws, diversified in
dustries with an ample home market were
essential for complete agricultural sue
cess; that it was necessary that we
should become manufactu and con-
sumers as well as farmers and producers
And what they aimed at and planned fol-
we have in great measure reached and
accomplished. We are today not only
the greatest agricultural but also the
greatest manufacturing nation in Tie
world. ,....t -.
| Our last census shows that in 1900
there Were in our country 5,737,372 farms
| of the average area of 1852 acres pei
farm that the value Of all farm prop
erty was s2o,4S9, so1, 1854; that s,s4s,s
/ males were employed in agricultural pur-
suits, and that we raised the following
principal crops that year: Corn, 2,O7S,-
1 1898 bushels; wheat, 547,303,846 bush
1 els; oats, 909, 125, 989 bushels; barley, So,
925,SS bushels; cotton, 9,436,416 bales
tobacco, S6S,112,S69 pounds; cane sugar
/ 6l2,O34, O9O pounds, and wool, 2S8, 636, 621
pounds. ]. And in tina. that year the aggregate
value of our farm products exceeded
$4,000 100000, Of which only 1885, 1858, 1B
or 1877 per cent, was exported, the balance
being consumed in this country This
Is most magnificent showing, but fal
from the limit Of our capacity. It is 8
mere milepost in the progress we are
making.
A Wonderful Record.
The record Of our. manufacturing an6
] Industrial growth and development. if we
consider the great drawbacks under whi<f
! we started, is even more startling and t.
/ the nations of the old world alarming,
The census of 1900 gives us these figures
Five hundred and twelve thousand tive
hundred and seventy six MANUFACTURER
! establishments with an invested capita
Of SO, S31, 1850 employing 5,314.5o!
thands,eand with an annual production O
the value of $1,000, O36,514 and of Thu
{ only $433, 1851, 756, or 3.3 per cent, was ex
ported.
1t thus appears that nearly half a.
much capital and more than half as nuct
labor was employed in manufacturing in
dustries as in agricultural pursuits. Th,
annals of the world cannot in all fin,
furnish more remarkable record of in
Il dustrial growth than this And there :
i no cessation in the progress. Old ven
Z! lures are constantly enlarged, and ney
j ventures are continually entered upon. |
4 IS mot only in volume and value that on
1 manufacturers excel, but also in equal
lty" OF their products. The old wor,S
4 needs, and therefore is glad to receive. on
surplus of meats and breadstuffs an,
much OF our raw material, but thew ar
not SO eager-in fact, they are ayerse-
4 to receive the products Of our shops an.
i factories, and yet, in spite Of all draw
/ packs and Obstacles we know how Amer
Z implements and many other America,
q fabrics are sought for and find a marie
IN all the countries of the old world Ie
cause Of their superior quality and make
The foregoing figures show that hot1
our farmers. and manufa cturers find thef
chief market at home, and, that the IN
y industry leans upon and is the handm . i
4 of the other. - N'i'i 2 :
I have not the time, and 1T would a,es ;.
4 your patience to go into details. IN 70
spect to our mining industries. It f. s,,f
4 ficient to say that progress and exnansio
4 IN this field has Kept pace with. and aide
Z to large extent, the development of M
agricultural and manufacturing industrie.
Our inland and coastwise transporta tio
facilities have. more than kept pace VIII
our industrial advancement, and are nc
s excelied IN any other country. Our rail
way systems, now aggregating a mfIeag
considerable in excess of 100000 ia IN
marvel Of the world. While most of !,
would be. glad to see lower rates, we ca
all console ourselves with the facts tha
rates are on the whole considerably lowe
and accommodations, both for passenger
and freight. much better than in the oil
world Our elevator system and on
! method of handling and shipping agricul
Itural prooucts is so far superior to tha
of the old world that there is really n
fair basis for comparison. Could on