The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-01-10
FROM TAUBENECK.
He COunSels Ballot Union for the
West and South.

Within the past five months much
has been written about a commercial
union between the west and south.
1t has been asserted that the inter
ests of those two sections of our
country lying south of the Ohio and
Potomac and west of the Mississippi
rivers are Identical.
That the interests of the south and
west are, in general sense, identic-
al, no careful observer will deny, but
this is not sufficient to establish re-
ciprocal commercial and trade rela-
tiOns between them. Commerce and
trade between two nations, or even
between two sections of one nation,
can only exist when one section is
able to exchange it's surplus pro-
ducts for the surplus products of
another which cannot be produced
at home. That is, each section must
produce a surplus which the other
section is in need of.
The territory of the United States
can be divided into four great Sec
tions, each with an individual inter-
est of it's own, but in a general sense,
with deep and wide gulf between
the interests of the east and those of
the west and south. The first three
sections, containing twenty-eight
states and four territories, and about
40 per cent of the poulation, produce
almost nothing but raw material for
export, and all are compelled to i'm
port manufactured goods. Neither
one can furnish the other with what
they cannot produce themselves.
How then is it possible for these
three sections to gain their CONNER
cial independence from the east?
The two great factors which con-
troll commerce and trade, as we'll as
the distribution of wealth, are MON
Ely and TRANSPORTATION. These
are the essential weapons to carry on
a successful commercial war, and to-
day the east owns and controls both.
No nation, or sections of any ma
tion however great their resources
or industrious their citizens may be,
can secure their commercial indepen-
dence and build up their industries
while the money and railways are
owned by the enemy. That section
which is permitted to dictate our f.
nancial policy will also dominate the
industries and commerce of the ma
tiOn.
Political supremacy must precede
commercial independence in this
country as in all others. Nowhere in
history can we find an instance where
a nation gained it's commercial indie
pendence until it was able to shape
financial legislation in it's interest.
The first question to be considered
is, can the south and west secure po-
litical supremacy by uniting at the
ballot box?
The twenty:eight states west of the
Mississippi and south of the Ohio
and Potomac rivers, contain 228 of
the 444 electors, five more than ma
jority. If the four territories should
be admitted they would add at least
twelve more electors to the college,
giving the south and west eleven
more than necessary to elect a presi-
dent and majority of "a over the
eastern section. These states have
also Sc of the SO senators, majority
of "a, or if we add two for each terri
tory in case they should be admitted,
the south and west would have GA of
the 96 senators. These same states
also contain 172 of the 356 represent
atives, seven less than majority; or
if the four territories should be ad-
mitted with one each, the south and
west would still be five in the minori-
ty in the lower house of congress.
The next question is, upon what
common ground can the south and
west unite?
First. It is to the interest of the
south and west to have the right to
issue money, taken from the banks
and restored to the people.
The moment creditor section, Al