the Conservative
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this , the needs of Chile are to be shown ,
and her resources exploited.
Minerals constitute the principal
wealth of Chile , the nitrates being the
most important , thus far developed.
Nitrate of soda is the most important
export. Chile furnishes more of this
commodity than all the other countries
in the world.
The silver ores of Chile are also very
important. * Expensive deposits are
found in the east , but only the best de
posits are being worked at present. No
ores are worked that show less than 40
per cent metallic copper , with all that
it may carry of silver and gold. The
mountains are full of deposits that con
tain 16 to 18 per cent of copper. With
American methods of smelting , these ,
doubtless , could be operated at a great
profit , but these methods are not well
understood in Chile , and it will be the
object of her representatives to invite
American capital and energy to assist in
developing the resources of the country ?
Silver and gold mines are extensive in
Chile , and the country lias vast unde
veloped resources of coal , of the variety
geologically known , as lignite. The
coal is not available for all kinds of con
sumption , such as for marine and. loco
motive engines , consequently much
cool has to be imported , principally
from Wales and Australia. Native
coal in Chile , is worth about $5.00 to
$7.50 per ton , in gold , in the Chilean
market , selling at retail , for about $10.00 ,
while the imported coal sells for $40.00 ,
or more , per ton.
Railroads are one of the most impera
tive needs of Chile at present. Their
construction will , obviously , accompany
the opening of the mines. Mills are
needed in Chile for the manufacture
of the products of the cotton producing
area of the north. Woolen mills would
also be a great advantage in that coun
try , as wool is now exported , and
woolens imported. Large quantities of
bags are imported every year , in which
to carry away raw material , while the
best material for their1 manufacture , is
a Chilean product.
The products of the great Chilean
forests could be made most profitable
by the introduction of American
methods.
Senor Canto expressed himself as
being much pleased with the beauty of
the Rainbow City , and feels confident
that the Exposition will be instrument
al in cementing the commercial and
political relations of the Americas and
productive of the" good results hoped
for , as well as being a most beautiful
spectacle.
LETTER FROM GEORGE L. MILLER.
[ From the Uttca ( N. Y. ) Observer. ]
"Occasional , " in one of his recent
chapters of political history in The Ob
server , paid a well-deserved tribute to
William R. Grace. I never saw him
but once , and that was in the respect
able company of General Thomas L.
James and the editor of The Observer.
"Occasional" awards much credit to
Mr. Grace in the campaign of eighty-
four , and says what he did in New York
City to thwart the plans of Tammany
Hall to elect Mr. Elaine "saved the
state for Cleveland , although by the
narrowest of margins , only 1,100. "
I would not detract from the ability
of William R. Grace , nor could I ques
tion the value of his important services
in that arduous , close and trying cam
paign. But did he really tsave New
York for Cleveland in 1884 ? Let us see.
More than a year before Mr. Cleve
land was nominated a young , able and
true man , John B. Pinch , a native of
Cortland county , New York , a citizen
of Nebraska , and Chairman of the
National Committee of the Prohibition
party , came into the editorial rooms of
the Omaha Daily Herald and said : "I
am a democrat , but first of all I am a
prohibitionist. The next president of
the United States will be a democrat.
It is the interest of the prohibition party
that the republican party shall be
defeated in the next presidential contest ,
and I know how and think I have the
power to do it. I care nothing for either
the democratic or republican party , but
it is vital to the prohibition party in the
future , to overthrow the republican
power at the next election. My plan is
to nominate full prohibition state tickets
in Indiana and Ohio , the two October
states , and by organizing thoroughly
and bringing out the full temperance
vote , to divert enough votes from the
republican state ticket to give Indiana
to the democrats , and in the same way
to keep down the republican vote in
Ohio from its boasted majority of 25,000 ,
even if I do not carry it for the demo
crats. With these results the democrats
of New York will go into the fight with
the prestige of success , and I will see to
it that enough votes are taken from the
republican candidate and given to St.
John to insure the state for the
democracy.
"All this will happen , " he went on to
say , "if proper cooperation of the demo
cratic leadership can be secured to help
me in the work of organizing the tem
perance forces. "
I did not see Chairman Finch again
until Elaine and Cleveland were under
the fire of battle. I will shorten the
story into a condensed statement.
Democratic aid was slow in coming. It
came too late for the best results in
Ohio and Indiana , and was not soon
enough in New York. Chairman Finch
had a den in the attic of the Fifth
Avenue Hotel , and a great many other
dens up the state. He did his whole
part , and when the ballots were counted ,
the result was as follows :
Cleveland 668,048
Elaine 562,001
St. John 25,001
Butler , . . . .17,002
I cannot lay my hand on the previous
votes for prohibition in New York in
national contests , but it is safe to say
that had Chairman Finch even so much
as winked his approval of the with
drawal of St. John , or had he not
brought remarkable abilities as an orator
and organizer to hold the temperance
vote in line for St. John , Mr. Elaine , and
not Mr. Cleveland , would have been
president of the United States on the
4th of March , 1885.
I repeat , this means no disparagement
of Mr. William R. Grace , whose powers
in the work of organization , sagacity
and courage in leadership , and fidelity
to the democratic party , all democrats
with memories fully understand and
appreciate. Of the 25,000 votes for"
St. , John in the state in November , . 1884 ,
not less than 20,000 would have gone to
Mr. Elaine but for St. John and the organ
izing energy and ability of John B. Finch.
The friends of Mr."Elaine had early
taken the alarm , and all means were
employed to force.Mr. . St. John off the
track. - It was Finch who prevented the
withdrawal , as my information and be
lief is , and I was not very far from him
at any time after the battle was really
on. He did not expect , but he did fear ,
the withdrawal of St. John. So great
was his fear at one time that he made
complete preparations for the emer
gency. Gen. Clinton B. Fisk would
have been nominated within an hour if
Mr. St. John had withdrawn. The
months of delay of his letter of accept
ance by the prohibition candidate gave
strong confirmation .to the rumors and
fears of his withdrawal. Senator Gor
man and ex-Secretary Whitney were
much pleased to read a telegram at a
late hour of the night , before the St. John
letter appearedjthat the important document - ,
ment would reach a waiting world the
next morning. They were not disap
pointed.
Chairman Finch did not accomplish
all that he expected to do in that hard
contest. Chairman Barnum , and even
much stronger men in the democratic
leadership , could not see the importance
of that prohibition vote until it was too
late to fully organize Ohio and Indiana
for the state contests in October. I be
lieved then , and I believe now , that if
Mr. Finch had received at the outset , the
support that he received months later ,
Ohio would have come so near going
democratic and Indiana would have been
carried by such a decisive majority that
ij jfj&V
no such meagre and dangerous plurality ffe
as a thousand in a vote of twelve hun
dred thousand would ever have been re- '
1 i <
corded. GEORGE L. MILLER. '
.
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Omaha , Neb. , April 25 , 1901.