Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-10-20

and carrying his investigation still far.
ther, ne discovers that that wage has
greater purchasing power. If he desire
to enlarge the scope of his investiga
ton and ascertain the extent Of the
prosperity enjoyed by the whole coun.
try he will examine the statistics o.
exports and imports. He will Learn
that in 1894. the most prosperous wear
of Mr.. CIeveland's administration. tn,
balance of trade in favor of the United
States was $237 l45 $50. while in the
last fiscal year. the balance Of trade il
favor of the United States was $544
AL, I0l. or nearly TWO and half times
as great. He viii find that the tota
commerce of the United States for tho
past fiscal year surpassed by $3l7.129.
30 that Of any preceding year anc
that for the first time in our history il
exceeds 81 900. 600 600
Turning 10 the statistics relating tc
American trade with Cuba Porto Rico
Hawaii and the Philippine Islands. he
will find condition equally sa;isfac-
tory. The most prosperous year since
1890 for American export trade with
Cuba under Spanish sovereignty was
island was S24. l57 sos In 1900 il reached
s26, 513613. Porto Rico paid 81. 297 .53S
for American exports in 1890 s. SOC. 003
in 1892, and $3.50. 43l in 1900. The
Hawaiian Islands received goods from
the United States in 1890 valued at
S4.711.417. and in 1900. goods valued at
S13, 500 1iS. The export trade Of this
country with the Philippine Islands in
1890 amounted to sI22276; for the last
fiscal year. it amounted to $3.50. 44a.
These figures will aid the young man
in understanding the extent of prosper
ity the country enjoys; and he must, as
a natural step in his Investigations,
credit this result to the restoration Of
confidence consequent upon the re-
turn of the Republican party to power
and 10 the enactment of the two card
inal principles upon which the cam
paign Of 1896 was conducted-protec-
tive tariff and the gold standard.
The one embodied in the Dingley law
has relieved the American producer OF
the disadvantage of competing in the
home market with the products OF
cheaper foreign abor. and has enabled
him TO assume commanding posi-
The other, commonly known as the
gold standard law has placed the
country on sound financial basis. Ii
permitted the refunding Of the nation
al debt and the annual saving of mil
lions Of dollars in interest money. pro-
Vided for the expansion of national
bank note circulation with the develop
ment Of the business of the country.
and extended the advantages of the
national banking system to small
towns.
In spite of the manifest advantages
Of the gold standard law. the Demo
cratic party has vigorously denounced
1T, and has asserted its purpose TO
bring about its repeal as promptly a.
il is able to do 50. The intelligent
young voter will not neglect 10 calcu-
late the effect Of the overturning Of 4
law which is in a great measure re-
sponsible for the prosperous condition
of the country today, ana that has
made the United States a creditor ma
ton. Nor will he forget to conside.
that the success of the party that
stands for Il principle that involves
reduction Of the value Of the nations
unit OF money in the markets Of the
world will. of itself cause vast injury
to business interests and incidentally
to himself He will see that no other
than a patriotic motive guided tn
President in recognizing the extensions
of American sovereignty over Porto
Rico, Hawaii and the Philippines. He
will feel. as his fOrefathers did. that
expansion is the natural law of growth.
His memory will recall that Mr.. Bryan
personally supported the ratification of
the Treaty of Paris. by which Ameri
can sovereignty was extended over
Porto Rico and the Philippines.
The first voter has been told that we
should at once grant the Filipinos self
government and establish protector
ate over the islands. when he knows
there are eighty-four tribes in the is
land. and that millions Of money and
thousands of men would he necessary
to support against the assaults of the
others the authority Of the one tribe
now in rebellion against American
sovereignty. and that the war making
mower which rests under the Constitu-
ton in the hands of his representatives
would be transformed to an irresponsi-
BILE people whom we would be obliged
to uphold
There are other issues which til !
Young man will study. but after all the
overwhelming issue which will deter
mine the votes of the people is the
great Fundamental one of their own in
terest. welfare and prosperity. They
are an intelligent people. They know
perfectly well on which side their