The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-02-01
NEED OF A REVISED MONROE DOC
Urine.

The Monroe doctrine is based upon the
assumption that it is inimical to the
United States for European governments
to exercise sovereignty over more terri
tory on this hemisphere than they held
when Mr.. Monroe was President. With
the exception of a limited number Of
persons who seem to act upon the theory
that the existence of the United States
is a mistake. the American people are
able to get up good deal Of Indignation
when there appears to be a purpose on
the part of Great Britain to extend the
borders of it's possessions on this CONT
nent. 1t Is simply a matter Of an extern
sion Of real estate that fills us all with
wrath. AS to the extension of sovereign
ty. over trade and markets, large part
of our people have manifested little in
terest They do not see that the acquisi-
ton of a few hundred thousand square
miles of comparatively worthless terri
tory is Of no Importance compared with
the capture of the trade of large area
of what is equivalent to a large portion
of the United States. But If we do not
see this difference other nations, our ri
walls, do. All of the more powerful ma
tons of Europe are engaged in efforts to
bring portions of Africa. Asia and the
islands of the sea in subsection to them.
not because mere sovereignty over them
is valuable. but because they are eager
for the markets they may afford Great
Britain has an idea of trade in the ex-
tension of it's sovereignty over Vene-
zuela. The jealousies between the pow
ers over the acquisition of territory in
Africa are not aroused by an ambition
for extended political sway, but by the
greed for. markets-for commercial
sovereignty.
For progressive people we seem to
have little ambition to exercise the
sovereignty of trade in other countries.
Neither are we very jealous to preserve
the control of our own markets for our
own people. For instance, during the
eleven months of 1895 which ended with
November, European nations seized upon
$685. 77 of our domestic trade, which,
during the corresponding period Of 1894,
it is fair to assume was supplied by do
nestle industry. The homemade mer-
chandise displaced consisted of wool,
wooden goods, pottery. silks, glassware,
cutlery and hundreds of other articles
which. before the sovereignty over home
markets was yielded by the Democratic
tariff law, were made at home. Under
the open market clause of the Demo-
cratic tariff foreigners seized the market
for 102, 100000 pounds of wool which had
hitherto been held by home wool grow
ers. This means practical sovereignty
over the territory sufficient to maintain
about 100000 sheep. During the first
year Of the lower tariff on wooden goods
the increased value of that class of i'm
ported merchandise was over $4,000, 900.
This means that foreign competitors as
completely seized our markets for their
own use as If they had acquired the ter
ritory and built factories here, with pow
err to close those which had previously
supplied the market.
These are but a few Of the facts which
go to show that a revised Monroe doc
trine which will insure our own people
what may be called a sovereignty over
our own markets is much more important
than that announced seventy years ago.