The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-10
A LOOK AHEAD.
The Year 1905 Promises to BE One of
Prosperity.
Weekly.


But it is not necessary to foretell specific
events to say that they year 1898 will re one
of remarkable Importance. It's politics will,
to an interesting extent, foreshadow the
struggle of 1900, for a new Congress is to
be elected this year and there is little doubt
that the issue will be the money question.
1t is folly to say that the silver issue is
dead, and it will take 1898 to show how much
alive ii is, and whether or not 1t is to play
big part in 1900. The balance of parties in
the Senate and the fact that among the
senators are old men and that the terms OF
some of the members will soon expire COM
prise another uncertainty that win be fol-
lowed with attention 1t will be during 1898,
too, that the greatest experiment i'm munich
pal government, under inauspicious begin
nings, will be made, and that experiment
will be in New York city.
In a general way the year will be a look
ing forward to the end of the century The
Paris exposition will be taking shape, and
the manufacturers and inventors and men OF
enterprise of the United States will be awak-
ing to their duty of showing to the world
their leadership in achievements. This will
be very important, for from every recent
international competition the industry and
the trade of this country have gained ire
mendous impetus. We are feeling the re-
suits now. We are exporting TO points from
which we used to import, are sending steel
to Sheffield and meeting English producers
in their home markets, and are becoming
that factor in the business of the whole
world which is our manifest destiny. We
confidently expect this country TO round out
the century leading in practically every
channel of the trade and manufacturing
and 1898 will be long step towards the
goal.
Thousands of things enter into pros
perity of a nation, but there is sc Gh in
this country to keep it going that pes
simist ought not to exist Prob the
largest problem Is that Of transpL, ltion,
and it is clear that the railroads cannot
continue to do business at practically less
than cost but in what way they will stop
this cut-throat competition is the question
On the sea the tendency is to hugeness.
and on the ways now, in various ship
yards are maritime monsters that will rev.
olutionize ocean commerce. One effect of
this may be to give us direct communica-
ton with South American ports as the
smaller ships will seek new routes and If
this be done we shall begin to realize some
OF the real benefits of reciprocity. In our
home business the day of small profits has
come. and il is very likely that the big fish
will continue to swallow the little ones and
the department stores and the combina-
lions of capital and enterprise will increase
their powers and their possessions
During the present year the country will
gain over one million of population. over
one billion dollars Of wealth. not including
the gold dust that viii come down from the
Klondike. Every sign indicates that the
close of the century will mark an era of
great prosperity, end 1898 will see the last of
the dark shades of the panic of 1893.