The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-07-19
ALL RECORDS BROKEN
UNPARALLELED PROSPERITY OF THE
CURRENT YEAR.

High Water Mark In Exports, In In
ternaI Commerce, In Bank Deposits
and CIearings, In Railroad Earn
ings and In other Lines.
In spite of the unparalleled records of
the past three years it is evident that
the fiscal year 1901 has broken all pre-
vious records. Exports and balance of
trade in our favor are larger than ever
before. Both nation, state and savings
banks deposits are greater, and rail
road earnings exceed all previous rec
ords.
But better than anything we have
mentioned is the fact that the number
of people employed and the amount Of
wages received, in spite of the many
strikes by which thousands have vol
UNFAIRLY become idle and millions have
been lost in wages, will be far in excess
of any previous time in our history.
Never have so many been employed,
never were such high wages known as
In this year of our Lord 1901. The in
come and earnings of the people of the
United States were never so great as
today.
This is because we are working for
ourselves and not hiring foreign labor
ers TO do our work for US. In some way
or other we spend all we earn. Our
whole income is spent in some form or
other in purchasing the necessities and
luXuries of life. Even the money saw
ed and put in the bank is loaned to
others, who use it for construction,
building and other purposes.
1t may be S3O,OO0.Q0OO0O or $4,000
100000 or S50,000 100000 or even mere.
1t is almost incalculable, but it makes
q home market of such vastnesS as to
render our foreign market insignificant
in comparison. We might or might
not increase our foreign sales by few
hundred millions by practically giving
them the means with which to buy of
US, but in so doing we would decrease
the value of our home market by bill
lions.
We must not lose sight of that fact
an instant in our desire to capture
more foreign buyers. We are, as it Is.
increasing our foreign sales every year
and at more rapid rate than any 9th
er country. We are beating free trade
England and without sacrificing any
part of our home market. This is pro-
lection, this is prosperity, this is Nc
Kinleyism, this is Americanism. Oul
desire to sell even more abroad is most
laudable, but it must not be at the eX-
pense of single American industry or
a single American workingman. And
while we are looking all over the world
for new buyers we should not lose sight
Of the fact that there is a new market
right at our doors to the value Of at
least S1,OOO,OO0,OOO year to be found
and retained.
We are importing nearly S50O,O0O,-
600 worth of commodities that can be
produced at home, and the production
of these commodities would give us an
Increased purchasing power to the ex-
tent of nearly as much more. Our own
market under present conditions is in
creasing at the rate of at least $1,000
100000 annually. The whole world is
looking at it and envying it and using
every means possible to get it. All we
have to do is to keep it. And If we
want to trade let US make a good and
profitable trade, not bad one. Let us
not trade a two bladed jackknife for a
single bladed one of doubtful keen
ness. Let US trade surplus Of what
we possess for something we cannot
make or produce ourselves. Let US
keep the Yankee game as well as the
Yankee name,