Potosi journal. (Potosi, Mo.) 1894-1929, 1898-03-09
a Year of Repubilcanism.

The year which has passed since
the Republican party rcgaincd con-
troll Of the government has been
notable III many respects. 1t saw
a controversy with Japan over the
question of Hawaiian annexation
which at one time promised to be
embarrassing, but which was soon
settled to the satisfaction of both
parties. 1t has seen the Cuban
question reach stage which
threatened, and which still threat
ems, trouble between the United
States and Spain. The Cuban
issue was handed over to this adj
ministration from its predecessor,
but the situation III several respects
has changed. Spain has been
forced to withdraw Wcylcr and to
abandon. as far as size could in the
interval which has passed since his
recall, the more barbarous features
Of his concentration policy. She
has also been constrained to offer
the Cubans home rule. These i'm
provemcnts in Cuban conditions
were forced by pressure from the
present administration, and it will
continue the work until it causes
her to rc!inquish her hold on the
island. ......--.. ID.
In the country's domestic affairs
the record has been exceedingly
crctiitablc. The Pacific Railroads
have been disposed of in a way in
which the peoples interests were
amply protected. A tariff bill
was enacted early in the admins
stration which has made a steady
increase in the revenues ever since
it went into operation. In the
month ended a few days ago il
furnished surplus over disburse
mcnts. Probably in most Of the
months hereafter, unless war comes
there will be surpluses. The
treasury gold is constantly i'll
creasing. When the fiscal ycal
began the net gold in the treasury
was about S1l0, ,0o0, 900, while to-
day it is close to $l6S, 100000. II
the preceding administration 1862,
900, 900 of bonds weie sold to buy
gold, and the country's interest
bearing debt was increased to thai
extent. The gold fund has recent
ly been Sc high that it has beer
embarrassing to the government
The government would rather sci
gold now than br:y.
There has been & striking i'm
provement in the business field il
the past year. The balance OF
trade in the countrys favor ha
been larger recently than it eve1
was in the past. Gold is coming
into the country notwithstanding
the immense stock Of it which is OF
hand. The banks have as great
/ plethora of that metal as the treas
ury, and the tendency in both i
toward larger and larger boards
Bank clearings arc making new
records. Those fo1 February, 1898
, were smaller than they were for tn,
longer month Of january, but the.
, are 81 per cent in excess Of those o
, February last year, the month be
fore the present administrator
came into power. and they wer
, 6.4 per cent greater than in Feb
1892, which was the largest prcvi
ous record for that month. Rail
road earnings are at the highes
figures ever touched, and here, toe
: the drift is still upward. Iron pre-
: duction is breaking all records
c Coincidcntly with the great growt
: in business which these figure
, reveal there is falling off ia tn
/, number of business failures. a
: the country's productive encrgse
are at & high stage Of activity. Th
: number of idle men in the countr
: is smaller than it has been in man
: years. In every field, politica
h financial and industrial, the fir;