The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-11-15
The Chicago Way.

The Chicago Way.
While certain long-winded theorists
in the east are rroclaming monoton-
uOusly their despair of the republic
If expansion takes place, the enterpris-
ing merchants OF Chicago are already
holding meetings to consider how To
get their share or more of the trade
of our new island dependencies. a
notable discussion covering this prac-
teal question was held last week be-
fore the Merchants club. of the Win
dy City, and the addresses delivered
upon that occasion are worthy of
Widespread notice.
The first speaker StuyVesant Fish,
had not originally favored expansion
but now that it is assured he thought
the thing 10 do was to pitch in and
make it Il success. To this end, mer-
chants should study the peculiarties
of the new markets and prepare to
meet them. "A semi-annual travelling
salesman. with trunks of samples, will
not divert trade from it's present chan
nels. Warehouses. sample-rooms, lib
cral credits, a desire to please. and
ar honesty of purpose To provide the
best ir each particular line can alone
accomplish the desired end" The gov
ernment, too. must help. 1t must cut
the Nicaragua canal and vote liberal
subsidies for 4 revived American mer-
chant marine. on the latter topic Mr..
Fish said: The value of our foreign
commerce the last year was S1,47,000,-
900, of which 81 per cent on S1,GS0,000,-
00C was paid out for transportation.
This of itself is sufficient to eGup
and maintain a large industry ana
employ thousands of idle hands 1t
is more than double the amounts of
the United states Were we to pro-
vide a merchant marine sufficient to
transport the whole or a large part
of this business from what we know
of the laws of trade, we would be
safe in expecting that the cOmpeti-
tiCn which il would beget with exist
ing carriers would reduce carrying
charges by as much as 10 per cent.
Here would be saving in the trans
pOrtation Of last years commerce alone
of $16,S00,000 g, sum sufficient, if given
in subsidies or suhventions, to induce
private enterprise to establish steam
ship lines all over the world. Yet it
is not too far-fetchcd to say that we
are losing that amount each year.
aside from the great loss incident to
the embargo placed upon our trade
and industries. If one-siXth of the
amount We're given annually toward
the maintenance Of 4 merchant marine
We would develop a foreign commerce
that would be a marvel of the age:
we would grow in greatness and pros
perity at home, and rs nation at
tain dignity abroad which no wars,
however successful, could give"
Another speaker was William T..
Curtis, the Washington correspondent.
After alluding to the hlunders redeem
ed by the glorious heroism of the
/ Spanish American war he went on:
I'VE are now about to pass another
where we have no experience what
ever. The great store houses Of hu-
man experience furnish plenty of ex-
amples for us to initiate from the days
of Julius Caesar down. but ] presume
| we will continue to do things in our
own way. We viii doubtless make
. plenty of mistakes, and cause plenty
| of scandals and fight over them in
| congress, in the newspapers and at
| the polls, while the rest of the world
! stares at us. but there has never been
an emergency in this land without a
man to meet it, and, as President Nc
| Kinley says, With that sweet optimism
which preserves him from so much
! anxiety Some time and somehow
| everything will come out right | am
net authorized to speak for the ad-
ministration. but from the crumbs of
| information | have been able to pick
up around the White House and the
department of state l hazard pre-
diction that the president will recon-
mend q broad, liberal colonial policy
that will set an example TO other ma.
tions. and give the Inhabitants of the
captured provinces a better govern
| ment than they could give themselves
II is not proposed to incorporate them
into our system Of states, nor make
them territories, but TO give them
home rule as far and rs rapidly as
their conditions viii permit, under the
| protection and supervision of this
| gov eminent; 10 impose upon their i'm.
! ports a tariff which shall ne sufficient
TO sustain their institutions ana pay
for necessary public improvements
| with discriminating duties in favor OF
our peculiar products. Their exports
will be admitted 10 the United States
under terms that viii protect our Labor
and capital against unreasonable COM
petition, and competing industries from
injury.
The productive capacity Of the
Philippines can easily be advanced
from twenty 20 hundred millions by
tha introduction nf scientific methods
and the labor-s0Ving machinery you
can furnish thom, and their imports
! will increase IN Il corresponding de
gree. We can teach the people 10 weal
clothing and shoes ana hats, and fur,
nish the material. We can teach tham