The Nome nugget., 1902-02-12
Marvellous Advances Made By Commerce On inc Pacific.
RIVAL OF RTlRATiC
Leadership On the Pacific One of tae Most Vital YoIitica. Questions Of
 the Day United states and Russia
 will Become Powers of importance .

to all polirical purposes completely sut of the sphere of the great powers o! the world. At that time it was frequentei only by whaling vessels, seal hunters and occasional tracing vessels, which would, perhaps, ex- change large his ellaneouo cargo fer turs, bullion, etc.. along the American coast, and then stand across to China, from where cargo of tea, silk, tc, would be taken 10 their home ports on the Atlantic. The trade with China and Japan was then practically the only tne which merlted international attention. What d marvellous change has been brought about here in such q short period of time.
 The commerce of the Pacific is bid ding fair to rival the commerce of the Atlantic. The hegemont on the | actic is considered the most vital political quest on of the day, and strategic points over it's vast extent are eagerly sought for and fought for by all the great powers of the world; but it appears today already a foregone conclusion that the United States and Russia are determined to become the only powers of importance on the Pacific. While the United States, with the dash and push, possible only under their free institutions of their enter- Si ,,it.,1 h1ilIin1 tho Great West and creating the splendid states and centerS on the Pacific coast, RVssia has been steadily advancing towards it's shores across the Great East of Siberia without eclat. but with ,he pOnderant and irresistible motion of large and compact body. A few more years will witness the completion of the Trans-Siberian lailroad. Then Russia will be as solidly planted on the Pacific ss the United States and will have reached the objective of fifty vsarS of concentrated effort and en- 1eavOrS.
 There can not be any doubt today in the mind oi the student of the latest political history of the world that with made a complete cha 1se of front in its political traditions. Then COnstanti- nOple, which since the days of Peter the Great had been the Russian objec- tive, was abandoned for the ambition 10 become the preponderant Asiat C power. Its very wars and all of it's many mtrigueS against Turkey since appear today 10 have been gotten up to draw the attention Of the world away from its aggressive politics in Asia.
 England made many bluuders during the latter half of the nineteenth cen- tury, hut none graver than when, by turning the Russian Bear away from anlinople, she caused him to throw his whole weight into Eastern Asia. Whensoever the English states men have, long since. become aware of their mistake aud have tried by all manners and cans 10 stop the Bears progress into Asia he has proved him- self nearly invulnerable there, and has gained in strength from year to year. India may be safe for many years to come. but Eng land has been forever hopelessIy distanced in the race to be- come the hegemonical power in Asia and on the Pacific, and to the American people it is growing of always greater importance to know more of this pow eriul and permanent neighbor.
 We have been looking at Russia. as a rule, through English glasses, some- what stained with jealousy. and, it being the greatest absolute monarchy on earth, we from our republican stand- point have been prone to see all the faults and none of the good points of their institutions, which we have been quick to condemn, without even taking the time to examine the causes which necessitate them. A fully enfranchised American citizen naturally wonders how any people on the face of the glOl e today will stand for an absolute mon- archy. He will ridicule the presump- tion. of a crowned head and consider him narrow-n inded and not up-to-date. The assertion that there are very brcad-minded men at the head of affairs in Russia today will be received by him with a great deal of skepticism. If that is the case, WI y are the people not enfranchised? Why are they not given parliamenta lights:" he will un- doubtedly ask. The simple answer is, Russia, as whole, is not ripe for such measures as yet.
 There i, today in Russia tremendous force Eeld in strong bounds. The least