Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-06-10
CAPITAL City Chat.


President Mckinley has now been
three months in Office, and the record
which his administration has made is
laudable one. In those three months
Congress has been called together, n
tariff bill framed, passed by the House,
considered by the Finance Committee
of the Senate, and is now under consid-
eration In that body; prison doors have
been opened in Cuba and American
citizens released in great numbers, a
commission has been dispatched to
Europe to inaugurate and initiate a
movement in favor of a bimetallic con-
ference, a commissioner has been dis
patched to Cuba to obtain information,
in order that the President may act in
telligently in regard to the matters Of
that island, warship has been sent to
Hawaii to protect the American inter-
ests there and open the way for more
important action regarding that appli-
cant for membership in the Union, and
changes in the offices are being made
as rapidly as consistent with the con-
ditions under which the civil service
was left by the preceding administra-
ton. II any gentleman who is inclined
to be faultfinding with the progress of
events under the new administration
can point to any administration in
which there was greater promptness of
action, let him rise and be heard from;
il not, let him cease breeding dissatis-
faction by complaints.
Action Should Not BE Hasty.
People who are inclined to criticise
the apparent delay Of Congress and
the administration in regard to Cuba.
are being reminded that an important
step which might cOmplicate the rela-
tions of this government with one or
more great nations OF Europe, cannot
be undertaken without careful thought
and examination into the situation. The
consular representatives in Cuba must
Of course to a great extent be the eyes
of the administration, and with all
those offices filled by men of a former
administration, ii is not surprising that
President Mckinley and his Cabinet
have found 1t necessary to exercise
great caution in taking so important
step as that which is demanded by
many people in the United States. or
that they are unwilling to act until re-
ports are received from their own rep
resentatives recently dispatched to
that island. When the work which
this administration has already done
In the release of American citizens
from Cuban prisons and the relief OF
other Americans there from starvation
is compared with the attitude and acts
Of the last administration on this sub
jecf, it would seem that the contrast Is
decidedly striking.
The Retaliation Bugaboo.
Those foreign countrie1 which are
proposing to ''retaHate," by shutting
out American products, If our tariff
law does not suit them, will think twice
before they enter npon one-sided war
of this sort. Austria Hungary, which
makes the loudest talk I'm that line.
took s., ,430, ,651 worth of our pro1uc-
tions last year, and sold us $7,644. .154
worth of her own products. Argentina.
which has also suggested a course of
this kind, took $5,979,S46 worth of our
products I'm 1896 and sold us st$9, ,313, ,3S5
worth Of her own. Japan took $500
$50 worth of our exports and sold to
people Of this country $25,537, OBS of
her products. When countries with
those relations realize that systematic
exclusion of our products from their
markets would result In cutting Off
much larger sales of their own pro-
ducts to people Of this country. they
will stop talking about retaliation
against the tariff, or at least do moth
ing more than talk.
China Makes n Move.
Even China is waking up ON the gold
question. Information just received
here shows that silver, which in 1866
stood Mt the rate Of 16 to / with gold,
at Shanghai, fell to 26 to in 1893, and
now stands at 80 to ], and with the
consequence that there has been a
marked activity In the development Of
the gold mines Of China. There ere
now fifty-two places in Ch.na where
gold has been found. while relatively
little silver Is or bcs been produced.
The country's Business.
Buslness reports from various parts