iTEN
The Railroad Fare Record of One Who is Now
Leading the Fusion Legislative
State Committee.
A FINE SAMPLE OF THE FUSION FORCES
How He Tried to Work Every Working Hour of. Every
Working Day , and in Doing So Worked the- Gov
ernor and Other Professed Reformers.
Attorney General Smyth's rulini
that a state officer must devote "ever ;
working hour of every working day
to his job before he can lay oiain
to his salary has not only struco. bin
in the face and sadly disfigured hi
countenance , Lut it has hit J. H. Ed
nilsten , state oil inspector and chair
man of the fusion legislative campaigi
committee , and in fact every state oifi
cer s > nd employe who has anything tide
do with the administration. Governo
Holcomb was out o * the city ycsterda ]
and has been for the past few weeks
making campaign spechea. Though hi
does not appear to put in every work
ing hour of every working day at hi :
office lie continues to drav/ his salary
and an occasional § 40 thrown in foi
house rent. The attorney general I ;
in the earne boat , Uie house rent , ex-
cepted. While Oil Inspector Edmistei
puts in clay and night trying to placf
Senator Allen back in office and possi
bly defeat some of the state officers
who were not Edmisten men in th <
state convention , he keeps right or
drawing pay as state oil inspector , in-
culding liberal allowances for railroat
fare and other "expenses. " Contrary
to the attorney general's viev/s in the
Irvine case Mr. Edmisten does not gc
to the trouble of proving that he puts
in any working hours of any working
day. It is the general opinion about
the state-house that Mr. Edmisten and
other state officers care as much for the
attorney general's opinion in this mat
ter as he seems to himself. How much
of the attorney general's opinion is
"preached" and how much of it is prac
ticed by him is too wall known by
those -who are aware that he is spend
ing most every working hour of every
working day and part of Sundays on
the trains.
BEFORE TAKING.
There are those who contend that
Oil Inspector Edmisten did try last
year to put in "every working hour of
every working clay" on his job as
shown by his expense account and his
reports of oil inspected by him. These
reports taken together prove that he
made a desperate effort , because he is
shown to have been in two or three
places at cnce , industriously drawing
railrcad fare for trips to distant parts
of tlie state when he was at other
points in the state industriously in
specting oil. Governor Holcomb made
a mild protest and it was intimated
that he thought Mr. Edmisten had rail
road passes en at least three of the
main line railroads in the state , but
like the governor has done on other
occasions , he prave 5u and allowed Mr.
Edraisten to dra\7 the Tars. It is re-
portad that the governor consented
only after Mr. Edmi .ien reminded him
of ths house rent affair.
How Mr. E-jmifcten explained his
rapid fii'rfit over the stats and his
evident omnipresence is not known ,
Imt it is claimed by his stats house
friends that he is fully able to ex
plain anything. The roost common ex
planation piven is that be was simply
following tbe pdvice of Attorney Gen
eral Smyth that a state , employe , must
devote "every v/orking hour of every
working diy' to his job before he can
lay c'aiTO to hs r-alary. Two obsta-
cles'ia tlie p3th of his reasoning are
that the -attorney general's famous
1'cl'ljrcr hd not Voen given tben and
that when the holding was made pub-
II" it v-33 found not to contain any
thing fioiit railroad passes or onini-
uresenc ? .
WHILE TAKING.
Regardless cf vv.c4hcr Alr.'Edniistsn
vras trying to put in full time last
year en his job , it is admitted that
he is net doing'much at it this year.
As chairman of the legislative cam
paign committee lie has no time to de
vote to work enbehalf o ! the state.
In or er lo make s. showing for Sen
ator Allen he is compelled to give
most of the working hours cf most
working clays and part of Sundays to
working up a sentiment in favor of re
form. Ks labor last year in the oil
inspector's office 5s considered just the
training necessary to make , him valua
ble this year in heading a reform
movement. This is a part of his rec
ord v.rr."tten in his own hamlwriMng
in his expsnsa account for May , 1897 ,
ths dates mentioned Jieiii2 given in
ths crdsr in which they were writ
ten in his account filed in the ofiice of
Auditor Cornell :
Jvlay 2. Ponder and return , fare. $ 8.37
May 8 , Chappell and return. . 24.24
May 9. Oziaha and return 3.30
May 12. Beatrice and return. . 3.00
Way 15 , Orleans and return. . . 13.26
I.Ir.y 17 , Oaiaaa and return. , . . 3.30
Tctal for railroad f-va $ 45.48
' AFTEH TAKING.
