The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-08-22
REAL AMERICAN e

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Il found everywhere in the West unparal-
leied prosperity. not In manufactures only,
but in agricultural pursuits. Farmers are
getting good prices for their products. As
they constitute the great mass of the vot-
ers OF this country. they form an import
ant element, possibly the most important in
all political calculations.
Besides, the relations of the United
States to the commerce and markets of the
world are different from what they were
four years ago. The people, / find. fully
understand this. Then there was great
paralysis in industries of all kinds. Some
attributed 1t to the financial question and
others TO various distempers. real or i'm
agined. in the economic system of the coun-
try
mo matter what was thought about 1t.
everybody knows the result. We are now
approaching another campaign. this time
with prosperity everywhere. / do not think
the farmers and wageworkers, with wages
increasing, orders coming in from all over
the world. and every -worKingman and ev-
cry dollar of capital put TO the severest ten
sion TO keep up with the demands of trade.
Will stop. long to discuss or even consider
obsolete issues.
Yes; you may call 1t expansion or i'm
perialism. There are ~seventy-five millions
Of people in this country to-day. So far as
l learned from Democrats of prominence
and influence everywhere, the overwhelm-
After becoming possessed of these out
lying countries as the result of a victorious
war: we eannot abandon them. If we gave
up the philippines Germany, France or
England would take them up gladly. They
would never revert 70 Spain, and they GER
tainly would not be left in the hands of the
Il believe in making short work with the
insurrection In the Philippines. That is
what II Is; Settle that part of the question
tails.
Let us look at the Louisiana purchase.
That was a Democratic measure. 1t is true,
1t met with some opposition then. but there
Is not a person in the country to-day who
gain.
Now. take the parallel in the Philip
pines. These islands to-day. with steam and
electricity, are not so far as Louisiana was
In the. beginning of this century. We knew
so little about the country that the govern
ment organized an expedition, under Lewis
and Clark. and sent 1t out to explore those
unknown possessions of the United States.
IT was two years before the expedition was
heard from. Now we can hear from the
send our merchandise there in less than
two months from the Atlantic side of our
country.
I'VE. as a nation, are, to-day, the neigh
bors OF the whole world. We are shipping
locomotives to Siberia. railroad bridges into
the heart Of Africa. electric plants to India.
land. We are the foremost nation of the
world In the output Of pig iron. We turn
out more manufactures of all kinds than
to stop to consider whether silver should
De 10 to l or coinage free. They know that
intercourse with the outer world in fnan-
commerce, whether 1t be gold, silver. nick
ell or any other thing of fixed intrinsic
value.
The United States is not only the work.
snop and granary of the world. but its
cotton is a staple at home and abroad.
Inese are things to be considered in pre-
pairing for a national campaign"
If no note of explanation should be at
tached to the foregoing the reader would
naturally come to the conclusion that the
speaker was an enthusiastic Republican. in
tent on vindicating the policy of the Nc
kinley administration. If candid, the reader
will admit that it is a good piece of work
by a real American. But the speaker is
not a Republican. He is a Democrat. and
one who, for the sake of regularity, voted
for Mr.. Bryan. More than that, he is a.
ful-grown man-ex-Governor Pattison. of
Penpsylvania-so much of a man that he
has twice been elected Governor of his
State when the Republicans were discord-
ant. 1t should be added that Ex-Governor
Pattison was telling a newspaper reporter
what the Democratic party must do to win
in 1900. AS such, his views present a wide
contrast to the narrow and weak express
sions of Mr.. Bryan and others on the same
question. Probably a large majority of those
who call themselves Democrats will adopt
the views of Mr.. Bryan. but there are thou
cally applaud the views Of Mr.. Pattison
because they are those of an American
who believes that the United States is
destined to hold the right of the line in the
worlds procession.