The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-09-15

on the south and with great rivers,
like the Mississippi, the Ohio, the Wis
consin and others, affording water
transportation north and south. 1t
looks like the Almighty, by the forma-
ton of these rivers, intended freights
to move north and south, while man
has detected them east and west.
With the construction of the Mica
raguan canal, freights will move nortn
and south and great steamship lines
will be developed from New Orleans,
Mobile Brunswick, Savannah and
Charleston. These great lakes and riv-
ers will afford competition, which will
prevent extortionate charges on the
part of the railroad lines.
Senator McLaurin said in his speech
at Greenville that the most powerful
lobby ever known to be in Washing
ton was there in opposition to the ship
subsidy BILL headed by representatives
Of the great trans continental railroad
lines, and when one contemplates for
a moment the situation, 1t Is easy to
see why the Nicaraguan canal has not
been constructed, and why there is so
much opposition to the development of
an American merchant marine.
1 favor the strengthening and en-
largement of our navy, until our war
ships equal those of any other nation.
/ believe in a regular army common
surate with the wants of our people,
and of sufficient size to prevent blood
shed in time of peace and to protect
American honor and American inter-
ests in time of war.
Wealth and population in this
country are increasing at
wonderfully rapid rate. Twenty-Five
years ago we had about 40,00O,OOO
population now we have a population
of more than S0,000,000. If an army
of only thirty-five thousand soldiers
was required when our country had
only 100000 people, an army OF one
hundred thousand soldiers is not too
large when our population has increas-
ed to more than $4,000, 900. The con-
ditions now confronting the American
people demand a large regular army.
The Democrats who stand on the floor
of Congress and raise the cry of mill
tarism are going against the traditions
of their party. From first to last the
Democrats have favored militarism, as
have already shown. With the sword
they built this republic, and threw off
the yoke of the British dominion; with
the sword they extended it's bounda-
ries; and with the sword they have
held their own.
In my judgment 1t is the duty of our
government to make provision for the
| appointment of q commission by the
President to visit the Orient and in
vestigate and report upon the best
methods for the extension of our trade
in that quarter of the world. The
| South now produces more cotton than
is consumed, and we must find new
markets. Owing to climatic conditions
| clothing made from cotton is more
| suitable to the Chinese and Japanese
| than to the inhabitants of other coun-
| tries, and when we make known to
| those nations the superior advantages
of cotton goods, it goes without saying
| that they will be our best customers.
In Oriental countries there are more
| than COG, 000, 900 people, and when we
succeed in inducing them to use the
products of our cotton factories, the
South will be unable to supply the de-
mand for her great staple. According
to Mr. WI, the Chinese minister, this
is to be expected in the near future,
and he says that If his Emperor will
issue an edct to his subjects to make
their shirt-tails one inch longer the
entire cotton crop of the South
will be exhausted, and exhausted
nothing will be left for Europe"
know of no better or more direct
way of reaching these Oriental peo-
pie than to send to their countries an
| able, non-partisan commission. The
grain growers of the West are just as
much interested in the matter of in
creasing American trade in the Orient,
as our cotton planters are, and / think
the idea will strike them favorably.
have been a Democrat all my life.
and have never cast any other than
a Democratic ballot. In my letter to
Senator McLaurin I had no idea of
abandoning my party. or espousing
| Republican doctrines. 1t is easy to
quote from Democratic presidents to
show that expansion is the bedrock of
Democracy. 1t is true that every foot
of territory annexed to the United
States, except the ice bound plateaus
of Alaska and the volcanic hills of the
Hawaiian group of the Sandwich ISL
ands, came to us under Democratic ad-
Tninistrations.
l will now quote from Democratic
platforms to show that have written
nothing on the currency question that
is in conflict with the policy of the
party, until Mr.. Bryan crept into the
National Democratic convention at
Chicago in 1896. In my letter to Sena-
tor McLaurin said that l was ''in IA
vor of sound money, and against the
free and unlimited coinage of gold and
silver at the ratio of 16 to l." In writ
ing this 1 was strictly in line with
every Democratic National Convent IN
from 1876 to 1896. The financial plank
of 1876 reads:
ITO establish a sound currency, re-
store the public credit, and maintain
the national honor"
The platform of 1880 reads:
| Honest money---
vertible into coin-- strict
maintenance of the public faith
in 1884 the platform said:
I'VE believe in honest money,
the gold and silver of the
constitution, and circulating medium
convertible into such money without
loss"
The financial plank of 1888 simply re-
affirmed the currency plank of 1884.
In 1882 the financial plank was as
| follows:
eve hold to the use of both gold and
silver as the standard money of the
country, but the dollar unit of coinage
oil both metals must be of equal intrin-
sic and exchangeable value, or be ad-
juEte0 through international agree
ment, OF by such safeguards of legisla-
ton as shall insure the maintenance
of the parity of the two metals, and
the equal power of every dollar at all
times in the markets, and the payment
OF debts.''
The Sherman act of 1890 was de-
lrA III.