This amount was drawn by Mr. Ed-
nisien for ths month of May for rail
road fare in addition to his salary ,
which is S2.COO a year. It was not a
very large amount , but what Mr. Ed-
nilsten lias not explained to the public
iswhy he drew $24.21 for the expenses
of a railroad trip to Chappeil and re
turn , on May S , when his report of oil
inbpsctsd shows that on May 8 he was
in Omaha and Baaver City working
like a beaver tryrag to get throush
with Uie inspecting of 205 barrels at
the latter place and 117 barrels at the
former place. When this is explained
the people will probably ask how Mr.
ESmlsten happened to pay railroad
fare on May 2 from Lincoln to Fender
and return and on the same day in
spect 117 barrels of oil at Grand Island
and 113 barrels at Lincoln. Then when
this Is answered some reformer may
rk why Mr. Edmiston drew railroad
fare for round trips to Fender and
Chappell and did not drav/ railroad
fare for any of the trips mentioned IE
the following monthly report for May ,
the dates being given iu the order
written by Mr. Edmistea himself :
Barrels
inspected.
May 18 Lincoln 29G
May 22 York 117
May 10 Pav/nee 152
May 21 Tecumseh 118
May 25 Grand Island 117
May 26 Omaha 88
May 26 Lincoln 117
May 27 Nebraska City 87
May 27 Nebraska City 155
May 27 Beatrice 11
May 28 Falls City 83
May 28 David City 118
May 28 Hebron 117
May 2 Grand Island 117
May 2 Lincoln ] 18
May 8 Beaver City 205
May 15 Falls City 87
May 8 Omaha 117
Total barrels 2,331
HIT OR MISS.
The record for May Is a fair sample
of many other months in the year
1897. Some months he drew fare to
certain towns and other months drew
nothing for trips to the same towns.
While Mr. Edmisten is limited to a
salary of $2.000 a year the records in
the state house show that he drew
$3,634.97 for the year 1897. Of that
amount $710.17 was drawn under the
head of "railroad fare. " His bill for
fare Increased from $39 in Aucust to
$82 in the month of October when the
political campaign he was managing
grew hotter. At that time he was
chairman of the populist state central
committee.
The following is Mr. EdmiGten's rec
ord by .months for the year 1897. It
shows the amount he c'aims to have
expended for railroad falre and also
the amount he drew for salary and
expenses :
Railroad Salary &
fare. expenses.
January $ 74.23 $ 299.60
February 44.02 309.60
March 51.56 305.57
April GG.24 281.08
May 55.48 413.61
Tune 51.32 275.57
July 60.36 301.33
August 39.44 2o8.22
Sentember 74.88 282.44
October 82.50 288.95
November 83.52 293 56
December 76.62 327.38
Totals $716.17 $3,634.97
Mr. and Mrs. Croaker Telk Politics.
"I see 'by ' the weekly Growler , " said
Cooker to his wife , "that Attorney
General Smyth has drawed the Bible
on 'em. H s skinnia' the republicans
from the text , 'Thou shalt not steal. '
Gives it to 'em right from the shoulder
on the Hartley and Moore defaults.
Says that wherever you see republic
ans in office there you see stealin' . But
wherever fusiomsts are in ofiice there
you will see honest government. Says
the issue in this campaign is 'twixt
honest men and republican default
ers. "
"Say anything about any other de
faulters excepc republicans ? " asked
Mrs. Croaker innocently.
"Hain't no ethers , Mariar , hain't no
3thers. "
"No defaults in this stats except by
republicans ? Better read your paper
jver again. You've missed something. "
"I've missed nothin' , Mariar , notlim' .
