The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-28

pie that it might fairly be called annus
mirabilis. In other countries the year has
not been more than ordinarily fruitful of
important events, though there has been a
good deal of history made in all parts of
the world, as there is every year, but for
the United States it has been a great year,
in some respects the greatest in our history.
First in the list of important events during
the year comes the Spanish war. A year ago
this time nobody expected it. There was
good deal of restlessness among the Ameri
can people over the outrages going on in
Cuba. and there was some friction between
the United States and Spanish governments,
but it seemed likely to subside rather than
increase. Captain General Weyler had been
removed and Captain General Blanco, his
successor, had arrived at Havana on Oct.
81 The latter had said through the newspa-
pers on Oct. % my method of warfare
will never include concentration. fight the
enemy, not women and children. One of the
first things 1 shall do will be to greatly
tend the zones of cultivation, and to allow
the reconcentrados to go out of the towns
and till the soil" This seemed to fore
shadow an Improvement in Cuba and a
probable subsistence of friction between the
United States and Spain. At that time there
seemed to be as much prospect of war with
Great Britain over the Boring sea dispute as
of war with Spain over Cuba. But events
eliminated very rapidly and the war began
on April %. It lasted less than four months,
and they were the greatest four months in
our history. At the beginning of the war we
were without any recognized standing as a
military or naval power and were regarded
more as a political experiment than as
factor in world affairs; at it's close we
stood, if not in the front rank of military
and naval powers, at least very near the
front, and were universally recognized as
a new and important factor in the affairs
of the world. Our brilliant and decisive vic
tories on sea and land, forcing Spain to sue
for peace SO soon, and our readiness to as
sumo the responsibilities of victory opened
the eyes of other nations to the fact that
henceforth they had to deal with a new
power. No other war of modern times has
so changed the geography of the world, re-
suited in as important territorial acquisi-
tons to the victor or contributed as great
ly to the moral and political prestige of one
nation in the eyes of all others as did our
war with Spain. Had it not been for the
war the annexation of Hawaii would alone
have marked the beginning of new era in
the life of the nation, but the defeat of
Spain, the liberation of Cuba and the ac-
quisition of Porto Rico and the Philippines
complete a record of great events not
equaled in any other year in our history.
But it has been a great year for the
United States in other respects-politically
commercially. financially. The North and
the South, more or less estranged ever since
the civil war, have been completely recon-
ciled and fraternized. The flag noats over
more united people to-day than it ever has
before. The election of Mr.. Mckinley, be-
sides settling some national questions of
great Importance, has been followed by an
era of good feeling such as the country has
not enjoyed within the memory of any but
very old men. Politics has, for the time, at
least, lost most of it's bitterness and much
of its activity, foreshadowing a period of
rest which the country greatly needs. The
re-establishment of protection to American
industries has caused a great revival in
manufacturing. We have become an export
ing instead of an importing people, cred
itor instead of a debtor nation, and are al
ready recognized as the future controller of
the worlds finances. To show how business
men regard the situation we quote from
two financial circulars recently issued by
Eastern bankers. Hambleton & Co., of Bal
timore, say:
This country has reached condition to
be envied by other nations. We are Begin
mng TO rival England as a money center,
having already outStripped her as an export
nation We think our friends of the London
financial press are beginning to discover
tnat England S exports to this country have
permanently passed the flood tide, and that
the cause of the great falling off in the de-
mand from this country for foreign goods
IN recent years. was not as they argued
because we were poor, and therefore, were
h torced 10 economize but because we have
become less dependent upon foreign products
while our own products are constantly
growing in demand from foreign buyers. An
announcement such was made this week
OF an order from England and japan for
thirty locomotives TO be built in this coun-
Try. goes TO show which way the wind is
blowing. Such orders not exceptional
but are beginning to be the rule rather than
the exception. We anticipate that our ex-
ports or raw material and manufactured ar
tlcleS VIII increase, and that while great
prosperity should largely increase the de-
mand for certain classes of European goods
such increase will be incompatible with the
demand for our products
On the same line is the following from
the circular of John H. Baers & Co., of New
York:
Our farmers have worked out of debit our
merchandise exports have grown to unpre-
cedented proportions. while the imports
nave greatly fallen off: America has come
10 the front as the greatest exporter of
homemade products in the world. we have
now broad home market for our stocks
and bonds. and are not dependent upon
European buying; our manufacturers are
sending goods into foreign ports to which
they were previously strangers; we lead
the world in the production and manufac-
,ure of iron; we are shipping rails TO Eng
land and to Australia, and one of our rail
companies has been Obliged to turn away
an order for 1900 tons for Russia: we are
making locomotives for the operation of
English and French railways; the ship
yards of Maine and of Connecticut are re-
loicing over an activity they have not
known for many years; the output of most
of the countrys industries has surpassed
all records; the Western States instead of
frantically calling upon the East for
money. are trying TO lend IL in New York
and the Nebraska savings banks Organs
State, bear in mind). are reducing interest
on deposits; sectional issues have passed
away; the entire country. from East TO
West and North to South, is united. busy,
cheerful and confident.