The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1891-12-17
lence against foreigners has assumed the larger

States ON the ground that as participant
while SENATOR in the enactment Of the exist
Ing legislation against the Introduction of Chi.
ne5e labOrorS, he has become unfriendly ana
objectionable to China. l have felt constrained
to point out to the Chinese government the un-
teuableneSS of this position which seems to
rest as much on the unacce ptability OF our leg
islation as on that Of the person chosen, and
which, if admitted, would practically debar
selection of any representative so long as the
existing laws remain in force.
Kalakaua's Death.
The death Of King kalakaua in the United
States afforded occasion to testify our friend
ship for Hawaii by conveying the kings body
to his own land in naval vessel with all due
Queen Liliuokaani, is seeking to promote
closer commercial relations with the United
States.
The Arbitration Treaty.
The arbitration treaty formulated by the in
ternational Am rican conference lapsed by
reason OF the failure to exchange ratifcatlons
fully with the limit Of time provided; but
several OF the governments concerned have e4
pressed desire to save this important result
Of the conference by an extension OF the period
It is, in my Judgment, incumbent upon the
United States to conserve the influential in:tt.
ative 1t has taken in this measure by satisfy
ing the instrument and by advocating the pro.
posed extension OF due time for exchange.
These views have been made known to the
other signatories.
Hussia's Treatment of the jews.
This government has found occasion to ex-
press, in friendly spirit. but with much earn
estness, to the government of the car its
serious concern because Of the harsh measures
now being enforced against the Hebrews in
Russia. BY the revival of the anti -semetiC
laws, long in allegiance, great numbers OF those
unfortunate persons have been constrained to
abandon their homes and leave the empire by
reason of the impossibility OF finding Subsist-
ence within the pale to which it is sought to
conftne them The immigration Of these peO
pie to the United States-many other countries
being closed to them-is Largely increasing and
is Likely to assume proportions which may
Ill AXE it difficult to find hcmes and employment
for them here and to seriously affect the labor
market. 1t is estimated that over 100000
The Hebrew is never a beggar; he has al.
ways kept the law-life by toil-often
under severe and oppressive civil
RESTRICT! MS 1t is also true that no race, sect
or class has more fully cared its own than
the Hebrew race. But the sudden transfer Of
such multitu lie under conditions that tend to
strip them of their small accumulations and to
dapreis their energies and courage, IS
ne .ther good for them nor for US.
The Mic .raguan Canal.
The annual report Of the Maritime Canal
Company of Nicaragua shows that much
costly and necessary preparatory work has
been done during the year in the construction
of shops, railroad tracks and harbor piers and
breakw aters, and that the work Of canal con-.
struction has made some progress. l deem it
to be IL matter OF the highest concern to
the United States that this canal, connecting
the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans
AMI giving to US snort water cOmmun1-
cation between our ports upon those two great
seas, should be speedily constructed and at the
smallest practicable limit OF cost. The gain
in freights to the people and the direct saving
to the government OF the United States in the
use OF Its naval vessels would pay the entire
cost OF this work within short series of years.
l mos sinc1t,iy hope that neither party
nor sectional lines will be drawn upon this
great Am 4rcan prof ct, full of interest to
q n n1r lf 6 n al in
its effects upon the prestige and prosperity of
our common country.
international Copyright.
International copyright has been secured in
accordance with the conditions of the act Of
March =, 1891, with Belgium France Great
Btitain and the British possessions, and
Switzerland, the laws Of those countries per-
mittng to our citizens the benefit of copyright
on substantially the same basis as to their own
citizens and subjects. With Germany a spe-
cial convention las been negotiated upon this
subject which wi bring tnat country within
the reciprocal benefits Of our legislation.
Eject of Tariff Legislation.
The general inte est in the operations of the
treasury department has been much augment.
ed during the last year by reason of the CON-
1cting predit tiOns which accompanied and
followed the t.,riff and other Legislation OF the
last congress affecting the rev nues as to the
results OF this legielati upon the treasury
and upon the country. On the one hand it was
contrnded that imports would so fall off as to
leave the treasury bankrupt. and that prices
OF artices entering into the living OF the
people would be enhanced as to dis
astrously affect their comfort and happiness,
while on the other it was argued that the loss
to the revenue, largely the result Of placing
sugar on the free list, would be a direct gain to
the people; that the prices of the necessares
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
f,a
expenditures for the refundng to the states of
the direct tax and the redemption of the i,
per cent. bonds
1t is not my purpose to enter at any length
into discussion of the effects Of the. !egis a
tion to which have referred: but brief ex-
animation of the statistics Of the treasury and
general glance at the state of business
throughout the country will, l think, satisfy
any impartial inquirer that its results have dis.
appointed the evil prophecies of its opp onents
and in large measure realized the hopeful
predictions Of its friends Rarely. if ever be-
fore, in the history of the country has there
been time when the proceeds of one day s
labor or the product of one farmed acre would
purchase so large an amount of those things
that enter into the living of the masses of the
people. believe that full test will develop
the fact that the tariff act Of the Fifty rrS t
congress is very favorable in it's average effect
upon the prices OF articles entering into com
mon use.
Exports and Imports.
During the twelve months from October l.,
1890 to September 3d. 1891, the total value OF
our foreign commerce imports and exports
largest of any year in the history of the United
States The largest in any previous year was
IN 1880 when cur commerce amounted to
81 8i7 1908, and the last year exceeds this
enormous aggregate by over $4,000 1909 1t IS
interesting, and TO some will be surprising to
know that during the year ending septem-
amounted to 1874 us go, which was an increase
Of more than Sl1,UOl0O) over the value of the
imports Of the corresponding months Of the
preceding year. when the imports OF merchan-
disc were unusually large in anticipation of
the tariff legislation then pending. The av-
erage annual value Of the imports OF merchan.
disc for the ten years from 1881 to 1890 was
s699, 1s6,5s2, and during the year ending Sep.
TEN ber So 1891 this annual average was ex-
ceeded by 1882, 1884, The value Of free i'm
ports during the twelve months end
Ing ing morp September ,RDe 80 1891, was sI1so
during the corresponding twelve months OF the
preceding year. and there was during the same
period a decrease Of Sl06. S45, sos in the
value Of imports Of dutiable merchandise
The percentage Of merch an iiSe admitted free
of duty during the year to which l have re-
ferred, the first under the new tariff, was 4818
while during the preceding twelve months un-
der the Old tariff, the percentage was "a 81, On
increase of 81 per cent II We take the six
months ending September 30 last, which covers
tn, the til time during. which sugars have been ad;
va ue of merchandise imported free Of
duty is found to be 55.37, which Is
larger percentage of free imports than
during any other fiscal year in the history Of
the government II we turn to exports of mer-
chandise the statistics are full OF qualification.
The value OF such exports Of merchandise for
the twelve months ending September 81. 1891,
was 1928, ,0Jl, 1885, while for the corresponding
previous twelve months it was $780, III lis an
increase Of s62, ,9l4,02i. which is nearly three
times the average annual increase of exports
OF merchandise during any year in the history
OF the government. The increase in the value
OF exports OF agricultural products during the
year referred to over the corresponding twelve
months OF the lr.or year was S45S S46. 1917, while
the increase in the value of exports of manu-
factured products was Sl6,S3S,2D.
Prosperity Under the New Law.
There is certainly nothing in the condition OF
trade foreign or domestic, there is certainly
nothing in the condition Of our people of any
class, to suggest that existing tariff and rev.
enue legislation bears oppressively upon the
people or retards the comm ercial DEVELOPMENT
OF the nation. 1t may be argued that our Goa.
dlt1on would be better if our tariff legislati n
were upon tree trade basis but it can.
not be denied that all the conditions OF
prosperity and Of general contentment are
present in a larger degree than ever
before in our history, and that, too lust when
1t was prophesied they would be in the worst
state. Agitation for radical changes in tariff
ana financial legislation cannot help but may
seriously impede, business, to the prosperity OF
which some degree Of stability in legislation Is
essential. think there are conclusive evi.
dences that the newt tariff has created several
great industries which will. within few years.