PUBLIC DEBTS OF VARIOUS NATIONS.
By Christian Statesman
The census report on public indebtedness will make a quarto volume of six hundred and sixty-seven pages. According to the best authorities, the national debts of the principal countries have increased since 1848, as shown in the following figures: Total indebtedness in 1848, $7,627,692,215; in 1860, $10,399,341,688; in 1870, $17,117,640,428; in 1880, $23,286,414,753. In other words the total public debt of the civilized nations is three times as large as it was twenty-two years ago. That of France has risen from $1,854,000,000 (in round numbers), to $3,829,000,000—or about double. That of Great Britian has fallen from $3,893,000,000, to $3,766,000,000. That of the United States has risen from the paltry sum of $64,000,000, to $2,120,000,000. This is the fruit of our civil war—as the doubling of the debt of France is due to the war with Germany. The encouraging feature in our case is that the debt is being paid off at the rate of about $100,000,000 annually, while our population, in the time referred to, has nearly doubled. All the other Governments could do the same, if it were not for their expensive military establishments. War has created these burdens, and may, at any time, double or triple them again, and the supposed necessity of constant preparation for war forbids them to be lightened. The prospect for the taxpayer is gloomy. It is no wonder that America is regarded with longing eyes by the masses of Europe. —Christian Statesman.