The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-07-19

the injury of both. Labor is indispensable
to the creation and profitable use of capital,
and capital increases the efficiency and value
| OF labor. Whoever arrays the one against the
| other is an enemy of both. That policy is
wisest and best which harmonizes the two on
the basis of absolute Justice The Republican
party has protected the free labor of America
80 that its compensation is larger than Is
realized in any other country. 1t has guarded
our people against the unfair competition of
contract labor from China and may be called
| upon to prohibit the growth of similar evil
| from Europe. 1t is obviously unfair to permit
capitalists to make contracts for cheap labor in
foreign countries to the hurt and disparage-
ment OF the labor of American citizens. Such
policy (ike that which would leave the time
and other conditions of home labor exclusively
| In the control of the employer) is injurious to
| all parties-not the least so to the unhappy
persons WAC are made the subjects of the con-
| tract. The institutions Of the United States
rest upon the intelligence and virtue of all the
people. Suffrage is made universal as a just
weapon of self-protection to every citizen. 1t
| is not the interest of the Republic that any
economic system should be adopted which in
wolves the reduction of wages to the hard
standard prevailing elsewhere. The Republi-
| can party aims to elevate and dignity labor
not to degrade it.
| As a substitute for the industrial system
| which under Republican administrations has
developed such extraordinary prosperity, our
opponents offer a policy which is but a series
of experiments upon our system of revenue-a
policy whose end must be harm to our manu-
factures and greater harm to our labor. Ex-
pertinent in the Industrial and financial system
is the country's greatest dread, as stability is
Its greatest boon. Even the uncertainty re-
sulting from the recent tariff agitation in Con-
gress 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 agitation is to be inflicted upon the
country? We are in the midst of an abundant
harvest; we are on the eve of revival of
general prosperity Nothing stands in our
way but the dread of change in the indus
trial system which has wrought such wonders
in the last twenty years, and which with the
power of increased capital will work still
greater maryels of prosperity in the twenty
years to come.
OUR FOREIGN POLICY.
Our foreign relations favor our domestic de-
velopment We are at peace with the world
at peace upon sound basis with no unsettled
questions Of sufficient magnitude to embarrass
or distract US. Happily removed by our geo.
graphical position from participation or inter-
est in those questions of dynasty or boundary
which so frequently disturb the peace of Eu-
rope, we are left to cultivate friendly relations
with all, and are free from possible entangle-
ments 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 de-
sires to attack the United States.
With the Nations of the Western Henri
sphere we should cultivate closer relations and
for our common prosperity and advancement
we should invite them all to join with us in an
agreement that, for the future, all Interna-
tioDal troubles in North or South America
shall be adjusted by impartial arbitration aud
not by arms. This project was part OF the fix
ed policy of President Garfeld's administra-
ton and it should in my judgement be renew
ed. Its accomplishment ON this continent
would tavorably affect the nations beyond the
sea, and. thus powerfully contribute at no distant
day to the universal acceptance of the phian-
thropic and Christian principle of arbitration
The effect even of suggesting it for the Span
ish American States has been most happy and
has increased the confidence of those people in
our friendly disposition. 1t fell to my lot as
Secretary of State in June 1881 to quiet appre-
hension in the Republic of Mexico, by giving
the assurance in unofficial dispatch that "there
is not the faintest desire in "the United States
for territorial extension South of the Rio
Grande. The boundaries OF the two Republics
have been established in conformity with
the best jurisdictional interests of both The
line of demarcation is not merely conventional
1t is more. 1t separates a Spanish American
psople from q Saxon-Americsn people. 1t d.
vides one great nation from another with dis
tinct and natural fnality."
We seek the conquests of peace. We desire
to extend our commerce, and in an especial de-
gree with our friends and neighbors on this
continent. We have not improved our rela-
tions with Spanish-America as wisely and as
persistently as we might have done. For more
than generation the sympathy of those coun-
tries has been allowed to drift away from u.s.
We should now make every effort to gain their
friendship. Our trade with them is already
large During the last year our exchanges in
the Western hemisphere amounted to three
hundred and fifty millions of dpllars-nearly
one-fourth of our entire foreign commerce. To
those who may be disposed to underrate the
value of our trade with the countries of North
aud South America, it may be we'll to state
that their population is nearly or quite fifty
millions-and that, in proportion to aggregate
numbers, we import nearly double as much
from them as we do from Europe. But the re-
suit of the whole American trade is in high
degree unsatisfactory. The imports during
the past year exceeded two hundred and TWEEN
ty-fve millions, while the exports were less
than one hundred and twenty-five millions
showing balance against us of more than one
hundred millions of dollars. But the money
does not go to Spanish America. We send
large sums to Europe in coin or its equivalent
| to pay European manufacturers for the goods
which they send to Spanish America. We are
| but paymasters for this enormous amount an.
| nually to European factors-an amount which
! is serious draft, in every financial depression
| upon our resources of specie.
Cannot this condition of trade in great part
be changed? Cannot the market for our pro-
| ducts be greatly enlarged? We have made q
beginning in our effort to improve our trade
| relations with Mexico and we should not be
| content until similar and mutual advanta-
| geous arrangements have been SUCCESSFULLY
| made with every nation of North and South
| America. While the great powers of Europe
are steadily enlarging their colonial domina-
| ton in Asia and Africa it is the especial prov
ince of this country to improve and expand its
trade with the nations of America. No field
promises SO much. No field then:has cultivated
solittle. Our foreign policy should be an Amer
lean policy in its broadcast and most compre-
hensive sense-a policy of peace, of friendship,
of commercial enlargement.
The name of American which belongs to US
in our National capacity must always exalt
the just pride of patriotism. Citizenship of
the Republic, must be the psnoply and safe
guard Of him who wears it. The American
citizen, rich or poor, native or naturalizsd,
white or colored, must everywhere, walk SO.
cure In his personal and civil rights The Re-