The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-10-21
TAFT CONFIDENTLY PREDICTS VICTORY
 FOR REPUBLICANS Says It Is Obvious That Either He or Wilson Will
 Be Elected
THIRD PARTY DOES
 NOT EXPECT SUCCESS
Reviews Business Conditions of the Country and Asserts Belief That Voc WiHa Continue
 P'- Conditions

 Taft tonight Issued A statement predict ing republicaa victory next month ahqd declaring 1t bbvious that either the ret publican or denocratic nominees will bes elected" He asesrts it to be an open secret that 'tfA third party does not eX- pect success
 The Presidentr reviews business eondi- tions of the couftry which he says are unprecedently pr%perous and asserts the belief that thesober Judgment of the voters will continle present conditions. The statement continues:
 "Fifty-two years ago seceders from the union thought they wsre facing a divided north and would vii an easy victory. There had been divisidn among the loyal people, but all unitet in face of the common danger and in addition great number of democrats bined the repub- lieans in the successful struggle for the life. Then 1t was said by promi- nent critics that the ship of state was drifting. It drifted-yes-,vth Lincoln at the helm, from the reefs ef secession and slavery into the placid waters of union and liberty. Under Lincon's successors 1t had sailed on, propelled by the winds of prosperity, save when It's voyage has been halted by Just such visitation of storm and stress, of torn protection sails and broken business bulkheAds as we are now threatened with should Baltimore supplant Chicago, which il did not in 1860 and will not In 1912.
 Pupil Is Obstinate
 Our friends, the enemy, say that de- has learned it's mistakes and doesn't mean to repeat them. This is in some measure true as to the past and the republican party has had a difficult If successful task in teaching democracy it's mistakes, so far as it has been taught; but somehow the obstanate pupil comes forward every four years to be taught again
 ''I am glad to say, however, that many democrats have learned their lessons we'll and are refusing to leave the firm ground of national prosperity for the quagmire of business disruption. trade de- presslon and commercial and equal deple- ton. From all parts of the country as- suranoes ore coming that democrats in tend to vote for the republican eandi- dates and a continuance of prosperous business conditions and against the pro- grammes of economic confusion and so- subxersion of our institution had by the democratic candidates and their al- lies. Democratic workingmen refuse to be led from the factory and good wages of 1912 back 10 the democratic hard times of 1s9s-s7 They prefer independence and money in the savings bank to loss of and dependence on charity.
 Democratic business men feel the same way They know that when industries anguish their business languishes too. The pay envelopes are the feeders of .rade in every form, When they are empty the biggest department store 'eels the effect as well as the corner groc- cry.
 Not a Bad Drift"
 Drifting? Well let me glance at some ,f the drift. our home market has drift a from s7OoO 900, ,0o0 in 1870 to $33,000, 900 000 mot a bad drift that. And IL is this home market, without equal n the past or present, that the demo- ,rats propose to dismember and disor- sanize and invite every nation in the \ orld to prey upon, while those same nations keep the barriers to their own markets just as high as they please.
 Then look at our foreign trade. A 'avorite democratic argument Is that the republicans build up and cultivate the nome market al the expense of our for sign commerce. when the fact is that he growth of foreign trade has almost <ept proportionate pace with the dOmes- ie-from $1,00,000,000 in 1870 to A,0o0,0O0,000 n 1912.
 ..Our exports for the past year amount to $2, ,170. .3l9, ,32S, of which s614, 903 were ready for consumption, the largest export trade and the largest pro- portion of manufactures ready for con- sumption the country has ever known.
 aThe American manufacturer and the American worker would not have much spirit left for invading the foreign mar ket if deprived by a democratic tariff for revenue only of the best market of all, more than equal in purchasing power to all Europe, the home market which they now control. thanks to the republican tariff
 And this unprecedented growth of our foreign trade is accompanied by expan- sion as unprecedented fin our home trade from one end of the country to the other 1t Is no sudden inflammation, but q grad uaI advance under favorable conditions from the prostration of 1907 to prosperity as substantial as it is general. All in- dustries are humming and there is work at good wages-princely compared with wages abroad-for all who are willing to work while in the Pttsburg district alone [ understand there is a demand for at east 30000 workers in excess of the num- Der available.
 Business Is Active
 ''Busness, wholesale and retail. is ac- i've and profitable. or the people have money with which to buy. The question for the American voter is whether this condition shall continue and the nation shall go forward to even greater pros perity.
 "The farmers are enjoying the greatest in the experience of American agriculture Every day the Northern Pa 2 rific is carrying a million bushels Of grain 10 Duluth. The yield in that zone alone Is l57,000.000 bushels, so that the con geyance by the railway of the farmers grain from the region tributary to me Northern Pacific to that point of distri- button will require 157 days. This vast crop is worth in excess of s100,0D0,O00 to the farmers producing it,
 At present the steel industry. com monly regarded as the barometer of busi- ness, is driven to its, utmost capacity, with orders far ahead for steel rails altogether national conditions and pros poets were never so prosperous and prom Ising, provided the American people de- ride to apply to their political choice he same good judgment and pruden. which they apply. as a rule. to their personal affairs.
 Pr0gressives Out of It
 'As we come nearer the day of electioi: It is to be expected that the intelligent voter will appreciate more keenly the re- >~~~-~~~~~~~- ->~~~~~~-~~
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