The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-12-11

| slDHIdfIH0 cable from Our Pac1nc coast
to Honolulu are in progress and this en-
| terprlse should have the suitable promo
ton OF the two governments. Istrongly
recommend that provision be made for
improving the harbor of Pearl river and
! equlping it as naval station.
A Protest to Russia.
| This government has found occasion
to express, in a friendly spirit, but with
much earnestness, to the government of
the car, its serious concern because of
the harsh measures now being offered
| against the Hebrews in Russia. By the
revival of antisomitic laws, long in
| allegiance, great numbers of these I'M
| fortunate people have been constrained
to abandon their homes and leave the
empire by reason of the impossibility of
| finding subsistence within the pale to
which 1t Is sought to confine them. The
immigration of these people to the
| United States-many other countries
| being closed to them-is largely increas
| ing and is likely to assume proportions
| which may make it q Tcult to find
| homes and employment Tor them here
| and to seriously affect the labor market.
J 1t IS estimated that over one million will
| be forced from Russia within a few
! years.
A decree to leave one country is, in
| nature Of things, an order to enter an
Other-some other. This consideration,
as we'll as the suggestions of humanity,
furnishes ample ground for the re-
| monstrances which we have presented
| to Russia, while our historic friendship
| for that government cannot fail to give
| the assurance that our representations
are those Of a sincere well wisher.
International Copyright.
international copyright has been Sc
| cured IN accordance with the conditions
| of the act OF March 3, 1891, with Bel
| GUM, France, Great Britain and the
| British possessions, and Switzerland,
| the laws OF those countries permitting
| to our citizens the benefit of copyright
on substantially the same basis as to
| their own citizens or subjects. With
| Germany special convention has been
negotiated upon this subject, which
will bring that country within the re-
ciprocal benefits of our legislation.
The Treasury Department..
| The general interest in the operations
| OF the treasury department has been
| much augmented during the last year
by reason OF the conflicting predictions
which accompanied and followed the
| tariff and other legislation Of the last
| congress affecting the revenues, as to
| the results of this legislation upon the
| treasury and upon the country. On the
| one hand it was contended that imports
would so fall off as to leave the treasury
bankrupt and that the prices of articles
| entering into the living of the people
would be so enhanced as to disastrously
| affect their comfort and happiness,
| while on the other it was argued that
| the loss to the revenue, largely the re-
| suit of placing sugar on the free list.
would be direct gain to the people;
| that the prices Of the necessarieS of life,
including those most highly protected,
would not be enhanced; that labor
would have a larger market and the
| products of the farm advanced prices;
while the treasury surplus and receipts
would be adequate to meet the appro-
priations, including the large exceptional
| expenditures for the refunding to the
states Of the direct tax and the redemp-
ton OF the 4 per cent bonds.
1t is not my purpose to enter at any
length into a discussion of the effects of
the legislation to which | have referred;
but brief examination of the statistics
of the treasury and general glance at
the state of business throughout the
country will, think, satisfy any impair
tial inquiry that its results have disap-
pointed the evil prophecies of its oppOn-
ents and III large measure realized the
hopeful predictions of its friends.
Rarely, If ever before, in the history Of
the country has there been time when
the proceeds of one days labor or the
product of one farmed acre would puI-
chase SO large an amount OF those things
that enter into the living of the masses
of the people. ] believe that full test
will disclose the fact that the tariff act
of the fifty first congress is very favora-
bic in its average effect upon the prices
Of articles entering into common use
During the twelve months from Oct.
1. 1890, to Sept 80, 1891, the total value
Of orr foreign commerce imports and
exports combined) was 81 la, 500, 406,
| which was the largest Of any year in
the history of the United States. The
largest in any previous year was in
1890 when our commerce amounted to
81 ,647, 1879, 093. and the last year exceeds
this enormous aggregate by over one
hundred million. 1t is interesting, and
| to some will be surprising to know that
| during the year ending Sept. 30. 1891,
our imports OF merchandise amounted
to 1924, rs ,270, which with an increase
of more than eleven million dollars over
the value Of the imports Of the CORES
bonding months Of the preceding year,
when the imports of merchandise were
| unusually large in anticipation Of the
tariff legislation then pending. The
average annual value of the imports of
merchandise for the ten years from 1881
to 1890 was $692, 1856, 522, and during the
year ending Sept. 80, 1891, this annual
average was exceeded by $l32, 526, 469.
Free Imports.
The value of free imports during the
twelve months ending Sept. 30, 1891,
was S11S, 692, SS7 more than the value of
free imports during the corresponding
twelve months of the preceding year,
and there was during the same period
decrease of $l06, 846, Dos in the value of
imports of dutiable merchandise The
percentage of merchandise admitted
free Of duty during the year to which /
have referred, the first under the new
| tariff, was 48.18, while during the pre-
ceding 5welve months, under the old
ia riff, the percentage was 34.27, an in
crease of 1891 per cent If we take
the six months ending Sept 30 last,
which covers the time during which
sugars have been admitted free of duty.
the per cent. of value of merchandise
imported free of duty is found to be
IN or which is Il 1arppr nercentaoe of