The Portland daily press., 1900-09-17

to make such an issue paramount have
no possible Justification for raising it at
all, for under such circumstances their
act cannot under conceivable c1Icum-
stances do aught but grave harm.
The success of the party representing
the principles embodied in the Kansas
City platform would bring about the de-
struction OF all the conditions necessary
to the continuance of our prosperity.
lit would also unsettle our whole govern
mental system, ard would therefore dis
arrange all the vast and delicate machin-
cry OF our complex Industrial life. Above
all, the effect would be ruinous to our
finances III we are TO prosper, the cur
rency of this country must be based upon
the gold dollar, B worth 100 cents. The
stability of our kcurrency has been great
ly increased by the excellent financial act
passed by the last Congress. But no law
can secure our finances against the effect
OF unW1se and disastrous management
IN the hands Of unfriendly adminlstra-
TORS No party can safely be entrusted
With the management OF our national
affairs unless 1T accepts as automatic the
truths recognized in all progressive cOun-
tries as essential to a sound and proper
system OF finance. In their essence these
must be the same for all great civilized
people. In different stages Of develop
mont, different countries face varying
economic conditions, but at every stage
d1u uuubI dI1 ClICuIlBbhuCSb bu6 IlObb
important element in securing their
economic well being is sound finance,
honest money. So intimate is the con
nection between Industrial prosperity
and a sound currency that the former Is
jeopardized not merely by unsound
finance, but by the very threat of I'M
sound finance. The business man ana
the farmer are vitality interested in this
question; but no mans interest is so
groat as that OF the wage-worker. A
deprecated currency means loss and dis
aster to the business man; but it means
grim suffering to the wage worker. The
capitalist Will lose much OF his capital
and VIII 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 vital need OF our whole in
dustrial system is sound money.
TRUST PROBLEM
One of the serious problems with which
we are confronted under the conditions
of our modern industrial civilization is
that pre- sented by the business Combina-
tions, which are generally known un-
der the name of trusts
Th7 problem is an exceedingly diff
cult one and the difficulty is Immensely
aggravated both by honest but wrong
headed attacks on our whole Industrial
system in the effort to remove some OF
the evils connected with it, and by the
misch1evOus advice of men who either
think orookedly or who advance rene
dies knowing them to be Ineffective, but
deeming that they may, by darkening
counsel, achieve for themselves a spuri-
Gus reputation for wisdom. No good
whatever is snbserved by ind1scriminate
denunciatiOn Of corporations generally;
and of all forms of industrial com bina-
ton in particular; and when this public
denunciatiOn is accompanied by private
membership IN the great corporations
denounced. the effect IS, of course, to give
an air OF insincerity to the whole move
ment. Nevertheless, there are real abuses,
and there is ample reason for striving
to remedy these abuses, A crude or i'll
considered effort to remedy them would
either be absolutely without effect or
else would simply do damage.
The first thing to do is to find out the
facts; and for this purpose publicity
as to capitalization, profits and all else Of
importance to the public, is the most use
tul measure. The mere TACT of this pub
licity would in itself remedy certain evils
and, as to the others, it would IN some
cases point out the remedies, and would
at least enable us to tell whether or not
certain proposed remedies would be use
luls Inc bl1Ab aCJ1OR IN llS cOileCIlNe
capacity would thus first find out the
facts and then be able to take such meas
ures as wisdom dictated. Much can be
done by taxation. Even more can be
done by regulation by close supervision
and he unsparing excision of all I'M
healthy, destructive and anti. social ele-
ments. The separate state governments
can do great deal; and where they de-
cline to cooperate the national govern
ment must step>in.
EXPANSION.
While paying heed to the necessity Of
keeping our house in order, the Ameri-
can people cannot, If they wish to retain
their self-respect refrain 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
Liberty Han, and the 13 original states
declared themselves q nation, the west
ward limit OF the country was marked
by the Allegheny Mountains Even
during the Revolutionary War the work
OF expansion went on. Kentucky, len
nessee and the great Northwest, then
known as the Illinois country, were con-
quered from our white and Indian foes
during the Revolutionary struggle, and
were confirmed to rs by the treaty Of
peace in 1888. Yet the land thus con-
firmed was not then given to US. It was
held by an alien foe until the army un-
der Gen. Anthony Wayne freed Ohio
from the Red Man, while the treaties of
Jay and PicKney secured from the Span
ish and British Natohez and Detroit.
In 1913, under President Jefferson, the
greatest single stride in expansion that
we ever took was taken by the purchase
OF the Louisiana territory. This so-callad
Louisiana, which included what are now
the States Of Arkansas, Missouri, Louisi-
ana, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North
and South Dakota. Idaho, Montana and
large part OF Colorado and Utah, was
acquired by treaty and purchase under
President Jefferson exactly and precise
" as the Philippines have been acquired
by treaty and purchase under President