The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1900-09-11
REPUBLICAN TEXTBOOK SOUNDS THE
KEYNOTE.

the increase of clearing house returns
from $52,OOO,OOO,0O0 in 1896 to $780,
O0O,000,000 in 1899; an increase Of $780,
100000 tons of freight carried by the
railways in 1898 as compared with
1894, and an increase of more than
$4,000, 100000 of bank deposits in 1899
as 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 enormous increase of the money in
circulation despite the assertions con-
stantIy made in 1896 that there could
be no material increase in the circulat-
ing medium without imitation by
means of free coinage of silver. Not
withstanding the rejection of that
proposition the money in circulation
in the United States increased from
$1,506, 434, 966 at the date of Mr.
Bryan's 1896 nomination to $2,062,-
425, 496 at the date of his nomination
in 1900, while the gold and gold certiti-
Gates in circulation, which in July,
1896, were but $497, 100000, were in
July, 1900. $S15, 474,O00, the per capita
of circulation thus increasing from
S211O at the date of the Chicago con-
vention of 1896 to $2650 at the date
of the Kansas City convention of 1900.
Manufactures and Agriculture.
OF the manufacturers the book shows
their prosperity from the enormous In
crease in the amount of raw materials
which they require for use in manu-
featuring and the equally striking In
crease of the exports of their finished
products. TIE importations of raw ma
.erials for use in manufacturing, which
m the Democratic year 1894 amounted
to only $138,922, 1856 and formed only p
per cent of the total importations, were
in the year 1900 1902, 264, LOG and
formed 35 per cent of the total impor-
tations, while the expectations Of fin
ished manufactures, which in 1894
amounted to but $1S3, 72S, 1903 and form
ed 81 per cent of the total exports,
were in 1900 $432, 2S4, 366 and formed
81 per cent of the total exports.
The evidence of agricultural pros
perity under protection and sound mon
ey as compared with conditions under
low tariff and currency agitation Is
even more strongly marked. The
growth in consumption of farm prod
ucts among our own people under in
creased earnings is plainly shown in
the higher prices obtained by farmers
and in the remarkable Increase in the
value of their crops and farm animals.
The consumption of wheat in the Unit
ed States, which had ranged in the vi
cinity 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
depression which accompanied it, but
returned again to practically six bush
els per capita in 1899.
Prosperity of Labor.
The prosperity of the laboring men is
equally clear and striking. The re-
ports of the state labor bureaus in the
great manufacturing and industrial
centers show marked improvement
both in the number of employees,
hours of employment and wages paid.
This is especially marked in the manu-
featuring, mining and transportation
interests, 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 interesting fact
which is shown is that the purchasing
power of wages has ranged higher dur
ing President McKinley's administra
ton than at any other time in the his
tory of the country.
Dangers of Free Silver.
On the currency question the book
opens with the assertion that chow
ever much the skeleton of free silver
may try to conceal itself behind the
mask of Imperialism no thoughtful
man can doubt upon moments refec-
ton that all of the dangers of 1896
again threaten our financial system in
the campaign of 1900" Attention is
called to the fact that the Democratic
convention, at the dictation of Mr..
Bryan, not only reasserted in general
terms all of the principles of the plat
form of 1896, but emphasized adher-
ence to the free coinage heresy by spe-
officially reiterating the silver declara
lions of 1896 in the platform adopted
In 1900 1t then shows that the asser-
ton that the currency question Is set
tied and that therefore the party which
settled it may safely be removed from
control Of national affairs is not justi-
fed by the facts. An analysis of pres
ent conditions in the senate and house
and the prospects of their future con-
troll shows that the election of Mr.. Bry-
an would almost certainly be accompa-
MED by such changes in house member
ship and state legislatures as to give
perhaps during his first two years such
control of congress that free silver leg
islation could and would be enacted
and that this fact would from the mo-
ment of his election unsettle all finan-
clal and business conditions in the
United States and continue this dis
turbance and business uncertainty
during the entire period from the date
of the election, Nov. g. 1900, until the
emu OF lis TERM, MdICn 4, 1OOO'
Trusts and Foreign Policy.
The trust question is frankly and
vigorously considered. Official records
of legislation show that the Republic
an party is the only one which mas
courageously undertaken the task OF
controlling trusts by national legisla-
ton. The Republican party placed
upon the statute books the only ef-
fective piece of legislation ever created
for this purpose-the Sherman anti
trust law-but its efforts to so amend
the constitution as to enable the en-
actment of additional legislation, while
supported by all Republicans, was de
feated by Democratic votes in the FIT
ty-sixth congress, and thus the only
available method of assuring national
control of this subject was rejected by
the Democratic party. The fallacy OF
the frequently 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-
ton are reviewed-the enactment OF
the protective tariff, which was ac-
complished more quickly than any
tariff legislation since Washington's
first term; the enactment of the gold
standard law, the Pacific railroad set
Elements, the annexation of Hawaii
and the war with Spain and the re-
suits which followed. Conditions in
Cuba are discussed and the prepare
tons for giving the island complete
independence outlined The Porto