Read every line of the Growler every
week for the last six years an' if any
reformer had gone astray it would
aave been in the paper an' I'd know
ibout it. That's ons thing , Mariar ,
tbout the weekly reform press. It al-
, vays gives the news , the Tacts , the
, ruth and nothin' but the truth. That's
ivhy the reform voters are so well
aosted. They read the reform press.
Why , Mariar , here ! Read this paper ,
: he Weekly Growler ! Look at it !
There's a standin * notice , kept run-
iin' every week so that every sub
scriber can read it , which says : 'This
mper prints all the political news and
jives both sides so that the common
> eople can keep posted. The Growler
lews to the line , let the chips fall
vhero they may. ' That's why I like
; he Growler , Mariar. It gives both
lides and hews to the line. And that's
vhy I say there hain't been no reform
) fficials gone astray in this state. If
; here had been the Growler'd had it
a print an' I'd have read it. The
Growler hews to the line , Mariar , hews
: o the line , " and Croaker shook the
iaper at his wife as if to defy contra-
iiction.
"Do you remember , " said Mrs.
Droaker , slowly , "about the burning
) f the cou'-t house in Gosper county a
rear or two ago ? "
"Yes , " said Croaker , nervously ;
'yes , I guess I do. Yes , I remember
; hat. Read about it at the time , but
.he Growler didnt say who caused the
nirnin' . Said it was a mysterious case
ind that the county treasurer -who was
i reformer an' was missin' , would no
loubt turn up all right. Didn't he
lever turn up ? " '
"No , he never did. Robbed the county
'or every dollar it had , set fire to the
: ourt house and ran away by the light
) f it. "
"Well , " said Croaker , with a long
" ' . One re-
jreath , "that's one on us.
'ormer gone astray. Just one. "
"Do you remember , " said Mrs.
Croaker , "that it was one of your
jeautiful fusionists who was county
treasurer in Hamilton county whei
tlie default occurred there and whei
the court house was burned to covei
It up ? "
"Yes , I remember the court housi
burnin' in Hamilton county , and th <
default of the county treasurer , bui
it didn't know that the treasurer wai
a fusionist Growler didn't say at the
time what his politics was. "
"Do you remember , " continued'Mrs
Croaker , "about the $30,000 default ol
the county treasurer in Platte county
a year or two ago ? "
"Yes ; I remember about it , but
Mariar , that man couldn't have been
one o * the silver forces. Why , Mariar ,
it's impossible. Platte county has
been in control o' the silver forces for
years. Judge Sullivan lives there.
Was district judge there for years. If
a fusionist defaulted in Platte county
when Judge Sullivan was on the bench
there he got promptly punished , you
can count on that. Mariar , for a reform
judge lets no guilty man escape. "
"Well , " said Mrs. Croaker , "it was a
reformer who defaulted and there was
a reformer on the bench and a re
form prosecutor , but there was no
prosecution. The brother of the de
faulter who was -with him in business
when the default took place has since
been promoted to a situation in the
state house at a fat salary. "
"Must have had a strong pull some
where , to saved 'em from prosecution
and then give 'em promotion after
wards. "
"Yes , they had a pull , The man promoted
meted into the state house is Senator
Allen's son-in-law. "
"But , Mariar "
"Wait a minute , John. Do you re
member the $30,000 default in Greeley
county ? There was another reformer
and another bright and shining leader
of the silver forces , in a fusion county
where the people go wild with enthusi
asm every time the Bartley default is
mentioned. They shake hands and
congratulate each other on every
street corner and at every cross roads
pcstofflce over the Bartley default as
if it was an act of Providence , a drift
ing star to keep populism afloat for
another two years. And there was
Custer county ! Keep your seat , John.
I'm not through yet. There was Cus
ter county , the very nesting place of
calamity and repudiation , where Pop
Holoomb was on the district bench ;
where Pop Sullivan was on the dis
trict bench ; where Pop Billgreene was
on the district bench ; where all the
county officers were pops ; where the
prairies burned all night with enthusi
asm for wild cat money and wild cat
reform ; where each reform candidate
is compelled to stand up and pledge
himself that he will never steal and
will never ride on a railroad pass , for
they distrust each other as hypocrites
always do ; there in Custer county they
defaulted in the county treasurer's of
fice , in the county judge's office and
all over the county among the town
ship treasurers , and if you'd go thure
today you'd find 'em sitting 'round
reading the Weekly Growler and
gloating over the Bartley default. "
"One township treasurer in Custer
county ( Elk Creek township ) was
short $400 at the end of his term and
they put him in again as they said to
give him a chance to psy up. "
"Did he pay up ? "
"At the end of his second term he
had increased the shortage to $700.
The pop county judge was short $600
and the county commissioners so an
nounced it , but the ring renominatcd
liis for re-election. "
"Ought to taken him off the ticket ,
Mariar , in a case like that , " said Mr.
Droaker.
"Take him off the ticket ? Why ?
He was no worse than the others.
There was the township treasurer who
tiad defaulted for $700 , and there was
Seal renominated for senator who had
mioughed $1,200 or $1,500 as investi
gator and there was Governor Holcomb
, vho had raked in as much more from
; he state as house rent and it was
i merry ring of reformers all dancing
round the Bartley scandal and crying
Step Thief. ' How could they take the
lefatilting judge and the defaulting
ownship treasurer off the ticket while
it the head of the ticket was the name
> f a governor whose pockets were
mlging with ill-gotten house rent and
ailrcad passes ? "
"Now. Mariar , how much does this
cot up ? "
"Well , there's $ n,000 in Gosper coun-
y and the "court house burned ; $6.500
n Hamilton county and the court
louse burned ; $30.000 in Platte county
, nd Senator Allen's son-in-law pro- <
: ioted ; $30,000 in Greeley county and
15.000 in Custer county. "
"That's $86,500. Mariar. "
"Then there's $2,600 in Stanton coun-
v , $17,000 in Howard county , $5,000 in
'hayer county , $5,000 in Sherman
ounty , $1,540 in Sheridan county , $25-
00 in Hall county , $5,000 in Keith
ounty and $13,184 in Harlan county ,
25 a grand total of $204,384. '
"Still , Mariar , that hain't as much
s Bartley stole. "
"No , it is not as much , but it was
11 they could get. Bartley turned
ver $800,000 in money to his success-
> r. What would have happened if
nese house burners had been in the
tate treasurer's office ? "
"But Meserve is in the state house , "
aid Croaker.
"Yes , Meserve is in the state house ,
nd his straw bond is in the state
otise , and we haven't settled with him
et , " said Mrs. Croaker.
The 15utt < ; rino IHSUO.
The fusion forces are making no re
ly to the articles published showing
p their butterine record. They are
laking no reply because there is noth-
ng which they can say to contradict
single statement that has been pub-
ished. All the long record showing
heir purchases of bufclerine. giving the
Dumber of the vouchers , and the
wholesale -way in which it has been
sed in state institutions , is the abso-
ute , undeniable truth. It is not the
, 'holo truth , for If the entire butterine
iusiness was sifted to the bottom it
irould show double the amount used .
hat any record has been made con-
erning it. While the populists state
fficials see the hopelessness of any re-
ponse to the facts of record as pub-
ished , they are hoping that it will go
o further and are somewhat surprised
hat after the records of the purchase
f three or four tons was compiled that
be whole record in all its greasiness
? as not given to the public.
Even the usual defense resorted to
y populists when their inexcusable
cts are shown up , is not resorted to
i the butterine case. Their customary
plea of "you fellows did it" cannot b
used in this case. Ordinarily whe
populist officials can say "you repul
licans did it , " they seem to think it i
a complete and satisfying answer t
the public. They have treated th
pass business with this kind of rem
edy ; treated the house rent record o
Governor Holcomb with this remedy
treated the do-nothing subserviency o
the railroad commission with thli
remedy , but they cannot apply it t <
their ill-flavored butterine business.
When the republican legislature ir
1895 , by the overwhelming vote pjacei
upon the statute books a law whict
practically outlawed the product o !
packing houses and rendering estab
lishments made up in the form and
appearance of butter , public opinion
was expressed In a way not to be mis ;
understood. For nearly two years fol
lowing the passage of this law a repub
lican itate board was in power at the
state house , and the beard of purchase
and supplies was a republican board.
