The Elk Mountain pilot., 1900-09-25

sary to the continuance of our pros
perity. 1t would also unsettle our
whole governmental system, and would
therefore diSarrange all the vast and
delicate machinery of our complex in
dustrial life. Above all, the effect
would be ruinous to our finances. If
we are to prosper. the currency of this
country must be based upon the gold
dollar worth 100 cents. The stability
of our currency has been greatly i'll
creased by the excellent financial act
passed by the last Congress. But ne
law can secure our finances against
the effect Of unwise and disastrous
management in the hands of unfriend-
ly administrators. No party can safely
he intrusted with the management of
our national affairs unless IL accepts
as automatic the truths recognized III
All progressive countries as essential
to II sound and proper system OF
finance. In their essence these must
be the same for all great civilized peo-
pies. In different stages of develop
ment different countries face varying
economic conditions, but at every stage
and under all circumstances the most
important element in securing their
economic well-being is sound finance,
honest money. So intimate is the con-
nection between industrial prosperity
and sound currency thar the former
is jeopardized. not merely by unsound
finance but by the very threat of un-
sound finance. The business man and
the farmer are vitally interested in this
question; but no mans interest is so
great aS that of the wage-worker. \
deprecated currency means loss and
disaster to the business man; but IL
means grim suffering to the wage
worker. The capitalist will lose much
of his capital and will suffer wearing
anxiety and the loss of many comforts
but the wage-worker who loses his
wages must suffer. and see his wife
and children suffer, for the actual
necessities of life. The one absolutely
system Is sound money.
One of the serious problems with
which we are confronted under the con
ditions of our modern Industrial civili-
zaton Is that presented by the great
business combinations. which are
generally known under the name OF
trusts.
The problem is an exceedingly diftic
ult one. and the difficulty is Immensely
aggravated both by honest but wrong
I headed attacks on our whole industrial
system in the effort to remove some OF
the evils connected with il, and by the
mischlevous advice of men who either
think crookedly or who advance RENE
dies knowing them TO be ineffective.
but deoming tlint they may. by darken-
ing counsel. achieve for themselves n
spurious reputation for wisdom. No
good whatever is subserved by indis-
criminate denunciatlon of corporations
generally. and of all forms of indus
trial combination in particular; anil
when this public deDunciation is ac-
companied by private membership in
the great corporations denounced, the
effect is. of course. TO give an air of
insncerity to the whole movement.
Nevertheless. there are real abuses.
and there is ample reason for striving
to remedy these abuses. \ crude or
ill-considered effort to remedy them
would either he absolutely without cf-
feet or else would simply do damage.
The first thing to do is to find out the
facts; and give this purpose publicity
as to capitalization, profits and all else
of importance to the public, is the most
useful measure. The mere fact of this
publicity would in itself remedy GER
tain evils. and. as to the others. 1t
would in some cases point out the rene
dies. and would mt least enable us to
tell whether or not certain proposed
remedies would he useful The state
acting In it's collective capacity would
thus first find our the facts and then
be able TO take such measures as wis
dom dictated. Much can be done by
taxation. Even more can he done by
regulation. by close supervision, and
the unsparing excelsior of all unhealthy.
destructive and anti-social elements.
The separate state governments can
do great deal. and where they de
cline to cooperate the national govern
ment must step in.
History of Expansion.
While paying heed to the necessity
of keeping our house in order at home,
the American people cannot, If they
wish to retain their self-respect, re-
frain from doing their duty as a great
nation in the world. The history of
the nation is in large part the history
of the nations expansion. When the
first Continental Congress met in Lib
erty hall. and the thirteen original
states declared themselves a nation.
the westward limit of the country was
marked by the Allegheny Mountains.
Even during the revolutionary war the
work of expansion went on. Ken
lucky, Tennessee and the great North
west, then known as the Illinois coun-
try, were conquered from our white
and Indian foes during the revolution
ary struggle and were confirmed to us
by the treaty of peace in 1873. Yet
the land thus confirmed was not then
given to us. 1t was held by an alien
foe until the army under Gen. An
thony Wayne freed Ohio from the red
man. while the treaties of Jay and
Pinckney secured from the Spanish and
British Natchez and Detroit.
In 1903, under President Jefferson,
the greatest single stride in expansion
that we ever took was taken by the
purchase of the Louisiana territory.
This so-called Louisiana, which includ-
la1.S SinfI .IAf 4 I'M