Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-20
REPUBLICAN, TEXTS
Facts Contained in the Party Cam
palgn Book Just Issued.
EVIDENCES OF PROSPERITY SHOWN
What Mr.. MckinIey's Administra-
ton Has Accomplished.
S O-CALLED IN P ERI Ais M

The republican campaign text book has
been completed and sample copies have
reached the headquarters. Six presses are
running day and night at the printing Of
flee from which it is being issued and it
Will soon be in the hands of speakers in
every part of the country.
1t opens with the assertion that -four
great facts seem to justify the republican
party in asking the voters of the United
States to continue it in control of the af-
fairs of the government: First. the prompt
ness with which 1t has fulfilled the pledges
Of its platform upon which it successfully
appealed to the people in 1885, second. the
prosperity which has come to all classes of
citizens with, and as a result Of the
fufllment of those pledges; third the evil
derce which that prosperity furnishes Of
the fallacy of the principles offered by the
opposing parties in 1896 and still supported
by them and, fourth, the advantages to our
country, our commerce and our people in
the extension of area, commerce and inter
national influence which have unexpectedly
come as an incident of the fulfillment of
one of the important pledges of the plat
form of 1896 and with it the opportunity
foe benefiting the people of the territory
affected"
The pages which Immediately follow this
assertion devoted to a presentation OF
actual and statistical evidence of the pros
perity which has come to the four great
classes of our population, the business ele-
ment. the manufacturers, the farmers the
workingmen. The pages which are de-
voted to a consideration of past and pres
ent conditions of each of these great classes
bristle with evidence of the prosperity which
Immediately followed the restoration or the
republican party and its protective poncy,
contrasting this with the depressed cond1-
ton under the democratic low tarlH ana
threat of free silver.
Evid .nces of Prosperity.
Among the notable facts cited in evidence
of business Improvement are: The reduction
In failures. from s346 100000 in 1893 and
s226. 600 600 in 1896 to 800 600 900 in 1899; the
increase of clearing house returns from
fifty-two billion dollars in 1898 to eighty
nine billion dollars in 1899: an increase of
23o. 100000 tons of freight carried by rail-
ways in 1885, as compared with 1894, and
an increase of more than two billion dollars
of bank deposits in 1899. compared with
1894. This great business activity, coupled
with heavy exports and light imports, which
are shown to have always accompanied the
protective system, has resulted In an enor-
nous increase of the money in circulation
despite the assertions constantly made in
1896 that there could be no material increase
in the circulating medium without imitation
by way OF free coinage of silver. Notwfth-
standing the rejection Of that proposition.
the money In circulation in the United
States increased from 81 800, 434, 966 at the
date of Mr.. Bryans 1896 nomination to
s., 0ts2. 425 40 at the date of his nomination In
1890. while the gold and gold certificates in
circulation, which in July. 1896. were but
s497 100000. were in July 1900, 1915, 474, 600,
the per capita of circulation thus increasing
from s21 10 at the date OF the Chicago con-
vention of 1896 to $3.50 at the date of the
Kansas City convention Of 1900.
Taking up the manufacturers, the second
great class considered. 1t shows their pros
perity from the enormous Increase in the
amount of raw materials which they re-
quire for use in manufacturing and the
equally striking increase of the exports of
their finished products. The importationS
of raw materials for use in manufacturing
which in the democratic year 1894 amounted
to only s13S,922. 49, and formed but 81 per
cent of the total importations were in the
year 1900 $780,. 264 l06 and formed 35 per
cent of the total importations: while the ex-
portations Of finished manufactures. which
in 1894 amounted to but slS3. 12s.s Os and
formed 81 per cent of the total exports.
were in 1900 si32 2Si 3ti6 and formed 81 per
cent of the total exports.
In the next great class considered-the
farmers-the evidence of prosperity under
protection and sound money, as compared
with conditions under low tariff and cur
rency agitation. Is more strongly
marked. The growth in consumption of
farm products among our own people under
increased industrial activity and increased
earnings is plainly shown In the higher
prices obtained by farmers and in the re-
markable increase In the value of their
crops and farm animals The consumption
of wheat In the United States, which had
ranged in the vicinity of six bushels per
capita under the activities of the protective
tariff years. fell as low as three and one
half bushels per capita under the low tariff
and the business and manufacturing de-
preston which accompanied it. but return
ed again to practically six bushels per cap
tia in 1899, while home consumption in other
lines of farm products is equally affected
by prosperity or adversely in the great bus
mess and industrial interests of the coun-
try. As a result, 1t is shown that the value
of all farm products has enormously in
creased, the value of the corn crop alone
in 1899 being S140.OOO,OOO greater than in
1896. while in other lines Of agricultural
products the increase is equally striking.
In farm animals the increased value is
even more plainly shown, the value Of
sheep farms having doubled since the
low tariff years 1895 and 1896 and the val
ne of all farm animals being in the year
1890 nearly S700,0O0,Oo0 greater than in 1896.
In the fourth great class-the laboring
men-the evidence Of prosperity is equally
clear and striking. Reports from state and
national labor bureaus and organizations
are quoted, showing conditions I'm 1900 COM
pared with those of the recent years of de-
preston and indicating increased employ
ment and advance in wages in all lines of
industry. The reports of the state labor
bureaus I'm the great manufacturing and
Industrial centers show strongly marked
Improvement, both In the number of en-
ployes. hours of employment and wages
paid This is especially marked in the man.
ufacturing, mining and transportation in
terests, a 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 especially interesting fact which is
clearly shown is that the purchasing pow
er of wages has ranged higher during Pres
ident Mckinley's administration than at
any other time in the history of the coun-
try. This fact is clearly sustained by Of
fetal figures, which bring the famous cal
drich report" down to data. and show from
official data that the purchasing power Of
wages was never high as during the
years since the Inauguration of President
Mckinley.
The Currency Question