The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1884-07-25

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 isinto this vast field
of home trade--at once the creation and the
heritage of the American people-that for
eign nations are striving by every device to
enoer. 1t is into this field that the opponents
of our present revenue system would freely
admit the countries of Europe-countries
into whose internal trade we could not re-
ciprocally enter; countries to which we
should be surrendering every advantage of
trade; from which we should be gaining
nothing in return.
EFFECT UPON THE MECHANIC AND THE La
ta BoRER
A policy of this kind would be disastrous
to the mechanics and workingmen of the
United States. Wages are unjustiy reduced
when an industrious man is not able by his
earnings to live in comfort, educate his chill
dren, and lay by a sufficient amount for the
necessities Of age. The reduction Of wages
inevitably consequent upon throwing our
home market open to the world, would de-
prive them of the power to do this. 1t would
prove great calamity to our country. 1t
would produce a conflict between the poor
and the rich, and in the sarrowful, 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-guardipg with care the rights of
each. A conflict between the two has al
ways led in the past and win always lead
in the future to the injury Of both. Labor
is indispensable to the creation and profit
u II Al Al
the efficiency and value of labor Who
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. It has
guarded our people against the unfair COM
petition of contract labor from China, and
may be called upon to prohibit the growth
of similar evil from Europe. It's obvious
ly unfair to permit capitalists to make con-
tracts for cheap labor in foreign countries
to the hurt and disparagement of the labor
of American citizens. Such policy like
that which would leave the time and other
conditions of home labor conclusively in the
control Of the employer, is injurious TO all
parties-not the least so to the unhappy
persons who. are made the subject of the
contract. The institutions of the United
SthfA rest upon the intelligence and virtue
of all the people. Suffrage is made univer-
sal as just weapon Of. self protection to
every citizen. 1t is not the interest of the
'epubIc that any economic system should be
adopted which involves tho reduction of
wages to the hard standard prevailing else
where. The Republican party aims to ele-
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 DO harm TO
our manufactures and greater harm to our
labor. Experiment in the industrial and
financial system is the country's greatest
dreads as stability is its greatest boon. 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 unce1ainty of perpetual tariff agita-
ton is to be,nflicted upon the countryl We
are in4he 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 n change in the industrial system
which has wrought such wonders in the last
twenty years, and which, with Che 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
development We are at peace with the
OF m hoe xvst
unsettled question OF sufficient magnitude
to embarrass or distract us Happily To-
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 hasno
c2use and ne 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 adj
vancement we should invite them all to join
with us in an agreement that, for the
future, all international troubles in, Moth
or South America shall be adjusted by
impartial arbitration and not by arms.
This project was part of tho fixed policy
of President Garfeld's administration
and it should in my judgment be re-
newed. Its accomplishment on 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
irf an official dispatch that "there is no. the
faintest desire in the United States for terri
torial extension south of the 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
is more. 1t separates a Spanish American
people from a Saxon American people. 1t
divides one great nation from another with
distinct and natural finaiity."
We seek the conquests of peace We de-
sire TO extend our commerce, and in an espe-