The Topeka state journal., 1898-01-28

your encouragement and from a pro-
found conviction: This great country
cannot be permanently kept in a state
of relapse.
I believe you willre- occupy the field
temporarily lost to US, and so out to the
peaceful conquest of new and greater
fields of trade and commerce. The re-
cOVery will come slowly perhaps, but
it will come, and when it does we will
be steadier and will better know how
to avoid exposure hereafter
L have abated none of the faith
then expressed and you seem to have
regained yours.
National politics can encourage in
dustry and commerce, but it remains
for the people to project and carry
them on. If these policies stimulate in
dustrial development and energy, the
people can be safely trusted to do the
rest.
The government, however, is re-
stricted in its power to promote indus
try. 1t can aid commerce, but not Gre
ate it. 1t can widen and deepen its
rivers, improve its harbOrs, and devel-
Op it's great national waterways; but
the ships to sail and the traffic to carry,
the people must supply. The govern
ment can raise revenues by taxation
in such a way as will discriminate in
favor of domestic enterprises, but it can
not establish them. 1t can make COM
mercial treaties, opening to our manu-
facturerS and agriculturiStS the ports of
other nations. 1t can enter into reci-
prOcal arrangements to exchange our
products with those of other countries.
It can aid our merchant marine by en-
cOura aging our people to build ships of
commerce. It can assist, in every law
full manner, private enterprise to unite
the two oceans with a great canal. 1t
can do all these things and ought to do
them; but with all this accomplished,
the result will still be Intellectual unless
supplemented by energy, enterprise and
industry of the people. 1t is they that
OnRTafR factories
furnish ships and cargOes for the canal
and the rivers and the seas. 1t is they
who must find the consumers and OBJ
tain trade by going forth to win it.
Much profitable trade is still unenjoyed
by our people because of their present
insufficient facilities for reaching deSir-
able markets. Much of it is lost be-
cause of a lack of Information and ig
norance of the conditions and needs of
other nations. We must know just what
other people want before we can supply
their wants. We must understand .eX-
actIy how to reach them with least ex-
pense. and if we would enter into the
most advantageous business relations
with them. The ship requires the ship
pers; but the shipper must have as
sured promise that his goods will have
a sale when they reach their destina-
ton.
1T is a good rule, if buyers will not
come to US, for US to go to them. 1t
is our duty to make American enter
as achievement, terms of respect and
praise, not only at home, but among
the family of nations the world over
There is another duty resting upon the
national government-tO coin money
and regulate the value thereof This
duty requires that the government shall
regulate the value of it's money by the
highest standards of commercial non
esty and national honor The money OF
the United States is and must forever
be unquestioned and unassailabie If
doubts remain. they must be removed.
If weak places are discovered, they
must be strengthened. Nothing should
ever tempt us-nOthing ever VIII tempt
us-to scale down the sacred debt of the
nation through a legal techn1ca1ty-
Whatever may be the language of the
contract, the United States viii dis
charge all of its obligations in the cur
rency recognized as the best through
out the civilized world at the time of
payment.
Nor will we ever consent that the
wages of labor or it's frugal savings
shall be scaled down by permitting
Davnent in dollars of less value than
the dollars accepted as the best in ev-
cry enlightened nation of the world
Under existing conditions our citizens
cannot be excused if they do not re
double their efforts to secure such
financial legislation as will place their
honorable intentions beyond dispute
All those who represent, as you do, the
great conservative and the progressive
business interests of the country, owe
it not only to themselves, but to the
neOule to insist upon the settlement of
this great question now, or else to face
the alternative that it must be again
sll omitted for arbitration at the polls
This is our plain duty 70 more @ thah
seven million voters who, fifteen
months ago, won a great political bat
tie on the issue, among others, that the
United States government would not
hermit a doubt to exist anywhere con-
cerning the stability and integrity of
it's currency or the inviolability of its
obligations of every kind. What eff
fort therefore is l-ao11irR3 to make the