A CONSISTENT, BROAD, AND EFFECTIVE POLICY.

In this cursory review of the diplomacy of our Government during the past four or five eventful years of our history it is plainly to be seen that a consistent, broad, and effective policy of equality of opportunity in commerce and navigation in China has been pursued on lines in complete harmony with our wellknown precedents and traditions. Our presence in the Philippines has necessitated our taking an active and prominent part in Asiatic politics by assisting in the maintenance of the balance of power in Asia and by our insistence upon the integrity of China, yet this has been done without sacrificing in any degree our general policy of "no entangling alliances."

The elements that have entered into this policy are notably simplicity, directness, and openness. It can be safely asserted that the success which has attended our diplomacy in the Far East-and, indeed, always-is the result of the skillful use of these elements in all our international relations. As Mr. Hay has well said, "We have sought, successfully, to induce the great powers to unite in a recognition of the general principle of equality of commercial access and opportunity in the markets of the Orient," and through all the correspondence on the “open door" run these or similar plain, frank words, "to insure to the whole world full and fair intercourse with China on equal footing." Nothing could be more simple or more direct, and every detail of the negotiations has been given extremely prompt and timely publication.

The maintenance, and if possible the extension, of the "opendoor" policy means much to us as a nation and to the whole world. To our nation it means an opportunity to secure enlarging markets for the products of our growing industries on terms of equality with other nations; to our citizens residing in or having interests in China it means increased safety to life and property; to China it means the establishment of a stable and responsible government and its territorial integrity and complete sovereignty; and to all the world it means equality of treatment for its commerce with a country capable of great expansion in its purchasing power, and the removal of sources of international misunderstandings, all of which make for the permanent peace and prosperity of the nations of the earth.

Not open mints for the unlimited coinage of the silver of the world, but open mills for the full and unrestricted labor of the American workingmen.-Maj. McKinley's letter of acceptance.

That higher wage level aimed at by the fathers of the Republic, the policy of protection, which they inaugurated, secured, and still maintain.-Hon. George H. Ely, of Ohio, in the American Eco

nomist.

Our opponents ask the people to trust their present promises in consideration of the fact that they intend to treat their past promises as null and void.-President Roosevelt's speech accepting 1904 nomination.

No amount of intelligence and no amount of energy will save a nation which is not honest, and no government can ever be a permanent success if administered in accordance with base ideals.Theodore Roosevelt in "American Ideals."

In this age of frequent interchange and mutual dependence, we can not shirk our international responsibilities if we would; they must be met with courage and wisdom, and we must follow duty even if desire opposes.-President McKinley at Omaha, Oct. 12, 1898.

The most casual observer must have perceived the rapid improvement in the commercial interests of the country which followed the enactment of the Dingley law, an improvement which has steadily increased in degree notwithstanding the adverse influence of actual war.-Hon. C. W, Fairbanks, in U, S. Senate, June 3, 1898.

SOME OF THE THINGS FOR WHICH THE REPUBLICAN PARTY STANDS.

Encouragement of Manufactures.

Under the protective system inaugurated by the Republican party in 1861, manufacturing in the United States has grown from less than 2 billion dollars in value in 1860 to over 13 billions in 1900. In the entire 70 years from the establishment of the present form of government until 1860, in which period Democratic control and low tariffs were almost continuous, the annual value of the manufacturing industries had never reached as much as 2 billion dollars. In a single decade, from 1860 to 1870, under protection, they doubled in value, and in the 40 years from 1860 to 1900 grew from less than 2 billions to 13 billions in annual value of product. These statements are from the official figures of the United States Census.

General Prosperity.

The prosperity of the country under protection as compared with its condition under Democratic control and free trade is illustrated by the fact that during all the 70 years of our government down to 1860, with almost continuous Democratic control and low tariff, the national wealth had only grown to 16 billions of dollars. In a single decade, from 1860 to 1870, under protection, it nearly doubled, the total in 1870 being 30 billions, and in the 40 years from 1860 to 1900 it grew from 16 billions to 94 billions of dollars. In the 40 years of almost continuous protection, the growth in wealth was 78 billions, or five times as much as the accumulations of the entire 70 years under practically continuous Democracy and free trade. In 1860 the per capita wealth was only $514; in 1900, $1,236. The development of the country and its industries during 70 years of almost continuous Democracy and low tariff had given to the people of the United States an average wealth of but $514, while the developments under 40 years of protection brought a per capita to the vastly increased population of $1,236.

Money.

