Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1896-05-09

ever SlHCG WncH III powell ant, NcSpltS
the present anomalous condition o.
affairs in Congress on the money ques
. ton, the majority of its lawmakers
stand firmly for the world $ one stan
dard of money value.
Even when in minority in the leg,
islative councils of the national gov
eminent, the executive of the oppos.
ing party has been obliged to depend
upon Republican senators and repre-
sentatives to maintain the financial
credit Of the republic.
1t enacted the homestead bill, with
its magnanimous provisions and benef-
icently humane and patriotic pur-
poses.
! The reforms of the voting system in
this country have been originated and
promoted by the Republican party, un-
til citizenship is becoming to be a
privilege and a title of dignity.
In SO far as we have any civil serv-
ice reform, its existence and the laws
intrenehing it and the rules for its
management have all been OF Republi-
can authorship and enactment; and
this in the face of the opposition Of the
professional politicians within its own
! ,1rc 81 al 70 he fc1
opposition. The party as whole has
at least put forth an effort to establish
an honest State and national system
of civil service, with largely extended
and most beneficial results.
1t has accepted and supported the
principle that the citizens of the Unit
ed States are the proprietors of this
land, and that foreigners are not its
owners, and that they are not to be
consulted as to the methods we adopt
for increasing the dignity of American
labor and for promoting the prosperity
of all branches of American industry.
Foreign nations ought to be satisfied
and grateful to us if we furnish remu-
neratiye employment with all its Incl
dental blessings to the mu,titudes of
their citizens who emigrate from their
hard conditions of unrequited toll.
And the toiling millions in foreign
lands ought to be grateful that our in
dustrial policy has raised the scale of
wages in their home countries.
A score and half Of years of its
workings in America found US as
nation at the head of the procession of
the nations of the earth in mining, in
agriculture, and in manufacturing and
found US, until the system was tam
pered with, In condition to give en-
ployment to the hosts of laborers who
had fled from free trade countries to
seek with US remunerative occupations
1t has increased trade, decreased the
cost of living, lowered taxes, and adj
vanced wages.
This policy has commenced the res
toration of our part of the carrying
trade of the seas, and given US place
among the naval powers Of the world
1t has adopted reciprocity policy
which possesses elements of fairness
in commercial transactions between
the nations that free trade could not
illustrate, making twenty treaties with
South American, Central American
and European countries. 1t is a pol
icy of new markets, new factories and
new ships, and of intelligent self in
terest
The greatest free trade country in
the world attained its industrial and
commercial ascendency under a pro-
tective tariff.
The nations of the earth have not
yet reached that ideal condition where
each nation ascertains what the other
wants, and then proceeds to do it to its
detriment.
1t is just as vitality important for
nation.to defend itself against war on
its territorial domain or on its civic
policy.
l ain in harmony with the Repub-
lean party on the subject of protec-
ton because love my country. Five
times in more than century this
country has tried the opposite policy,
with failure in appreciably increased
imports and with success in decidedly
decreased exports, with loss of specie,
with suspended factories, with starv-
ing wages and enforced idle labor,
with financial bankruptcy, distress,
and ruin.
Four times in the same period it has
tried protection, with the following
contemporaneous experience that can
not be counted accidental, unless we
are willing to concede that the fortui-
Gus has come to be the established law
of national progress. In every case
protection has increased the demand
for labor, made wages higher and the
prices for domestic necessities lower,
broadened agricultural prosperity,
multiplied industries, founded. de-
veloped and sustained benevolent,
eleemosynary, and educational insti-
tutions and produced an Unparalleled
growth in national wealth broadly
distributed.
As the result of protective policy
the mother country accumulated such
vast capital, and necessarily estab-
lished such low rate of interest, that,
with an unequaled manufacturing
power. her merchants could underbid
the merchants of all other nations for
the worlds trade. Her poorly paid
and starving workmen fed to us for
labor and food and o11r r,rofact;x,a