The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1900-06-30

can convey an idea of a 1.-THE of tn,
ruin they wrought.
''ID the four years preceding Mr.. Cleve
lands administration we had paid SEQ
100000 of the national debt: he added
$3.50 900 TO It's burdens. He found 0
tariff act. bearing the name OF his sue
cessor and our president. fitted to meet
the requirements of our necessary ex'
penditures. TO furnish the needed pro
lection to our farmers and manufac'
turers. and to insure the steady and
| remunerative employment of those who
labor. Instead OF permitting manufacture
and commerce that repose and stability
OF law which are essential for working
out economic conditions. he at once
recommended violent and radical changes
In revenue and tariff provisions. recon-
mendations which his party In congress
proceeded partially and disastrously to
execute. The appalling result of his pol
Icy Is still fresh In the memory OF mil
lions who suffered from II. In four years
the country witnessed some $1,000 COM
mercial failures, with liabilities ag-
| gregating more than $500. 900. One
hundred and seventy seven railroads.
with n mileage OF 5000 miles. or twice
| the circle of the globe and with secur-
tiles amounting TO nearly 5000 900. 900.
| were unable to meet their interest
| charges and passed into the hands OF re-
| ceiyers More than ITO national banks
| closed their doors. with liabilities reach
Ing so, 0O0, 900; wool and all farm products
| which tariffs could affect lost tens of
millions in value: farm mortgages were
| foreclosed by thousands throughout the
| great west: our AGRICULTURAL exports
shrupk In value the balance \of trade
which had been in our favor turned ruin
| ously against us. the national treasury
das depleted Of It's gold reserve; our gov
eminent bonds were sold to syndicates
at far below their market value before
-. -. a III.
enues were insufficient to meet the neces-
sary expenses of conducting the govern
ment. II capital alone had suffered, the
loss would have been great, but not ir-
remediable. Unfortunately those who
rely upon their daily labor for their sus-
tenancc, and their families dependent
upon them, constituting the great mass
of the American people. were made to
feel heaviest this burden of disaster.
Nearly one-thlrd of the laboring popula-
ton OF the United States were thrown
out of employment, and men by thou
sands, able and willing to labor, walked
the highways of the land clamorlng for
work or food.
-Four years of commercial misfortune
enabled our Industries TO meet, In a
measure, these changed and depressed
conditions. but when President McI<in-
ley was inaugurated the country was in
state more deplorable than had existed
for a generation.
Facing these difficulties. the president
Immediately upon his inauguration con-
vened congress In extra session, and in a
message of force and lucidity summar-
lied the legislation essential to our ma
tional prosperity The Industrial history
of the United States for the past four
years is the tribute to the wisdom of his
judgment. 1t is quickly epitomiZed.
THE tariff measure under which we are
now conducting business was preceded
by an unusual volume of importations
based upon common knowledge that GER
tain duties were to be raised the bill
met the popular demand that duties on
many of the necessaries of life should be
lowered and not raised: advances in In
vention and new trade conditions made
it unnecessary and unwise to revert to
the higher tariff provisions of the law of
1890; the increases In the revenue pro-
visions were slight. Yet, Notwithstanding
all these facts, tending to reduce income,
the revenues from the Dingley bill
marched steadily upwards, until soon our
normal income exceeded our normal eX-
penditure, and we passed from condi-
ton of threatened insolvency to one OF
| national solvency.
This tells but a small fraction of the
story. Under the wise provisions of our
| tariff laws and the encouragement afford
| cd to capital by a renewal of public con-
| fidence, trade commenced to revive. The
| looms were no longer silent and the mills
| deserted; railway earnings increased,
merchants and banks resumed business,
labor found employment at fair wages,
| our exports increased, and the sunshine
OF hope again illumlned the land. The
| figures that illustrate the growing pros
perity OF the four years of republican
| administration well-nigh stagger belief
| There isn't an idle mill In the country to-
| day. The mortgages on western farms
ha thousands.
| and our farmers are contented and pros
porous. our exports have reached enor-
nous figures; for the last l. months our
exports of merchandise will exceed our
imports by $J5O,OO0.000. Our manufactured
articles are finding n market all over the
world and in constantly increasing vol
ume. We are rapidly taking our place as
one of the great creditor nations of the
world. Above and beyond all, there Is no
man who labors with his hands, In all
our broad domain who cannot find work,
and the scale of wages was never In our
history as high as now.
Passing over, for the moment, the
events associated with the war, let me
refer briefly to other legislation of the
past four years.
1--WE passed national bankrupt act, a
measure rendered essential by four years
of democratic rule, and under its benef-
cent provisions thousands of honest
men who were engulfed in disaster be-
cause OF tho blight of the democratic
policy. are again enabled to transact
business and share the blessings of re-
publican prosperity
For half a century the Hawaiian Is
lands, menace to the long line of coast
which skirts our Pacific slope, have been
knocking for admission as part OF our
territory, and during that period the pub
llcly expressed opinion of both political
parties favored their annexation. Four
times have they been occupied by Euro
pean powers, and as often have we com
PEELED their abandonment because II was
essential that they should never be occu-
pied by any foreign power Finally, aft
err years of misgovernment by native
rulers. the gallant descendants of Amer
leah merchants and missionaries made
prefer again OF these valuable posses
slons to this country, asking only to
come under our flag and dominion. A
democratic president repudiated the Of
fer. and sought to assist In restoring the
former corrupt and oppressive ruler. 1t
was left for this administration to make
them part of American territory. They
are on the way to our islands In the
southern SEAS every instinct of self-pro-
lection should have prompted our quick
acceptance of their sovereignty. and vet
they were acquired In spite OF the bitter
opposition of almost every democrat In
congress.
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