Year: 1861

OOAAc EuA1al


The following timely and pointed srticle we take


from the Richmond EcGminsr. 1t is strange indeed


that certain articles disappear, aud are sraightay


supplied, and it is equally strange that few men


generally have the articles needed and charge any


price for them they can squeeze out of the custo.


mer. Where do they get their goods froms We


agree with the Erantay that the subject ought to


be brought before the public for action:


There Is little doubt that the business Of suggiiug


IS going on at this time on large a scale as was


ever known before IN the history of the world No


body meets with any difficulty In finding any arti-
| Gle OF goods or provisions that he DESIRES What.


ever the article may be, it can be had but il can
| only be had at tremendously high price Il is
not that the supply Of merchandise is limited for


like the oil IN the widow S.eruise it does not ainoin


ish in the hands Of the few progiGent dealers by
the drafts made upon it: but it is that those who
are fortunate enough TO possess unfailing stocks


have monopoly OF the trade, and can exact prices
they choose to put upon their goods


It is given out that q those brought into Rich.
mond, Maryland is the source from which tSese
constant supplies of goods and merchandise ar
procured II Is said that they brought into Viz
ginia by small schoOners plying from B ,ltimore.
which know how TO run up into the creeks of the
Potomac and the Bay. Be this as it may, CERTAIN il
Is that the goods do come in large quantities into
Virginia, and that the trade in the hands of few
enough men and firms to eEable them to command
what prices they may choose to fix upon their
property.


No matter what may be the channel throuqb
which these goods are brought into the South NJ
Is quite certain that they are procured from the
North. They are brought IN in defiance of our
revenue laws, and they are paid for in defiance of
our seqEsstratOn act. The business IL fra a1IuIent
from beginning to eHd;a and the high prices exsetsd
by the smugglers Of the goods operate as saIyo to
the eonsciences of the smugglers.


But this j. not the only form in which n larye
class Of the community grp a0ifo
ton TO speculate upon the condition Of the country
There Is general tendency among all classes Of |
dealers, IN all classes of articles to eemsnd exorbi
tant prices for their commodities And this renden-
ey is not confined to tie dealers those articles tbat
are not produced in the South and would pstrraIIv
become scarce during the suspension Of external |
trade. is the 70 every article bought and
sold, except those produced by the farmer and the
hGsbandman. He alone, of all the people who have
commodities to SELL is forced to take half prices for
his farm produce, while he is compelled to nav
double prices for the supplies for which he goes
into market


1t a very curious phenomenon that a farmer
may md any article of trade which he can DosslbJv
desire In the market from a hogshead of sugar To
IN ounce of quinine, from camai's hair shawl 10
Z paper Of pins, and command It by paving
1ouole prices but the moment he ofers his own
arm products for sale, az once he must 6roD his
prices to half ra es and listen to ingenious argu
nents to couviDcs hun that he may thank his stars
hat be can get even them.
TINS disposition to speculate upon the yeomanry !
u the country on both sides Of the account book is
he most morhfying feature Of the war. 1t is a a
pecles OF Yankee trick that Ill assorts with the no
'e cause IN which the country is engaged. The 0
army worm never appeared in the country in '
uch formidable array, with so ferociOus an appe
te, or SO destructive a voracity as it has appeared
a the South within the last month or two il
While the Spectators are deVOuring the sub 4
lance OF the people, and defrauding the Govern y
lent OF It's revenues the Government itself is I'M
IIttngy aiding and abetting them in their voracious
York. The excuse alleged for the high prices of
1gar, salt mOlssses, meat fuel, and al kinds of
royisions, is, that the Goternment has taken nos
ssson Of the railroads to do its own transportation
nd that the transportation of the public is at a
and still Hundreds of Carloads of sugar and OF
lit and merchandise of many descriptions are said j
be lying IN the depots Of the West unable to make
elr way to Eastern markets, by reason Of ths ae-
on of the Government pl
There is doubtless some truth in the numerous p'
legations on this subject bat It simply incred 10
e to suppose that the railrOsd could not bring hl
)wn these articles if they used the prOper energy IN
sufficient quantities to meet the current demands tn
the community. The fact that whatever articles an
person may want can be readily found and can pc
procured By paying the enormous prices de- ve
anded, proves that they exist in sufficient quanti hl
3 IN market for the wants Of the community and de
e made to command the elevated prices 1t which | ef
ey are sold by combinations of speculators We BY
i'll not say that the body of spectators is large VI
d powerful enough to influence the policy of the
ilroads and to obstruct their freight Operations.
r We do not know the fact and could not IesiQ sp
tie the names Of the consplrators or the railroads
It We do state the undenable fact that the publ pr
mly believe that such combinations and consDrf. IN
IS exist tb
Whatever obstruction the Government occasions sh
the freight operations of the railroads is but as
nporary, and viii be removed when the neeessy dis
it ceases. We have no doubt that Government thi
laid its hand quite heavily upon the roads run ae
lg from this city 70 Manassas and that people cit
pendent upon these roads for supplies have suf. ito
red previously from the necessity Government nc
under to monopolize the trains but this fact life
es not hold in regard to the roads running South
lrd in connection with the Southern markets. and
s these latter roads against which the public
ling is more particularly directed


There have been various convocations and Con- II
ltions held in the South since the wsr with u
erence to currency, Government loans and other ~
tiers of public moment 1t seems to US that the R
9Vailing high prices the unc0nscOnabe specula- 1a
ns going On in the necessares of e the deficient pa "a
importation Of the railroads aud the Wholesale The
juggling that is rife also affords matters weighty
ugh for the deliberations of Convention Of the ed
,pe. -