During -that period n'ot a pound of the
butterine packing house product wag
purchased for the state institutions.
The state board of purchase and sup
plies abided by the law and recognized
public opinion. It was left for those
professing higher integrity and more
ability to recognize the voice of the
people , to force upon the unfortunate
wards of the state the tons of this un
wholesome product which has been
fairly and openly outlawed.
The attitude of Governor Holcomb
when this law to protect the public
from the fraudulent imposition of but
terine makers was placed on the
statute bocks , is more and more inter
esting the more one considers it.
The governor was against this charac-
Ler of legislation ; that he was is slmwn
in the light , and that he had a veto
ready when the law was first passed.
He based his veto upon the claim that
when the law compelled butterine
makers to color their product pink
that they were going too far. The
Jairy and creamery people of the
state who urged the passage of the
law , wanted to wipe cut the fraud as
completely and thoroughly as it had
aeen already outlawed in such states
is Iowa , Wisconsin , Illinois and Min-
lesota. They knew , and Governor
Holcomb knew , that If the stuff was
: olored pink that it would not be
ilaced on the market at all as a food
jroduct. They knew that people would ;
lot make a practice of eating plnkt
) Utter any more than they would pur- .
) le lard or black axle grease. So the
ittitude of the governor in vetoing
.he first bill passed was to make a-
vay for butterine manufacturers to
bist their product upon a community
ind fool them into the use of it. That
t has worked to the governor's sat-
sfaction , at least , is shown very con-
lusively in the showing made of the
vho'esale purchases made in the last
ourteen months for state institutions.
There is one feeble protest that has
ieen made in semi-defense , and that is
he claim that at the soldiers' home
a Grand Island no butterine has been
ised. This claim is in direct contra-
icticn to the statement of scores of
Id soldiers who insist that they have
sen fed upon the stuff aaid there is the
rord of these old soldiers standing out
gainst the one feeble protest made "by
lie squaw man of the fusion adminis-
ration.
But what if this were true ? What
ind of a defense is it that attempts
3 justify the feeding of the stuff to
imates of all the institutions and then
laking one exception ? Is there any
jason why the blind children at Ne-
raska City , who cannot see what they
re being fed , or that the dumb chil-
ren at Omaha , who cannot speak
leir protest against that kind of food ,
iould be given butterine and some
ther institution be given , the real
holesome product ? Is there any rea-
> n why the boys and girls in the re-
> rmatories , or evsn .the poor , helpless
isano should be given this product of
> me grease foundry of unknown line-
re , while some cue institution is be-
ig made an exception ? This is a very
Miclusive kind of defense to put up
ir an intelligent public to acccept.
Nebraska is just fairly entering the
mrpany oE the great dairy states of
; e northwest. Its resources and pos-
bilities in the creamery line are equal
i any possessed by its neighbors.
; her states have builded Lheir eream-
y and dairy business into great
eminence and profit by absolutely
amping out by legislation the pack-
g house false butter competition ,
ebraska has started in to legislate
i this question , and this lesislation
is the confidence and the support of
e public behind it. When , therefore ,
ese who represent the state in its
ghest capacity attempt by their acts
id influence to nullify existing law
id fly in face of public opinion , they
mply brand themselves as enemies
the state and its people , and as en-
cies of one of the greatest industries
at tends to the future prosperity of
e commonwealth.
LEARING DECK FOR ACTION
hat Disposition Is to Bo Olado of
the Uoats.
Clearing away all deck hamper foi
tlon Is the question. What Is to be-
me of the ship's boats which hang
; davits fore and aft ? In case of se-
5us action every boat would become a
urce of grave danger , says Chambers'
urnal. If an enemy's shot struck any
ie of them ( and they are In such
posed positions that they must in-
'
itably be struck ) , the splinters of
sod and iron would carry death and
struction to the suns' crews and oth-
s on deck. The scattering fragments ,
o , would be almost worse than the
rsting shell. It could not be hoped
at , after an engagement of half an
iur , there would be a single boat left
at could float , and meantime their
esence would have added heavily to
e already inevitable loss o * life In
tion. So speedily has this been rec-
nized that many naval officers of ex-
rlence have it in their minds that ,
they were called upon to engage , they
mid drop their boats over the ship's
Ie and let them drift. When the ac-
in was over a victorious ship could
en cruise round the place where it
d been fought and take the chance
FOR LACK OF YESSELS
FREIGHT FOR ASIA REFUSED
ON THIS ACCOUNT.
