The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1884-10-24


mentality as large mileage of railway as
exists to-day in all the other nations of the
world combined. These internal exchanges
are estimated by the statistical bureau of
the treasury department to be annually
twenty times as great in amount as our
foreign commerce. 1t is into this vast field
OF home trade-at once the creation and tho
heritage of the American people-that for
eiSn nations are striving by every device to
enter. 1t is into this field that the opponents
OF cur present revenue system would freely
admit the countries OF Europe-countries
into whose internal trade we could not re-
ciprocaly enter; countries to which VIC
should be surrendering every advantage of
trade; from which we should be gaining
nothing in return.
EFFECT UPON THE MECHANIC AND THE La
BoRER.
A policy of this kind would be disastrous
to the mechanics and workingmen of the
United States. Wages are unjustly reduced
when an industrious man is not able by his
earnings to live in comfort, educate his chill
dren, and lay by sufficient amount for the
necessities of age. Tho reduction of wages
inevitably consequent upon throwing our
home market open to the world, would de-
prive them of the power to do this II would
prove great calamity to our country. It
would produce a conflict between tho poor
and the rich, and In the sorrowful degrade
ton OF labor would plant the seeds Of public
danger
The Republican party has steadily aimed
| to maintain just relations between labor and
capital-guarding with care the rights of
each: A conflict between the two has al
lad ttnt laA.
in the future to the injury of both. Labor
is indispensable to the creation and profit
able use OF capital, and capital increases
the efficiency and value of labor. Who
ever arrays the one against tho other
is an enemy of both. The policy is
wisest and best which harmonizes the two
on the basis Of absolute justice. The Repub-
lican party has protected the free labor of
America SO that its compensation is larger
than Is realized IN any other country 1t has
R2R @fs ss: sss ae esR, ' sps
may be called upon to prohibit the growth
Of 2 si@ilar evil from Europe. tits obvious
Y Ylitsir t9 permit capitalists to maks sgp-
tracts for cheap labor in foreign Countries
tQ the hurt and disparagement Of the labor
of American citizens. Such policy dixie
that which would le5ye the time and other
cQnaitions of home labor eoncllsively in the
coptrei Of the employer, is injurious to all
partns-not the least so to the unhappy
persons who are made the subject of the
CONTRACT. The institutions of the United
States rest upon the 'intelligsspse and virtue
Of all the people, Suffrage made univey-
sal as Just Weapon of self protSccHea to
every citizen. II is not the interest Of the
eppblic that any economic system should be
adopted WHICH involves the reduction of
wages to the hard standard prevailing else
where. The Republican party aims to cle-
vate and dignity lahor-not to degrade it.
AS substitute for the industrial system
which under Republican administration has
developed such extraordinary prosperity,
our opponents offer policy which is but
series Of experiments upon our system of
revenue--a policy which must be harm to
our manufactures and greater harm to our
labor. Experiment in the industrial and
financial system is the country's greatest
dread, as stability Is its greatest boom Even
the uncertainty resulting from the recent
tariff agitation in congress has hurtfully
affected the business of the entire country
Who can measure the harm to our shops and
our homes, to our farms and our commerce,
if the uncertainty Of perpetual tariff agita-
ton is to he inflicted upon the country! We
are in the midst of an abundant harvest; we
are on the eve.of a revival of general pros
perity. Nothing stands in our way but the
dread of change in the industrial system
which has wrought such wonders in the last
twenty years, and which, with the power OF
increased capital, will work still greater
marvels of prosperity in the twenty years to
come.
OUR FOREIGN POLICY.
Our foreign relations favor our domestic
development We are at peace with the
world-at' peace upon sound basis with no
unsettled question Of sufficient magnitude
to embarrass or distract us Happily re-
moved by our geographical position from
participation or interest in those questions
of dynasty or boundary which so frequently
disturb the peace of Europe, we are left to
cultivate friendly relations with all, and are
free from possible entanglements in the
quarrels of any. The United States has no
cause and no desire TO engage in conflict with
any power on earth, and we may rest in
assured confidence that no power desires to
attack the United States.
With the nations of the western hemi-
sphere we should cultivate closer relations
and for our common prosperity and ad-
vancement we should invite them all to join
with us in an agreement that, for the
future, all international troubles in North
or South America shall be adjusted by
impartial arbitration and not by arms.
This project was part of the fixed policy
of President Garfield's administration
and it should in my judgment be re-
newed. Its accomplishment OH this con-
tinent would favorably affect the nations be-
You'd the sea, and thus powerfully contribute
at no distant day to the universal acceptance
of the philanthropic and Christian principle
of arbitration. he effect even of suggesting
it for the Spanish American states has been
most happy, and has increased the conf
dence Of those people in our friendly dispo-
sition. 1t fell to my lot as secretary of state
in June, 1881, to quiet apprehension in the
Republic of Mexico by giving the assurance
in an official dispatch that "there is no the
fantest desire in the United States for terri
torial extension south of tho Rio Grande.
The boundaries of tho two republics have
been established in conformity with the best
jurisdictional interests of both. The line of
demarcation is not merely conventional. IL
4 q Il.