The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1898-04-02
A REPUBLICAN YEAR.
Growth of business, Decrease -
Failures and Fewer.
Idle Men,

The year which has passed since the
republican party has gained control Of
the government has been notable In
many respects. It saw q controversy
with japan over the question of Ha-
waiian annexation. which at one time
promised to be embarrassing. but which
was soon settled to the satisfaction Of
both parties. IL has seen the Cuban
question reach stage which threat
encd, and which still threatens, trouble
between the United States and Spain.
The Cuban issue was handed over to
this administration from its predeces-
sor, but the situation In several re-
spects has changed. Spain has been
forced to withdraw Weyler and to aban-
don, so far as she could in the interval
which has passed since his recall, the
more barbarous features Of his concen-
tration policy. She has also been con-
strained to Offer the Cubans home rule.
These improvements In Cuban condi-
tions were forced by pressure from the
present administration, and IL will con-
tinue the work until I'll causes her to
relinquish her hold on the island.
In the country's domestic affairs the
record has been exceedingly creditable.
The Pacific railroads have been disposed
OF In n way in which the peoples in
terests were amply protected. A tariff
bill was enacted early in the admin
istration which has made steady in
crease in the revenues ever since 10
went into operation. In the month end
ed few days ago IL furnished n sur
plus over disbursements. Probably In
most of the months hereafter, unless
war comes, there will be surpluses.
The treasury gold is constantly increas-
ing. When the fiscal year began the
net gold In the treasury was about
s140, 5000, while to-day IL is close to
$168.000,00o. In tho preceding admin
istration s202 ,o00, 900 of bonds were sold
to buy gold, and the country's interest
bearing debt was increased to that ex-
tent. The gold fund has recently been
30 high that IL has been embarrassing
to the government. The government
would rather sell gold now than buy IL.
There has been striking improve
ment in the business field in the past
year. The balance of trade In the coun-
try's favor has been larger recently
than IL ever was In the past. Gold In
coming into the country notwithstand-
ing the immense stock Of II which Is on
hand. The banks have as great q
plethora of that metal as the treasury,
and the tendency i'm both is toward
larger and larger boards. Bank clear
ings are making new records. Those
for February, 1903. were smaller than
hey were for the longer month Of jan
uary, but they were 81 per cent. in ex-
cess of those Of February last year, the
month before the present administra-
ton came into power, and they were
Ca per cent. greater than in February,
1892, which was the largest previous
record for that month. Railroad earn
ings are mt the highest figures ever
touched, and here. too, the drift Is still
upward. Iron production Is breaking
all records. Coincidently with the
great growth in business which these
| figures reveal there Is falling of In
the number Of business failures. All
the country's productive energies arc
at high stage OF activity. The num-
Der OF idle men In the country Is smaller
than II has been in many yenrs. In
every field, political, financial and in
dustrial, the first year Of republican
sway has brought striking changes and
mprovements.-St. Louis Globe-Demo-
crat.