The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1902-07-10

You have not forgotten, and all of you
well remember, the critical, hard. and UNI
promising times of 1896.
The country was still suffering from the
industrial and financial stagnation. and
depression which began and continued
under. Cleveland's administration: The
country was full of mechanics and labor
ing men of all classes, idle and without
work. Money. through want of conf,
90 earn, to acquire or to borrow.
The industrial, the financial and the
business world was stagnant, stood par
alyzed and in dread of the future. And
fering. restless and pinlng for way out
OF the difficulties by which they were sur,
5ae with eea as the erop
road to take.
: 1t was at such time and under such
that the absos
and despair then prevailing. they might
secure political success. and being willing
to secure victory and power at any COST tt,
their startling and dangerous program
declaring in favor Of the free and unlim-
tied coinage of silver seeking TO array IA Ia
protection, by the courts and the execu,
tive, Of property against lawlessness and
And their program and policy was, as
you will remember, emphasized and inten:
1tned by the declarations, promises ana
animus Of their standard bearer. nat !,
any paragraph of the platform was
cleared up and made plain by the candi-
It was at this juncture. and under
these conditions. that the Republican
party. ever mindful of the welfare and
best interests of the American people.
the defense Of sound money. declared its
readiness to foster and protect, IN mar
mony. both capital and labor. and to pre-
serve and defend both against anarchy
l9WteSSnoSS and disorder.
When the issue was first Joined In that
campaign the Democratic party d Iets con- T.
seemed as though their new gospel nad
captured the masses Of the people. And
there were many good men IN the count
and fearful of the result. The very bold
ness and revolutionary character of the
Democratic platform, and snir, candidate were
But the Republican party, under the
leadership of one of its best and noblest
men-William MckinieyEopened ana , car ear
pealed with faith and energy to the con,
science and good sense or the American
people. Loyalty to the true interests OF
and sober judgment Of the masses were
the fountain and cornerstone of the Re-
publican campaign. ~
.diately after the Chicago convention
gradually disappeared as men began to
think. to reason, and''to see the dangers
contraction, and the danger OF arraying
Tabor against capital and thus paralyzing
and ieopardizing both. 49,.
rosepel of the Republican party bore fruit
and in November the American people,
under the banner of the Republican party,
gained a great and glorious victory, ana
were saved from one of the greatest
perils that had confronted the country
SINCE THE DAYS OF THE GREAT
REBELLION. ..
The result of the election was no soon
er known than the country seemed to
The nightmare of Democracy was past,
and the rejoicing was not alone confined
to the victim. .-a-- : -
> When the war of the great Rebellion
was over, and the fervor of battle had
ceased, quite number of the vanquished
I'm their innermost hearts, were glad that
the Union was saved. -
1896 was over, there were many men
who. from the force of habit, or who
like drowning men grasping for straw,
had voted the Democratic ticket, who
were nevertheless, when the heat OF the
strife bad subsidized, happy in the result
and silently rejoiced in the success of the
Time and more than five years of Re-
publican rule have but served to en-
phasize. the great advantages and the
great blessings that have come to the
country as a result of that victory.
But the Republican party has not only
stayed the hand of the destroyer, it has
also, to a large extent and in material
degree, by judicious legislation and ad-
mjnistration, fostered and promoted the
industrial and economical life and de-
veiopment of the country.
The Democratic tariff law of 1894,
which for lack of discriminating protec-
ton, bred Industrial stagnation, and was
also insufficient as revenue proVlder,
1897. passed at a special session called
by President Mckinley for that purpose
after his Inauguration.
so Of fbe DC of this aet
and no tariff act can escape or is above
all criticism-it is certain that but for the
then unforeseen Spanish war. it would
have provided the country with ample
revenue for it's current expenses; and 1t
IL also certain, and amply demonstrated
by our experience, that under its flag our
most pronounced commercial and indus
trial revival and continued prosperity In
al our history.
Our total foreign commerce-exports
and imports from 1893 to 1897, inclusive
"a period of five years-amounted to S.
37S. 765 O20, with balance of trade in
for tine enr on
from 1897 to April, 1902, a period of four
years and nine months, was $1O,086, 749,-
ST.. with a balance of trade in our favor
upon the same, of the enormous sum of
q. 756, 100, s61, or an annual average of
$3.50, 1854 ,391.
It is this rapid and immense growth OF
our foreign trade-especially the great
balance in our favor-that has alarmed
and frightened so many countries of Eu-
rope. They fear and see in it-and well
they maya loss Of their industrial and
commercial supremacy, and its departure
to and vesture in the great republic of
the West.
American products of the farm and fac
tory, under the momentum of enlarged
resulting from good home
market, are invading with irresistible
force all countries of the civilized world.
And this is merely the overflow of our
production over the home demand.
The domestic trade of our, country since
1897 resulting from our great. industrial
revival and increased productive capacity, i
has more than kept pace with our foreign
commerce, and his increased with even
greater force and volume. Capital has
been and still is abundant; and labor
finds no lack of employment at fair
wages. And in many industries the de-
mand for the output is in excess of and
outruns the productive capacity. Many
mills and factories have received orders
for months in advance of the time in
which they can be filed. And there have
been many instances and localities where
there has been scarcity of labor.
our own people is all the more remark
able because it occurs at a time when
many of the countries of the Old World
are suffering from industrial stagnation,
which is attested by the fact that immi-
grafton is pouring to our shores from
those countries in greater volume than
ever.
All this shows the solid basis and foun-
dation on which our industrial life rests,
~