The money of the country, good in every part of the world and everywhere recognized as the best currency system of the world, amounts to over 21⁄2 billion dollars, having grown from 12 billions to 22 billions since the Democratic party told us in 1896 that we could not have a proper increase of money without the free and unlimited coinage of silver. Since that date more than one billion dollars have been added to the money in circulation in the United States. (The figures for July 1, 1896, were $1,506,434,966, and for April 1, 1904, $2,516,639,223.) In 1860. when the Republican party assumed control the total money in circulation was but 435 million dollars, and that of a very un- » satisfactory character. By 1880 it had grown to 973 millions, or more than doubled, and today it is practically six times as much as when the Republican party took control, and every dollar is good as gold and accepted throughout the entire world, while that of 1860 could not safely be accepted at any considerable distance from its bank of issue. In 1860 the money per capita was $13.85; by 1892, when the Democratic party resumed control of the executive and legislative branches of the Government, it had grown to $24.56; under that Democratic management it fell to $21.41 in 1896, and under Republican control since 1897 has grown to $30.87.

The banking system of the United States, which has grown up under Republican rule in conjunction with its great currency system, is recognized as the best and safest in the world, and under that system, a part of which is subject to direct government control and all to certain supervision by State or National governments, the deposits in all classes of banks have grown from 2

billion dollars in 1875, the earliest date for which complete figures are available, to over 92 billions in 1903, and doubtless fully 10 billions of dollars at the present time.

Labor.

Under almost continuous Democracy and low tariff up to 1860, the manufacturing industries of the United States employed less than 1 million people and paid to them but 379 million dollars in wages and salaries; in 1900, under protection, the number employed was 34 millions, and the sum paid to them in wages and salaries 2,735 millions, or more than 72 times as much as in 1860. With the prosperity that came to that branch of labor the earnings of the farmers were enormously increased and the value of their property multiplied. In 1860, after 70 years of almost continuous Democracy and low tariff, the farms of the country were valued at less than 8 billions of dollars. In 1900 they were valued at over 20 billions of dollars, an addition to the wealth of the farmer of the enormous sum of 121⁄2 billions of dollars, while the annual value of the farm products, which in 1860 was but about one billion dollars, was in 1900 34 billions. The total value of animals on farms, which in the 70 years up to 1860 had only reached one billion dollars, was in 1903 over three billions of dollars. These are official figures from the census, except those of 1903, which are from the official reports of the Department of Agriculture. Up to 1860 the wool production of the United States, under Democratic free trade, amounted to only 60 million pounds production annually; in 1902 it amounted to 316 millions, or more than 5 times as much as in 1860.

Wages.

Under the Republican system of protection in the United States wages have enormously increased, and to-day greatly exceed those paid in any other country. An official publication of the British Government, recently issued, showed that the rates of wages paid in skilled trades in the great cities of the United States were 79 per cent. higher than in the great cities of the United Kingdom, and in other cities and towns, 93 per cent. higher in the United States than in the same class of towns and cities in the United Kingdom. The unanimous statement of the Moseley Industrial Commission, made up of representatives of the English trade unions visiting the United States in 1902, was that the cost of living aside from clothing and rent was no greater in the United States than in England, and that under the much higher wages paid in this country, workingmen could doubtless accumulate much more here than in England.

The relative prosperity of the working classes in the United States and the United Kingdom is illustrated by the fact that the deposits in savings banks in the State of New York alone, with 7 millions of population, is more than in the entire United Kingdom, with its 42 millions of people. The deposits in savings banks in the United Kingdom, according to the latest official reports, are 959 million dollars, and in the State of New York, according to the official report of the Comptroller of the Currency, 1,112 millions.

Home Market.

The protective system of the Republican party is especially intended to develop the home market, and that it has done so is shown by the fact that the value of the home market of the United States to-day is estimated by the Chief of the Bureau of Statistics as equal to the entire international commerce of the world. Up to 1860, according to the same authority, the home market amounted to but about 4 billions of dollars annually, while to-day it is 22 billions, or more than five times as much. Under Republican policy there has been built up for the American farmer and manufacturer, or producer of whatever class, a market at his very doors equal to the entire international commerce of the world, and four-fifths of this has been created under the Republican protective-tariff policy.

Reciprocity.

The Republican form of reciprocity offers special trade relations to countries producing articles which we require in excess of our own domestic products and which will in exchange give special advantages to the products of our farms and factories. Democratic so-called reciprocity proposes mutual reductions of duties with countries which produce' like articles, and is, therefore, free trade in competing articles, and subjects our producers to competition with foreign countries. Republican reciprocity is that outlined by President McKinley's last utterance on this subject, which was that it should be of a kind which "will not interrupt home production." "We should take from our customers," he said, "such of their products as we can use without harm to our industries and labor," and by "such sensible trade arrangements which will not interrupt our home production we shall extend the outlets for our increasing surplus."

Expansion.

