Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1903-10-01

merce meant that whatever we needed
| save in agriculture, which Europe
could produce would be sent to us
from across the sea. 1t must be con-
| ceded that without the aid of protec-
tive laws, capital would have been
| slow to embark upon industrial enter
| prises, and our natural resources
would have lain undiscovered, muca
less touched, by the magic hand which
has wrought the wonderful transfer
mauon which we now witness. Every
honest man must acknowledge the
truth of what have just said. have
| referred to 1t in the merest outline.
l leave it largely with you to supply
the details which make the annals of
our growth and development the most
wonderful record ever inscribed upon
,ne pages of time.
| If, however, the reason for adjusting
our tariffs upon protective lines does
not appeal to you, have evidence in
the life and growth of the Republic so
! clear and so convincing that 1t must
overcome the doubt Of the democrat
and the sneer of the skeptic. / will
drown the noisy utterances of the free
trader in the mighty hum of an energy
which fills not only our land, but that
is now heard in every market place
upon the earth. will overcome the
campaign sob of the hysterical orator,
| in the laugh of content and prosperity
which is heard high above everything
else from ocean to ocean. ! win drive
away the gloomy countenance which
my distinguished opponent wears upon
| the sad occasions of his political meet
ings, by permitting his eyes to fall
upon the happy faces of the multi
tudes who meet in these autumn days
to taste and enjoy the pleasures of the
harvest home. II, after all these things
are heard and seen, there are still mi
santhropes, | ask them to look back
over the history of the country which
they love, and catch a glimpse of the
path over which We have come.
Prior to 1861 the United States for
more than one half its life had mild,
very mild, protective tariff. Since
| 1861, barring a few years of well re-
membered disaster, we have been un.
der the influence Of strong and eff.
cient protective system. 1t would
seem that IL the republican policy is
as fatal to the welfare of the people
as the democratic platform and demo-
| cratic orators would have us believe,
| the Republic must be feeble and
emaciated body, death stricken with
the poison of continuous wrong and
| paralyzed by the rigorous repression
| of natural energy. The fires of ambi.
| ton must be dull In the hearts of the
| people, and patriotism must be lost
| sentiment. We must be the most con-
| temptible figure among the Nations of
the earth, and our flag must be droop-
| ing in shame before the emblems of
sovereignty which float from the peaks
of. other lands. What an infinite ira
| vesty upon the truth. The Republic
Of the United States, in r15 years, not
a span in the life of Nation, has be-
come the ,noblest, the most heroic. the
most commanding figure In the whole
community of Nations the world
around. It surpasses every other coun-
| try In its wealth; 1t has outstripped
| every other country In the volume and
value Of It's productions; It has main
tanned free institutions at a point
| never before touched by man; It has
administered justice with purity
never before conceived by organized
society; II has clothed itself with an
honor never before worn by the gov
eminent of any people; II has peace
fully acquired, security holds, and wise
ly exercises an influence for the good
Of humanity for which there is no pre-
cedent in all the doings of mankind.
Its people are more prosperous, live
better and die better. than any other
people under the sun. Its flag Is the
proudest emblem whose folds are
touched by the winds Of Heaven, and
It floats in dignity and with power in
every land and upon every sea. More
than all this, II recognizes that II Is
yet upon the mountain side-that there
are loftier nights to be scaled; that
| there is yet a more exalted plane upon
which human victories may be achiev-
ed and it's maxim Is. move on and up,
until civilization shall embody all that
mortals can possess. The man who,
seeing all these things, can yet declare
that the most important economic law
of this brilliant career, and which ex-
lists amid the splendor Of these condi.
tions, is based upon injustice-is
robbery Of one for the benefit Of anoth-
! er.-builds up the few and destroys
the many. am totally unable to under
stand. The evidence. however, is not
yet complete, and ! venture upon
brief comparison
In 1860 the population of the United
states was 81, 483,321; In 1900 It had
Increased to 76,303.3S7.
! In 1860 the number Of farms was
| 2,044,077; in 1900. s, ISL, 1888.
| In 1860 there were lac, 433 manufac-
turing establishments, employing L.
311,246 persons, whose yearly wages
amounted 20 $37S,S7S,966. The capital
invested was .009,S55.715 and the
value of the products $1,SS5, 1861. SIG.
In 1900 the number of manufacture
| ing establishments had increased to
512,5S5, employing 5,310,59S persons,
whose yearly wages amounted to ST.
| 1923. 407,257. The capital invested was
| $9,S53, $50, 7S9, and the value Of the pro-
ducts was s13,019, 251.614.
beg that the free trader will note
the startling comparisons which these
statistics will furnish. With respect
to many things, the information col
lected prior to 1860 Is not complete,
and pass down to 1870 for further
basis.
In 1870 there were 52,992 miles of
railway in operation in the United
States: in 1900 there were 190,S33
miles of railway-an increase Of 261
per cent.
In 1870 we produced 235,sS4, 700