The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-07
THE PRESIDENTS BUFFALO SPEECH.

III IDLSlDE0l = btE n ALO
The speeches Of President Mckinley al
ways attract attention and call forth com
ment, but it is safe to say that no unof-
fetal utterance of the President has been
read with so deep interest by so many
people as the address at the Pan-Ameri-
can exposition on Thursday. The occasion
one in which men who are interested
In worldwide affairs expected that the
President would speak of commercial rela-
tons. consequently he had interested
listeners In every civilized nation. A few
years ago the expression of an American
President was matter OF little concern TO
Europeans, because the United States was
seemingly taking little interest in world
wide commerce. Then. whatever the Presi-
dent might say haG no interest for them
except so far as it might give some indi-
cation that the tariff laws Of this country
would open its coveted markets TO the
world without any return. That era has
passed. While the events Of the past four
years have made the United States a
prominent factor in worldwide affairs, the
organization of industry has made the
American people successful competitors in
the worlds markets-an achievement
which European competitors never
dreamed of until it was accomplished. Our
industrial and commercial prominence has
been the cause of much unfriendly COM
ment and of threats Of hostile action by
public men and journals in Europe. The
world interested in commercial affairs was
naturally anxious to know the Presidents
views on these matters.
Perhaps more than upon any other topic,
public and commercial men desired to hear
the Presidents Pan-American ideas. The
phrase is not a pleasing one.
In a certain sense, Europeans regard the
Pan-American exposition as a menace to
their commerce, knowing that the better
the understanding between the peoples OF
this hemisphere the more extensive will be
their commercial relations. of late, sew
eral prominent European newspapers have
discovered a new danger in the Monroe
doctrine, and they might have looked for
some expression upon that subject by the
President. Wisely, upon this subject. the
President was silent-wisely because the
Monroe doctrine is the settled policy Of the
country and is so old that Europeans of in
telligence should understand what it is. 1t
will be time enough for the President of the
United States TO speak of it when a foreign
nation shall undertake TO ignore it. While
what the President said of the Pan-Ameri-
can idea must give assurance to the repre-
sentatives Of the governments in this
hemisphere and tend TO disarm any
jealousy aroused by our policy toward our
acquired possessions, Europe cannot find
a sentiment in the address to c%riticise. 1t
is a message of good will to the civilized
world. The declaration that "God and man
have linked the nations together" makes
for peace and good will, not for conquest.
The earnest prayer that Providence will
bestow upon all nations the same blessings
that the American people enjoy is the
Presidents message of good will to them
from the American people.
The President also said some things that
the American people should remember
things of practical interest to the Senate
and those who denounce reciprocal treaties.
Reciprocity is a Republican doctrine of the
Harrison administration Some Republic
ans forget that fact. The President re-
minds them of it. When Secretary Blaine
advocated the Pan-American idea and reel
procity. it was not so much needed as now.
Now that we need the worlds markets,
reciprocity is the key with which they
are to be unlocked. 1t may not so much
apply to Europe, but If we desire the
valuable markets OF South America. Of
which we now nave SO small a part. we
must seek them through reciprocity and
by adapting our goods to the needs of
those people. Such is the declaration OF
the President-win the Senate listen to
him. or will it be influenced by the repre-
sentatives of the interests Of a few in
d~ividuals?