The additions to our territorial possessions since 1897 have already proved of great advantage to our commerce, and promise to be of even greater importance in furnishing to the United States that great supply of tropical products which it constantly imports for use in manufacturing and food supplies which we do not produce at home, and in building up in them a market for the products of our farms and factories. The commerce of the United States with Porto Rico, Hawaii, and the Philippine Islands has grown from 27 million dollars in 1897, the year before their annexation, to 75 millions in 1903, and is steadily and rapidly increasing. The United States imports about 400 million dollars' worth of tropical and subtropical products annually— more than a million dollars a day for every day in the year-and in buying this class of merchandise from producers on our own territory is developing there such prosperity that they will take in exchange the products of our farms and factories to the full extent of that which we purchase from them.

Trade with Asia and Oceania.

Simultaneous with and largely resulting from our acquisitions in the Pacific has come a great increase in our trade with Asia and Oceania, toward which all commercial countries are now looking with longing eyes. The sales of the United States to Asia and Oceania grew from 27 million dollars in 1893 to over 100 millions in 1903, including the shipments to the Hawaiian Islands, and with our control of the Philippine Islands as a distributing point for our merchandise, promises to continue to expand most rapidly. The semicircle of Oriental and Pacific countries, of which Manila forms the center, has half the population of the earth and imports annually more than 1,200 million dollars' worth of merchandise, an average of 100 millions per month, or nearly as much as our total exports of domestic merchandise. A very large share of this importation of the Orient is of the class of goods which the United States produces and desires to sell-products of the farm and factory-and it is because of this great demand, the increased standing which the United States has gained in the Orient, and the popularity which American products are now making for themselves in this section of the globe, that our trade with the Orient is showing this rapid growth.

Panama Canal.

The developments of the past few months, under the vigorous administration of President Roosevelt, have given assurance that the dream of centuries-a ship canal to connect the Atlantic and Pacific at the Isthmus of Panama-is to be made a realization by the Government of the United States under the direction of the Republican party. That canal will shorten the route from New York to the great commercial cities of Japan and China, the center of this great Orient trade, 2,000 miles, and make the United States even more surely the chief factor in the commerce of the Orient.

Merchant Marine.

That last step in behalf of American labor and American commerce, the development of the merchant marine of the United States, has been delayed by reason of the attention required by our capitalists in the development of our railroad and other internal communications, and the further fact that European countries have meantime appropriated large sums of money to the upbuilding of their merchant marine service. During the last half century-practically during the time in which the Republican party has been in control of the Government-200,000 miles of railway, two-fifths of the railroad lines of the world, have been built in the United States at a cost of over 12 billions of dollars, a sum practically equal to all the money of the world at the present time. Meantime the European governments have expended 250 million dollars in aid of their merchant marine and are now expending at the rate of about 20 million dollars annually.

REPUBLICAN LEGISLATION.

The following are some of the acts of legislation and administration by the Republican party:

1. The homestead law, passed by a Republican Congress and signed by Abraham Lincoln.

2. The acts for the issuance of legal tenders and national-bank notes, which gave the people a currency of equal and stable value in all parts of the country.

3. The system of internal-revenue taxation, by which approximately one-half of the ordinary expenses of the Government have been visited upon malt and spirituous liquors, tobacco, and cigars. 4. The thirteenth amendment to the Constitution, which abolished slavery.

5. The fourteenth amendment, which created citizenship of the United States as distinguished from citizenship of the several States, and provided that no state should abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States.

6. The fifteenth amendment, which established equality of suffrage.

7. The civil rights act, which extended to all persons the equal protection of the laws.

8. All existing laws for the payment of pensions to veterans of the civil war and their surviving relatives.

9. The liberal legislation respecting mineral lands, which built up the mining industry, added enormously to the wealth of the country in the precious and semiprecious metals, and made it possible to resume specie payments.

10. The resumption of specie payments.

11. The reduction of postage, the money-order system, the establishment of the railway mail service, free delivery, and other improvements that make the Post-Office establishment of the United States the most efficient agency of that character that can be found on the globe.

12. The Life-Saving Service.

13. The artificial propagation and distribution of fish.

14. The distribution of seeds, and other measures of vast importance in the promotion of agriculture.

15. The endowment of public schools, agricultural colleges, etc., by grants of land from the public domain.

16. The administrative customs act, which insures justice and equality in the collection of duties.

17. The international copyright law, which respects the rights of authors in the product of their brains, but at the same time protects our publishing industry by requiring that books shall be printed in this country to entitle them to copyright.

18. The establishment of the circuit court of appeals to relieve the Supreme Court and no longer require litigants to suffer a delay of three or four years in securing a decision on appeal.

19. The princle of reciprocity, by which we reduce the duties on certain imports from countries that offer corresponding advantages to our exports and thus extend our foreign markets.

20. The admission of the States of Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, Colorado, North and South Dakota, Washington, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming,