Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1900-12-25
WASHINGTON LETTER,
soME Or THE TAIN - cok0REss l,
DONG IN THE SHORT SESSION.

isrspecial Core y 4 aencs. !

Especial Correspondents. ~. &3 VI
WASHINGTON Dec % %. 1T would seem
that the closing win be as Important
and interesting as were the opening
days Of President Nick inley's first term
at the White House. When President
Mckinley was inaugurated March A,
1897, the country was In Z condition Of
commercial paralysis, and the people
threatened q revolutionary movement
against Spain. After the work Of tho
extraordinary session Of congress call
ed by President Nick inley for the en-
:actment Of q new tariff law and the
authority which brought 10 war with
Spain and the long train Of exciting
events which gave to our country the
greatest prosperity ever enjoyed BY
any people in the world and within 90
days of actual fighting brought us per-
feet success in arms and the acquisi-
ton Of Porto Rico, Cuba and the Phil
ippines. 'i~wou]d seem that there was
little more for an administration. to do
In order. that 1t might be crowned with
the greatest possible success. But it
appears that President cKinley' 8 first
four years Of administration have much
more in, store. n. u !; .s>7.E&s -$= :SSs
ts 1888 sf X ,:F$4 y ,F@s
The second term of q congress is IL
ways brief. 1t opens on the first Mon
day in December, takes ten days of
holiday recess and must, by limitation
Of the constitution, expire at noon On
the 4th Of March This gives only
choi,t Ten vhr''-7 enr adjust work. Tt We
are oil the great appropriation bills TO
be passed yet and some Of the most I'm
portant legislation that has been pro-
posed since the advent Of President
Mckinley. The great tariff law of
1897 has performed wonders in bring
ing prosperity. 1t secured protection
to home industries, and the CONNER
cial reciprocity provisions made it pos
sible for the. president to find many
new markets for American products.
The currency bill fixed the gold stand
ard and placed us among the foremost
Of the civilized countries. The national
banking act perfected our financial sys-
tenn and refunded the government debt
on the lowest interest basis enjoyed by
any people on the face Of the globe
2 per cent. r = ~ Il .z2%&z WIT
= And now there are before congress
two Of the next greatest measures for
the future prosperity of our country
ever proposed-the. merchant marine
and the Nicaragua canal bills. If the
government will only secure, the estab-
nshment Of q number Of new steam-
ship lines to our old and all Of our new
markets, securing steady and reliable
sailings and low freight rates. we will
not only hold Ill Of the markets we
now have, but viii be able to enlarge
them and increase our exports, which,
remarkable as It may appear, were
larger during the past three and half
years than during all the previous ex-
istence Of our republic. It has become
necessary, however, In order to hold
our great export markets and keep up
prices for the products Of the factory,
the mill and the farm of the United
States, to provide for the shipment Of
our surplus on the bottoms Of Ameri-i
can registered steamships. '"'. *&:'
= : " 6. - '>-..,,.. -; -,;...'
The same Republican principle that
secured the adoption Of the present
tariff law and the financial bill which
fixed the gold standard and secured the!
greatly enlarged circulating medium
and brought about the refunding Of
the, national debt at 2 per cent promises
to secure the adoption of the merchant
marine bill, which will undoubtedly
open up many, new markets and give.
our farmers and manufacturers great
advantages. The principle involved in
the upbuilding Of the merchant marine
fs identically the same as that involved
in our American system Of tariff pro-
lection. It Is said that from 10 I'd 20
times more people will be directly in