Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1884-07-24

we should be surrenderlng every advan-
tage of trade; from which we should be
gaining nothing in return.
EFFECT UPON THE MECHANIC AMI
LABoRER.
A policy of this kind would be disas-
trous to the mechanics and working
men of the United States. Wages are
uniustly reduced when an industrious
man is not able by his earnings to live
in comfort, educate his children, and
| lay by a sufficient amount for the ncces-
sites of age. The reduction of wages
inevitably consequent upon throwing
our home market open to the world,
would deprive them of the power 10 do
this. 1t would produce a conflict be-
tween the poor and the rich, and in the
sorrowful degradation of labor would
plant the seeds of public danger.
| The Republican party has steadily
aimed to maintain just relations be-
tween labor and capital guarding with
1 care the rights of each. A conflict be-
tween the two has always led in the
past and will always lead in the future
to the injury of both. Labor is inds-
pensable 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 Re-
publican party has protected the free
labor of America so that its compen-
sation 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 a
similar evil from Europe. It's obviously
unfair to permit capitalists to make
contracts for cheap labor in foreign
countries to the hurt and disparagement
of the labor of American citizens. Such
policy, Cike 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
who 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 just weapon of self
! protection to every citizen. 1t is not
to the interest of the Republic 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
elevate and dignity labor-not to de-
grade it.
As substitute for the industrial sys-
tenn which under Republican admins
tration has developed such extraordi-
nary prosperity, our opponents offer
policy which is but series of expert
ments upon our system of revenue-a
policy whose end must be harm to our
manufactures and greater harm to our
labor. Experiment in the industrial
| trial and financial system is the coun-
try's greatest dread, as stability is its
greatest boon. Even the uncertainty
resulting from the recent tariff agita-
lion in Congress has hurtfully affected
the business of the entire country.
| Who can measure the harm to our
| shops and to our homes, to our farms
and our commerce, if the uncertainty
of perpetual tariff agitation is to be in
| tiicted upon the country? We are in
the midst of an abundant harvest; we
are on the eve of a revival of general
prosperity. Nothing stands in our way
but the dread of Il 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 do
nestle development. We are at peace
with the world-at peace upon sound
basis with no unsettled questions of suf-
ficient magnitude to embarasss or dis
tract US. Happily removed by our ge-
ographical position from participation
or interest in those questions of dynas-
ty or boundary which SO frequently dis
turb 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 hem
isphere we should cultivate closer rela-
tious and for our common prosperity
and advancement 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 arbitra-
ton, and not by arms. This project
was part of the fixed policy of Presi-
dent Garfied's administration, and it
should, in my judgment. be renewed.
Its accomplishment on this continent
would favorably affect the nations be-
yond the sea. and thus powerfully con-
tribute, at no distant day, to the uni
versal acceptance of the philanthropic
and Christian principles of arbitration.
The effect even of suggesting it for the
Spanish American States has been most
happy, and has increased the confidence
of those people in our friendly DISPOSE
ton. 1t fell to my lot as Secretary of
State in June, 1881, to quiet apprehen-
sion in the Republic of Mexico, by Civ
ing the assurance in an official dispatch
that ''there is not the faintest desire in
''the United States for territorial extern
''sion 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 separ-
''ates SpanishAmerican people from
"a Saxon American people. 1t divides
lone great nation from another with
''distinct and natural finality.'
We seek the conquests of peace. We
desire 10 extend our commerce, and in
an especial degree with our friends and
neighbors on this continent. We have
not improved our relations with Span
h-America as wisely and as persistent
" as we might have done. For more
than generation the sympathy of those
countries have been allowed to drift
away from us. We should now make
every effort to regain 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 dol
lars-nearly one-fourth of our entire
foreign commerce. To those who may
be disposed to under-rate the value of
our trade with North and South Ameri-
ca, it may be well to state that their
population is nearly or quite fifty mil
ions-and that, in proportion to aggre-
gate numbers, we import nearly double
as much from them as we do from
Europe But the result of the whole
American trade is in high degree I'M
satisfactory. The imports during the