The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-07-27

IlCe udo spun LIS illo III Iiio pldCtlCc
of law, and Pennsylvania lawyers say
he is eminently fitted for his new posi-
ton. Senator Cameron is not pleased
with the appointment, for he had can
didate of his own. The president,
however, has nothing to lose from the
opposition of the senator, if the APP
pointee is all that he is represented to
be. The best sentiment of the country
imperatively demands the strongest
men the bar can afford for the ju-
dietary. Thus far President Harrison
has shown singularly good judgment in
his selections. Mr.. Shiras is sixty
years of age and is Yale graduate.
He is a republican, but has never been
prominent in politics.
The treasury statement of the for
eign commerce of the United States for
the year ending on June 80 last is most
gratifying to patriotic Americans, and
especially protectionists. The aggre-
gate of imports and exports reached
higher point than ever before-S1 $751;
726,7l0, against 81, 100 1897 ,006 in the
fiscal year 1891. Exports exceeded i'm
ports by 1902, 944 ,342. Imports of tin
plate, manufactures of silk, wool and
tobacco, and vegetables and fruits de-
creased, but imports of coffee, raw silk
and sugar increased. While the value
of imports admitted free of duty was
$45S, 00l, l45-an increase of free i'm
ports over the fiscal year 1891 of S91,-
759,793-the value of dutiable imports
was 1869 800 ,139, decrease of S109,-
2S4 ,705. The total value of our exports
in the past year was $1,000 1886 ,626,
and this was the first year of our COM
merce that exports have reached the
billion-dollar mark. The increase in
exports consisted principally of bread
stuffs, cattle, sheep, hogs, and meat
and dairy products. These figures in
dictate that the past year has been one
of remarkable prosperity, and no incon-
siderable share of it is the direct result
of protective tariff and reciprocity.
Let credit be given where it is due.
ARGUING in favor of election of
United States senators by the people,
Representative Powers called attention
to the fact that of the "243 towns of
this state forty.three contain a substan-
tial majority of the voters in the entire
state, and yet this majority has only
forty-three votes in the choice of a
senator while the minority of voters
has 200 of the possible 273 votes that
the legislature in joint assembly can
cast for a senator" The Springfield
Republican pertinently answers the
judges argument by stating that " it is
not the fault of the federal constitution
that Vermont does not have represen-
tative legislature" It would be exceed
ingly difficult to derive from the action
of the Vermont legislature in the course
of the century and more of its existence
an argument against legislative election
of senators. Prentiss, Phelps, Upham
Foot, Collamer, Edmunds, Morrill,
could better senators than these be
chosen in an election by the people?
Where would Vermont seek better
men? Would elections by the people
always secure for Vermont the peer
less men who under legislative cleo
tons have borne her commission in
the United States senate? Would not
a senatorial election by the people
might it not frequently-become the
demagogue's opportunity?
REFERRING to the remark of the
WATCHMAN last week, that " it is safe
TO say that wages III the iron and steel
mills of Great Britain will not average
one'half what they are in Mr.. Carne.
gie's Mills" the Brattleboro Reformer
advises US to consult the report of Car
roll d. Wright in iron and steel indus
tries. "This report shows conclusively
that the labor cost of iron and steel
production in England is more than
three-fourths of what it is here. II
there is any greater difference in wages
than that, it is due to the fact that the
American laborer does more" The
Reformer should quote the wages OF
British steel and iron workers of the
various grades. If it can put them in
a table over against the wages paid fol
the same work at Homestead, and they
are half as large as the Homestead mer
get, we will cheeyfully acknowledge