Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1900-03-08
Three Years of rIcKinIey.

which he was elected fulfilled to the
liberal letter.
Years of prosperity were promised,
and three years of such prosperity
have come as the country has never
before seen. The tariff was revised on
protective basis at the opening of
President McKinley's term, and with
it every mill was opened, every foun-
dry fire lit and every mine started.
Not in the entire history Of the land
have there been twelve months with
larger aggregate business, fewer fail
ures, more coal, greater steel and
iron output, more cotton, wool and
leather consumed, a larger expenditure
on building, larger exports of manu-
factures, greater wages or more
general, steady and profitable en-
ployment for both labor and capital.
The markets of the world have for the
first time been taken by the United
States and the round globe is the mart
of its manufactures.
The permanence and security of this
prosperity have been established and
secured by the agreement ofthe major
ity of both the Senate and House on a
gold currency measure, shortly to be-
come law. This authoritatively de-
clares the gold standard as the sole
measure of values, provides efficient
,,,aanc for ita pnaintanannn ,,ar,,,itc,
the expansion of the banking currency
on safe basis and refunds the debt
falling due in a 2 per cent. bond, fol-
lowing the example of another Repub-
lican administration nine years ago.
These great and peaceful victories at
home have been accompanied by tri-
umphs as great but no greater abroad
in war. Long years of Spanish op-
preston and misrule, with which the
Republican party pledged itself to deal
in 1896, have been ended by brief and
triumphant conflict, in which not
gun or prisoner was lost, and in
which the Spanish flag was driven
from its possessions both in the East
and the West The great object lesson
given in a conflict with smaller and
relatively insignificant foe by England
in the past six months has convinced
every candid observer abroad and i'm
pressed every patriotic American with
the wise, the skillful and efficient ad-
ministration of the American army
and navy by its constitutional COM
mander-in-chief, the President. The
Spanish War had it's faults. All wars
have. But its faults were less and it's
success greater than in any war in
modern history waged against civil
lied power. 1t began with the regular
army of Spain eight-fold larger than
that of the United States and the fleets
of the two countries gravely estimated
by English authorities as equal. 1t
ended with half the Spanish army
capitulated and the Spanish fleet des-
troyed
Encouragement in this country has
bred resistance in the Philippines.
This has been suppressed and the
peoples of the archipelago offered the
government an organic law originally
asked by the native provisional adj
ministration. Here, too, there may
have been errors. 1t would be sur
prising if none had come. But the
period of resistance has been shorter,
the loss less and the prospect of final
amicable adjustment greater than with
England in Burmah, France in Algeria
sixty years ago or in Madagascar to-
day. If an underestimate of the forces
needed at the antipodes was once made
the final force only doubled the first
provision. In South Africa the British
War Office has quintupled its original
army, and England was dealing with
an old, not novel problem.
IrH hnn al ~, oh ~1,,41
after thirty years of almost continuous
conflict. The death-rate has dropped
one-half Prosperity has returned.
The early pledge of self-government is
in full and successful execution, be-
ginning with local affairs and extend
ing in due time to the administration
of the entire island. Puerto Rico has
been desolated with a hurricane whose
ravages and loss have never been un.
derstood by the American people.
Public and private aid from this coun-
try has exceeded that for any like pre-
vious disaster, this has been followed
by national free gift of $2,095,4 455 to
an island from which Spain extorted a
yearly tribute. The island is about to
be admitted to freer participation in
the trade of the United States than has
ever been enjoyed by any West Indian
island or is possessed in the trade of
the sovereign power by any colonial
dependency anywhere.
Hawaii, annexed by law, has shared
in the prosperity of the country of
which it will soon be an integral part.
Taken as whole, environed with the
difficulties of a novel and unexpected
problem, these colonial possessions
have been administered and conducted
with a success and a freedom from
difficulty no one anticipated as pos
sible. Contrast the predictions as to
Cuba with the result and remember
that vexatious and perilous problems,
taxing every American Administration
for seventy years, have now disap-
peared by the disappearance of the
Spanish flag from the hemisphere.
The successful settlement of long
standing disputes is not confined to
these new acquisitions. The Alaska
boundry has been placed on a basis
temporary but fair and equitable The
Canal issues with England are closed
for all the future in wise treaty, in
which the eXaputive has done his 6utv