Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-08-23

| $3.50 - ~ aunt III 1893 DtlfiE s1fVt'bNt''
greater than in 1896, while in othel
lines of agricultural products the in
crease IS equally striking. In farm an
lmals the increased value IS even
more plainly shown, the value Of sheer
on farms having doubled since the low
tariff years 1895 and 1896. and the value
OF all farm animals being in the year
1900 nearly $4,000 900 greater than In
1896.
The prosperity Of the laboring men Is
equally clear and striking. Reports
from state and national labor bureaus
and organizations are quoted, showing
conditions in 1860 compared with those
Of the late years Of depression. and in
dicating increased employment and ad-
vance in wages in all lines Of industry.
The reports Of the state IaDor bureaus
in the great manufacturing and indus
trial centers show marked improve
ment in the number Of employees,
hours Of employment and wages paid.
This Is especially marked in the manu-
featuring, mining and transportation
interests. large increase in the wages
of railway employees, of men employed
in the coal and iron mines. and those
engaged in all lines Of manufacturing
being shown. One interesting fact
which is shown is that the purchasing
| power of wages has ranged higher dur
| ing President Mckinley administra
ton than at any other time in the his
| tory of the country. This fact is clear
! IS sustained by official figures which
bring the "Aldrich Report" down 70
date and show from official data that
4 =. 81.
never so high as during the years since
the inauguration Of President McKin-
| lev.
on the currency question the book
| opens with the assertion that however
much the skeleton Of free silver may
| try 70 conceal itself behind the mask of
| imperialism no thoughtful man can
! doubt, upon moments reflection. that
| all of the dangers Of 1886 again threat
| en- our financial system in the campaign
| rf 1890 Attention H. called to the fact
| that the Democratic convention, at the
dictation Of Mr.. Bryan. not only reas-
serted in general terms all Of the prin-
ciples w the platform Of 1896. but en-
phasized adherence to the free coinage
hcresy by specifically reiterating the
silver declarations Of 1896 in the plat
form adopted in 1900. Ii then shows
that the assertion that the currency
question is settled and that therefore
the party which settled ii may safely
b- removed from control Of national
affairs Is not justified by facts. An
analysis az present conditions in the
Senate and House and The prospects
Nc their future control shows that the
election NJ Mr. Bryan would almost
certainly be accompanied by such
changes in House membership and
state legislatures as To give perhaps
lurilS his first Two years such control
of Congress that free-silver legislation
could and would be enacted. and that
this fact would, from the moment OF
his election. unsettle an financial and
business conditions in the United
states and continue this disturbance
and business uncertainty during the
entire period from the date Of the cleo
ton. Nov. 8. 1900, until the end of his
term. March 1. 1905. The events Of the
past four years affecting the currency
a-e discussed, il being shown that the
Republican party made prompt and
vigorous efforts to bring about inter
national bimetallism. though opposed
: -'NN d - AAi' ifibItHSt'A II 4FlluS "a
silver and that. failing in this. the gold
standard law was enacted and that the
rapid and enormous increase in gold
production since 1896 reduces year by
year the strength Of the argument that
the financial system Of the world must
be overturned to restore silver to its
former status. The gold production of
the world in the half-century during
which nearly all the principal nations
have adopted this metal as the single |
standard Of their currency has been
twice as much as in the $50 preceding
years, and l. now being produced more |
than sixteen times as rapidly as dur |
ing the first half Of this century. The |
quantity Of gold mined in the world in |
the four years since Mr.. Bryan's nom |
ination in 1926 is more than that Of the |
entire half-century from 1901 to 1850
The trust question is frankly and |
vigorously considered Official records |
M legislation show that the Republican |
party is the only one which has
courageously undertaken the task of |
controlling trusts by national legisla- |
ton. The Republican party placed up |
on the statute books the only effective |
piece of legislation ever created for |
this purpoSe-the sherman Antitrust |
law-but its effort II So amend the |
constitution as to enable the enactment |
Of additional legislation. while support |
ed by all Republicans. was defeated by |
Democratic votes in the Fifty-sixth |
Congress and thus the only available |
method Of assuring national control OF |
this subject was rejected by the Demo-
cratic party. The fallacy Of the fire. |
duently repeated assertion that trusts |
are the product Of protection" is |
proved by a series of statements which |
show the existence for many years of |
trusts in England and other low tariff |
countries.
The leading events Of the three years |
of President Mckinley's administra- |
tlon are reviewed; the enactment Of |
the protective tariff which was accom- |
p!ished more quickly than any tariff |
legislation since Washington's first |
term: the enactment of the gold stand |
ara law; the Pacific railroad settle
ments: the annexation Of Hawaii and |
the war with Spain and the results |
which followed. Conditions in Cuba |
are discussed and the preparations for
giving the island complete independ-