Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-16
|CANNON'S SPEECH
HISTORY OF PARTY
First Campaign Gun in the Fall
Canvass
AT DANvILLE, ILL.,, TODAY
Forceful Presentation of Republican
Argument.
PROTECTION AND PROSPERITY
Array Of Facts and Figures in Address
at Convention Which Renomi-
mated Him for Congress.
PROTECTION AND PROSPERITY


turned to his master the talent intrusted
to his care multiplied ten fold Clothed
with responsibility for the administration
of the government of SO,OOO,O00 people, we
have sought to make a return that will ben
eft those who intrusted the talent in oul
care. We have succeeded In making two
blades Of grass grow luxuriantly under re-
publican administration where one grew
feebly before under the democratic admin
istration.
Since the election of William Mckinley
as President the business of the country
has doubled and the material interests OF
ever before in our history; aye, better than
the condition of any people anywhere on
earth in any time since history began
This Is under the policies of the republi-
gress and executed by the President. At
tribute this condition to what cause you
may, speculate about it as you will, call II
confidence in men or measures. the fact re-
mains that IT exists and that there has
never been recorded anywhere such indus
trial development and such wave OF pros
perity as has swept over the United States
in the last decade.
Under the administration OF the Dingley
tariff law there has been a greater devel-
opment in all forms of industry than has
ever been reached under any other revenue
law since the government was organized.
but the principle there embodied is fun
damental Since the enactment of the first
revenue law under Washington down to
the present time the periods Of prosperity
have been under protection. and the Pc
RODS of adversely have been under the
policy of free trade, or tariff for revenue
only. .
This remarkable prosperity under the
Dingley law has not been for one class, but
for all the people 1t has touched the
artisan, the farmer, the manufacturer and
the common labor of the country. All have
felt its beneficent influence. and l measure
my words when l say that the production
from all kinds of business enterprise has
doubled since the memorable year OF 1896
when the country in it's distress turned to
William Mckinley, the champion of pro-
lection, as the advance agent OF prosper
ity The capital employed in our indus
tries has doubled; the total wages paid for
labor have more than doubled In these ten
years: the farmers have lifted their mort
cages and are enjoying the embarrass-
mepts Of a surplus in the savings banks;
ana laborers have ceased to hunt for jobs
and have become the hunted by the jobs;
in spite of large immigration from other
lands there Is more work than workers in
this country today Capital Is cheaper than
ever before, and money can be had at less
interest than anywhere else in the world.
The sun of prosperity is shining on every
part of our immense stretch of territory
from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from
the great lakes to the gulf and the Rio
Grande. We are at peace with all the
world and our influence for peace, whether
orient, or among the small republics on the
American continent, is felt throughout the
world.
Stands Square on Its Record,
The record of the servant is his best and
only certificate for continued employment.
and the republican party, as servant OF
the people, stands today in this campaign
squarely on its record.
we have no census figures as to business
conditions in 1896, but we have those for
1890, 1900 and 1905, and to supplement these
we have the official message OF President
Cleveland, complaining that unparalleled
business distress and lack Of confidence
marked the greater part of his administra-
ton. We also have THE official statement of
Samuel Gompers, as president OF the
American Federation of Labor, that more
than 100000 workingmen were without
work in 1894 and 1895, and that work did
not return to them until 1897.
According to the census of 1890, there
were Sc, 525, 600, 759 capital invested in manu-
featuring industries in the United States,
whereas, according to the official figures,
there were, in 1905, $13, 122, GOT 900 so in
vested. The average number of wage earn
ers in 1890, as given by the census was
4, 251 ,535 (and Mr.. Gompers said 5000, 900
were without work in 1894 and 1885. In
1908 the number was ,492, ITS, not including
those in the hand trades.
The total wages paid in 1890 amounted to
81 s91, 2O9 500, and in 1905 to 81 661, 409, 1853.
The total value of the output Of our man.
ufactures in 1890 was 1892, 37S,S43, and in
1905, $14.s73, $685. not including the hand
trades Taking the testimony Of President
Cleveland and Samuel GOmpers as to- the
deplorable condition in 1894. 1895 and 1896.
1t will be readily seen that the industrial
development of the country, both as affect
ing labor and capital, has been at the rate
of 100 per cent in the ten years.
There has been much discussion and no
little confusion over the effort to compare
the relative increase in wages and cost of
living in the last few years. The labor
bureau of tine United States, in its last bull
letin on this question. made very careful
analysis for the fourteen years from 1890 to
1904 In that comparison and analysis 1t
was shown that the weekly earnings Of all
employees had increased 6S.4 per cent from
1894 to 1904, and that the retail prices of
only IL per cent. This. believe. is the only
careful and scientific investigation that has
been made on the subject.
No spasmodic Prosperity.
The prosperity that has come to the coun-
try under the Dingley law has not been
spasmodic nor sectional, except that 1t has
produced greater extension Of manufacture
ing into the central, western and southern
states. This new census shows first that
there has been a larger per cent of increase
in the capital put into manufacturing plants
In the last five years than there has been
In the product Of these Industries. The ac-
tual increase of capital was So, 700, 600 600,
or Al per cent greater than the capital In
vested in 1900. The actual increase in out
put was s., 1894 ,OOO, coo. or about 80 per cent
over that of 1900. Capital has grown con-
fident of its investment and has turned
back into the plant a larger share of its
earnings to increase the demand for labor
and ultimately increase the output.
This census also shows that In the five
years from 1900 to 1905 the increase in the
number Of wage earners employed was 16
per cent over the number in 1900, and the
total wages paid 30 per cent greater; in
other words, the increase in the total
wages paid was almost twice the ratio of
the ,ncr.sse in employment. To my mind
there could be no more complete answer to
the complaint that wages have not ad-
vanced since 1900.
But the most significant figures In this
new census are those which show where the
greatest increase in Industrial plants, cap
ital employment, wages and output took
place. It was In the central. western and
southern states, which q few years ago
were DESIGNATED simply as agricultural sec
tons OF the country. OF the three billion
and q half dollars OF new capital put into
industrial plants In these Ave years more
than one-half Of It was IN the central, west
ern and southern states. New England In
creased her Industrial capital only 1884,
100000. the middle Atlantic states, 81, 1884,