Democratic Sentinel, Volume 5, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 April 1881 — Growth in Wealth. [ARTICLE]

Growth in Wealth.

The United States must soon take rank as the wealthiest nation in the world. It falls behind only England and France in its present valuation, and its average annual increase of wealth is greater than that of both these nations combined. It is estimated at $850,000,000. This it an enormous gain, more than the entire productive industry of Spain, or Italy, or Russia. The resources of our country, both agricultural and mineral, surpass those of any other country ; the inventive genius of the people is greater, and their industry is more constant and universal. The standing armies of Europe impoverish the nations. Their direct cost is immense, but their indirect cost is greater. For 200,000 or 300,000 of the best laborers are turned from producers into consumers. Their labor ought to produce an average value per man of SSOO a year. An army of 300,000 men occaaions, therefore, a loss in productive industry of $150,000,000 per year. The comparative net gain to the United States, by the absence of a standing army, must be at least $200,000,000 per year. Such a saving enables us to outstrip all other nations in the increase of wealth.