The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-06-02

MIX WOhAs
The address delivered by Mr.. James ].
Hill at the commencement exercises of
the st. Cloud normal school is only one of
a series of discourses which have gone
and are going a long way toward estab-
fishing true standards of national action
looking to the judicious development of
American commerce.
Let us glorify ourselves as nation
how we may. the truth remains that
much, if not most. of our progress toward
our present commercial and industrial
greatness is the product of the advan-
tages which nature with lavish hand has
bestowed upon US. When we have gone
outside of the sphere of individualism to
encourage the nations material growth,
1t has too often been at the urgency Of
those who had special interests to ad-
vance. Contending political forces have
played their part in the conduct of our
national affairs, and we have found our
selves from time to time in the past three
decades or over identified in our national
policies with courses representing the ex-
treme poles of public policy. That we
have progressed even as we have during
that period. without any safe, consistent
or immutable principle to guide us, is in
itself more extraordinary than that our
progress has been in the ratio realized
What settled line of action have we
chosen and followed consistently within
that period that would indicate the pres
ence of the firm, guiding hand of states
manship in our commerce with other ma
tons? None. We have struggled over
fundamental doctrines We have de-
nounced today what we extolled yester-
day. If we have advanced fitfuIly, we
have seen other nations infinitely less
favored by either nature or the genius of
their people advance with strides which.
relatively to the advances we have made,
have been phenomenal. Russia is an IN
stance, and so is Germany These ma
tions have had an intelligent, unwaver-
fairs. They have mapped out given
course and have pursued it. We have
found ourselves involved in the net of
contending principles; and when our
people have gone ahead it has been, not
with the aid of national authority. but
because of the tremendous forces of indi-
vidual energy which are stored up in the
national character
What is our policy in the Orient today?
1t is the policy of laissez faire. We have
the Philippines; and assuming that we
have them rightfully and should hold on
to them, what will our possession of
them do, of itself, to lay open to us the
vast commercial treasures which the
progress of events in China is opening
up to the world? Must we go on for all
time depending on individual energy
and enterprise, doubtless with the
thought that when that energy and enter
prise have achieved great results within
it's own sphere we can come along later
with some public policy which seeks to
transfer to all what has been built up by
the Individual?
No; if we are to realize anything of the
immense advantages which are presenting
themselves in that region TO the British
the French, the Russian or the German
people, we must learn TO do as the British
the French, the Russian and the German
nations have done to realize their present
great ascendancy In the Orient. How can
we expect our commercial classes to en-
ter unaided into competition with the
merchants of other nations, who have
the power and resources of those
nations at their back We have in
cur time refused American Ships
the merest pittance to enable them
to carry our mails to adjacent countries
on this continent. We have tied up our
foreign commerce, until our flag has be-
come in foreign parts something for the
natives TO marvel at; whereas, even in
our national infancy we were pioneers