Evening journal., 1900-10-23
where We NOV STAND
Our Place i'm the Worlds Pro-
ductiOn as Compared with
Thirty Years Ago-AH Prog
rcSs Under Economic Pol
icfeS Like the Present.
oMMERCE creates nations. 7


- osIMERCE creates nations. The
- declaration Is trlte perhaps, but
true. The world progress OF to-
day is based upon It's acceptance by civil
lied powers. II has made Of the little
island Of England a vast empire. II is
the inspiration OF Germany's marvellous
new development as a power OF the first
class. II Is rapidly transforming Russia
from medieval. seml-feudal state into
a formidable competitor for the richest
rewards OF industry and national pres
tige. IL has wresged Japan. within a
generation. from the paralysis OF uneom-
promising Orlentalism. and given her an
honored and potent place among the
great peoples OF the earth It's neglect
long since east out Spain and Portugal
| from serious consideration In vital inter-
national affairs. and accounts for every
Instance OF modern decadonce In EUROPE.
Il is the secret Of American f5-cf abroad
and OF American well-being at home.
The sword protects. but commerce Gre
ates. national prestige and prosperity
The four-year presidential term-with
all Difference to the wisdom OF the fathers
who established it-has It's embarrass-
ment In the present day. in the frequency
with which the business Of the country Is
disturbed and hampered by recurring
tests OF national sentiment concerning
two Numerically opposed economic the
ories-protection on one hand. and low
tariff or free trade on the other. But n
the quadrennial test at times threatens
prosperity. Il also offers prompt oppor-
tunity to cast out the causes Of adversely,
II by chance they have been installed by
government.
We are on the eve Of such test. We
care not whether man be. by habit and
by conviction on various issues, OF Re-
publican or Democratic or independent
bias. The only question It Is proposed
here 10 PROFOUND is. Is he business
man. or does he understand the relation
Of the country's business TO tne country's
greatness? Does he prefer prosperity to
adversely? Is he willing to accept facts
in place Of essays in the demonstration
OF cause and effect. and II facts show
that prosperity invariably follows the
adoption OF one policy and depression
the adoption OF the other. will he aid in
the retention Of the former? As We put
the issue. It is to be divorced absolutely
from partisan political prejudice. II Is
matter Of business discussion, simply.
TWO PERIODS COMPARED.
The world has probably never fur
/ In
and general conditions in a single coun-
try. within a similarly brief time, than is
furnished by a comparison Of the two
periods. 1887 and 1s97-19O0. The man
who cannot detect it's stupendous sig
nificance is blind. and he who will not
is an advocate Of disaster. It is only
necessary to present the facts. They
speak eloquently enough to common in
felligence
We have had, in the past decade. low
tariff period sandwiched between two
high tariff periods In 1892. the final
full year Of the first high tariff period
the measure Of our prosperity was un-
precedented. Our exports OF domestic
merchandise reached and passed the bill
lion-dollar mark for the first time, while
our imports decreased materially. The
balance Of trade IN our favor reached
the sum Of nearly s2Os ,OOO,O 900.
The following year came the assur-
ance Of low tariff law. That year, 1898.
our domestic exports decreased in round
figures. $4,000 900. and our imports in
creased s4O,OO0.O0O.
tI,t
ing. not dependent upon governmental
policy? Let us see This law was passed
in 1894 In 1896 It had had time for full
effect In that year our exports fell
from the billion-dollar total Of 1892 TO
s7gs, 392 $50. and the balance OF trade in
our favor from the $2O3. .OOO 900 Of 1892
to $4,000 900.
The business conditions attending the
uncertainty OF the 1896 election are well
and unhapplly remembered. In 1897 the
low tariff period gave way to another Of
high tariff. still existing. In that year
we again. and at a single bound. reached
and passed the billion-dollar export line.
while imports. falling S15.0OO00O below
the 1896 figures. left the outer world our
debtor on foreign balances in the tidy
sum Of s267 7,191
Another coincidence? Look further.
The year 1888 was the first full fiscal
year Of the new high tariff A foreign
war was on--proverbially a serious dis
turber Of profitable trade Yet We made
another stupendous advance. due 10 the
irresistible force Of governmental policy
In 1898 our domestic exports rose IN
value to 81 .21O, ,2sl .siS. while our imports
which in 1893 had been sS66. 400. s22. fell
to s616.O4s, ,654. The result OF this wal
year. inclusive Of our exports OF foreign
production. amounting TO s2s 100000. was
TO create balance of trade in our favor
of s52s.s74Si3. against the gratifying