The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-06-01
WESTfRNERS
IN CONFERENCE
Continued From First Pageo


"The Importance of having the policy of
our government supplement and support
the efforts of our producers cannot be too
strongly emphasized.
Every effort of an English manufactured
to reach new markets finds "A ready re-
Spouse on tile part of the British Board OF
Trade-a department of the government
to support him. Diplomacy IS not ABOVE
advancing trade interests. Force is at hand
to protect the rights of traders. Liberal
pay is accorded to steam lines for the car
riage of ocean nails and the entire
tional influence is constantly exerted lin
this direction.
"Our government has been mailing prog
ress IN this direction and our diplomatic
and consular representatives are not lack
ing in patriotic interest; but We are far
behind in organized effort to Place the mer
its of our goods before the consumers of
the world.
Perhaps this is not surprising, consid-
ering that our home market is the best in
the world; and l. for one, would protect
and develop TO the utmost this outlet for
our goods.
But nation which controls such re
sources in fields, forests, mines and fac
tories, as the United States controls; which
has mastered the forces which now control
the world-steam, electricity, machinery
and publieity-as we have mastered them,
will not be satisfied to ignore the market
which the other thirteen hundred and
seventy millions of consumers on the
globe presents. But to get this market it
is necessary to let the people of the world
know the merits of our wares and have
easy access to them. The chief thing
necessary Is publicity. 1t is useless to
produce a good thing unless you let the
world know it. From time immemorial the
public crier, whether in street or minaret,
40
printing press and the postoffice have be-
come the public crier. | venture to say
that every dollar expended In publicity has
yielded, and will yield, larger return than
any other. No matter how crude nor now
i'll directed the sum total of results In the
great majority of instances Will be on the
right side.
1--WE must have q place to dump our sur
plus. which otherwise will constantly de-
press prices and compel the shutting down
of our mills, throwing our labor out OF EN-
ployment and changing our pronts INTO
losses. do not believe in imperialism IN
yolying the annexati and assimilation OF
semi-civilized populations, when Woulo
thus be enabled to compete with American
laborers possessing the wants of higher
civilization, but l do believe in a policy OF
expansion which will give us the control OF
some markets which will be a stepping
stone to others in wider zone of influence
ercise.
I'm such policy we would have the sup
mort of American labor because IL Woulu
mean keeping our factories running ana
giving American labor continuous en-
pioyment Some of our most intelligent Ia
Dor leaders have been inducedH TO Sc
themselves against thea-eeSse OF eXpan-
sion and against tneir own interests by the
.secy Of imperialism, which has been sud
denly sprung upon us. The best horse Will
shy at an umbrella If it is opened sudden
ly in his face, but let him see 1t and see
that it is not dangerous and he Will go
quietly on about is business. / prophecy
that little time will clear the atmosphere
and show us the way In which we can
press forward, leading the nations in the
march for commercial supremacy. No
country on the face of the globe has such
resources in field, forest, mines and fac
tories as the United States. No nation has
such a command of the great forces that
now control the world-steaml electricity
and machinery No country has such an
ingenious, intelligent, energetic and pro-
gressive population. Surely, with the pre-
cedent and experience of the other great
section of the English speaking race we can
solve problems that now confronts us and
realize the destiny which an overruling
Providence seems to have created for u.s."