Why Pre ltlont Hill of the Great
Northern Kulltvuy Wait Obliged to De
cline the Haul of Cotton and Steel for
China and Japan.
A correspondent of the American
Economist , referring to a recent ex
pression by James J. Hill , president of
the Great Northern railroad , in favor
of a bounty of $2 per ton on all export
tonnage as a means of reviving the
American merchant marine , makes the
following caustic comment :
"It seems that J. J. Hill is merely
a subsidy hunter and an advocate of
free ships. Our steamship people are
all that kind , pretty much. All they
want is support for their lines , and
let the nation go to the dogs. They
don't want too many lines in compatl-
tion with theirs , even if American.
Now , what we want is the national in
terest attended to first , private enter
prise second. Subsidy is monopolistic.
Three great corporations comprise
most of the German steam marine.
That wiR never do in the United
States. "
There fe much force in these terse
observations. American sentiment in
favor of < a fair and open field for in
dividual enterprise will not take kind
ly to the policy of subsidies , free ships
and marine monopolies. That is not
the kind of a merchant marine to suit
the peopja of the United States. Sub-
eidy carries on its face the fact of
favoritism , and an export tonnage
bounty is only another came for sub
sidy.
If American shipping were as effi
ciently protected in the oversea traf
fic as it is in the lake and coastwise
traffic President Hill would not now be
refusing the transcontinental haul of
steel rails for Japan and raw cotton
for China because of lack of ships to
carry the freight across the Pacific
ocean. He has already solved this
ing trade , and you will bring back the
marine supremacy that has been lost
for nearly forty years. Then and not
until then.
PROTECTION VICTORY.
Miff Foreign Manufacturing Plant to B
Transferred to America.
The proprietor and manager of the
.largest tin plate plant in the world ,
William Williams , has sold his Welsh
interest and will locate in Pittsburg.
The Worcester and Upper Forrest
works , at Morrlstown , Wales , were sold
in August at a public sale for 88,000. r-
The plant was equipped with furnace
and steel mills , but had been idle for
some time. Two sons of Mr. Williams
spent some time in the United States
last spring , and , it is understood , leas
ed land in the vicinity of Pittsburg for
a tin plate plant.
The loss of the great American mar
ket , the heaviest consumer of tin plate
in the world , has necessitated this mi
gration from Wales to the United
States. It all comes of protecting the
manufacture of tin plate in the United
States. Now we are making the greater I
part of the tin plate used here , and the
cost to the consumer has steadily fall
en to the lowest point ever known. To
have forced the largest manufacturer
in the world to close up his Welsh
plant and invest his millions in an
American plant , where the American
rate of wages must be paid , Is another
of those protection victories that have
been coming thick and fast in the pas'
year.
Loses MucU of Its Force.
For a few years at least manufac
turers , importers and exporters need
have no fear of a derangement of busi
ness due to tariff agitation. The tariff
cannot be touched so long as Mr. McKinley -
Kinley remains in the white house ,
which brings us up to March 4 , 1901 ,
and , even it the Republican party
should be defeated in the next presi
dential election , the Republicans might
still be able to retain control of the
senate , and effectually block an at
tempted revision of the tariff. But the
/ 4
FOR LACK OF SHIPS.
" V
"The Great Northern road alone has been compelled to refuse the shipment
of 60,000 tons of steel rails and 30,000 , OCO pounds of cotton all demanded by
Asia simply because there are no water facilities by means of which this
merchandise may be transported to Asiatic ports. " President J. J. Hill in
a recent interview.
problem as regards rail and lake car
rying , and he would solve it as read
ily in the matter of rail and ocean traf
fic if the conditions were the same.
The trouble is that while the lake
carrying trade is amply protected from
alien competition , the ocean carrying
trade is wholly without protection.
Some years ago Mr. Hill undertook
to reduce the cost of transporting a
bushel of wheat from the granaries of
Minnesota and the Dakotas to the ter
minal elevators at Buffalo. He or-
lered a reduction in the Great North
ern's charge for hauling the grain
'rom interior points to Dtiluth , only
: o find that the hoped-for addition to
: he price realized by the wheat grow
er was promptly wiped cut by an
; quivalent increase by the lake trans-
jortation companies in the charge for
lelivering the wheat from Duluth to
Buffalo. President Hill thereupon
ook mattem into his own bands. He
: aused to be built and put in service
jetween the head of Lake Superior and
.he foot of Lake Erie a fleet of fast
iteel steamships , each with a freight
lapacity of over 3,000 tons. From that
noment he was master of the situation
ind the power of the Great Northern
ailroad to make and maintain a rate
ras once for all established.
Lake shipping was protected then as
low by laws which made it impossible
or foreign vessels of cheaper construc-
ion and cheaper payrolls to compete
njuriously against the new Northern
ine. If oversea traffic in American
lottoms were similarly protected to-
lay President Hill would not now be
efusing freight for lack of ships to
ake it across to Asia. Long before this
he Great Northern railroad would
iave had in operaton its own line of
teamships to handle its trafilc with
Ihlna , Japan , Australia , and the Phil-
ppines.
With a system of discriminating du-
ies in force these ships could be c-er-
ain of return cargoes at remunerative
ates. Instead of having to take their
hances with the underbidding tramp
teamers manned by underpaid tramp
rews. Discriminating duties made
nd maintained the American mer-
hant marine from 17S9 up to the time
rhen that wise and sensible system
-as - abandoned for the folly of "mar
ie reciprocity. " Then the American
ag gradually disappeared from the
ea , until today it is , not displayed
t the foretop of more than one-
.velfth of the ships that carry Ameri-
in commerce. Bring back the policy
iat In times past made our shipping
idustry foremost in the world's carry-
tariff is not the live issue it once was.
Figures are more potent than theories.
With an enormous balance of trade ,
with a demand for American products
in all parts of the world , with imports
falling off. and the American market
supplied by American manufacturers
as it never was before , the argument
against protection loses much of its
force.
The Republican party has always
been a party Of "good times" and
profited by fortunate trade conditions.
So long as the farmer receives high
prices for his wheat and other cereals ,
and the manufacturer finds a ready
market for his wares at a fair profit ,
there is little disposition shown by th *
country to exchange protection for
free trade. There is the danger to bo
feared from a "boom" and overproduc
tion and reckless speculation. If busi
ness is conducted on conservative
principles there need be no fear of the
future. Maurice Lev.in the National
Review.
.
"The inference is plain that this
large decrease in purchases abroad
must have been offset by increased
expenditure -
penditure and production at home
New York Times , free trade
is it not well ? And if well , must
there not be some virtue in
an eco
nomic policy which decreases the vol
ume of purchases abroad , increases the
volume of sales abroad to the- highest
figure ever known
in our commerce
and also increases expenditure and
production at home ? Are not these
ideal conditions of commerce indus
try and finance ? What nation of the
earth can make a similar showing ?
Is it wise , sensible or patriotic to fi-ht
the party and the policy by whFch"
these conditions are brought about ?
*
Sort of Annoyances. *
A strong protest was made by the
tree traders when the DingCy [ tariff
imposed a duty on the wearing apparel
of returning tourists purchased in for
eign countries. They said it was p tty
and annoying and
the revenue that
would be derived from It would not
amount to enough to pay for the col
lection. The record shows that dur
ing the last year under that head
$343,518 was paid , as against $ S741 > 5
the previous year. It might have been
annoying to the
wealthy tourists whc
paid -this snug sum , but Uncle Sam
is that much richer
, and
none of jt
came out of the pockets of the labor ,
ing people. Let us have more such
annoyances. Rome ( N. Y. ) Citizen.