Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 January 1907 — POLITICAL COMMENT [ARTICLE]

POLITICAL COMMENT

Growth of Porto Hleo. That Porto Rico should not be counted one of Uncle Sam’s incumbrances is evidenced from the statement recently issued by the Department of Labor and Commerce. The development of a trade that amounted to $4,000,000' in ISO 7 to over $40,000,000 is a nine year's record of pbenomenai achievement. Considerably over 85 per cent of the island’s commerce was transacted with the Ihilted States, the balance being in our favor by about $3,000,000. Moreover, the statistics show that Potto Rico has tory under the protection of the stars and strij,H>s. * On his return from his Panama trip President Roosevelt, who stopped off at Porto Rico;'expressed himself in favor of extending citizenship to the industrious islanders, and no doubt the record furnished; by the Department of Labor and Commerce will have powerful weight with Congress when it comes to consider tlu- future status of our wards. Not only are they selfsustaining, But they are adding no little to the revenue of this country. And while they are expanding commercially. they are growing intellectually. The

American system of education implanted there has become popular, and there Is every indicatipn-vthat the work of assimilation will proceed without interruption. Under the circumstances it would seem that this government lias no valid excuse for longer withholding the advantages of citizenship from the loyal and progressive I“o$to Ricans.

An Economic Formula.

A dispatch from the national capital makes the triumphant announcement that whereas our trade with Panama two years ago was only a little more than $2.500.006 in exports to that republic, sister at once and daughter, the present year will show an export business thither of more than $ 14,000,000; This suggests an unfailing formula for building up a foreign trade and getting rieh out of it. In trie first place, you hire a lot of men to work (or loaf) In a foreign country. In the second, place, you send them a lot of American goods. In the third place, and finally, you send them a lot of money to pay for the goods. So there you have it. Wo have been doing a good deni of business in that way for the past eight years and some mouths, and who Is going to deny that this is not the real cause of our wonderful prosperity? It is as reasonable as it is to suppose that we have made ourselves rich by (axing ourselves at n greater rate tlum ever before. If we keep on amassing wealtli by following the above formula the time must come, and that at no very remote day, when we shall have gat he rest to ourselves all the wealth of the world. — Chicago Chronicle.

Money to llurn. The enactment of the Income and inheritance taxes would Increase the surplus of $358,000,000, and might make the sum larger than that. What would we do with that deluge of cash? President Arthur’s troubles were light compared with the torments which President Roosevelt would precipitate upon himself If Congress should take him at hts word and open these streams of revenue which he asks. Providing we adopted and stuck to those proposed taxes, what would we be compelled to do with the tariff and the Internal Imposts? We might, as a preliminary, be called upon to burn down all the custom houses or sell out all the collectors’ offices. Frederick D. Grant said a few years ago that It was easier to manage a surplus .than a deficit. But be did not df&OntJf the strrphra which President Roosevelt would one day propose Lpapreclpitate ui>on the country. No IWirvoyauce la needed to foretell that ueither the Income nor the inheritance tax will be enacted tills winter or next winter, or probably any other winter.— St. Louis Globe-Democrat. n Haytt devotes almost one-sixth of its revenues to"free schools.

PEOPLE AftE AWAKE. Patriot* Aroue to Gather Around Roosevelt Standard. this year w ill* be characterized politically by, the war against President Roosevelt, writes a Washington correspondent. ~ln high financial circles there is a strong opposition to the Roosevelt administration. The kings of money see that their realms may be invaded by the toilers of America, who, under’ the leadership of Theodore Roosevelt, are demanding their just dues from capital. Under one guise or another, th(* cohorts of the emperors of finance will fight the masses and their stalwart guide, the President. On one plea or another, great forces will work to overthrow the champion of the laboring classes and eijush out of existence the growing political strength of flnr workingmen. -These- rearctloiFarieS claim that the President has done too much already to lead the working cbis.s to think they have rights in the government and should be heeded. They think he has fostered class feeling and that he has endangered the rule of capital by throwing obstacles in the way of the monopolies. As the political forces 'are working against the growiiig power of the working class, so is the American working class becoming awake to the real significance of the movement 1 being carried on by the political representatives of capital. It is noticed, in all sections of the country, that there is a tendency

among the people to stand by the exalted statesmanship of Theodore Roosevelt, i Therefore, it will be interesting to follow ‘the political battles in corning minor conventions to see whether the people will he represented truthfully by their representatives. If they are, the march of progress in this eountly will continue and th« President's policies will be unchecked. This is a country of arid for the people, and it is asserted in this, the capital city, that the masses will prevail this year more than ever, in spite of the fact that the golden gate of monopoly is open arid from It Is pouring, a torrent of money to be used to set aside the good work of the present hdministration. Great prosperity marked the year liHHi. No year in the history of any nation ever approached the last year in the United States in the matter of material production. The available cash balance in the United States treasury is sl<i 1 .tWi.uOO. This is a much greater sum than ever before held in the United States treasury. That is due to the general prosperity of the country. .Secretary Shaw has become so impressed with the great prosperity of the country that be bids every man be conservative in everything but thankfulness. That there was a money scarcity lias been accounted for by the Secretary by the great trade activity. That, however, was not a glaring fault, although it did put some of the speculators -in distress for a few weeks. Great trade activity, however, cannot be used by the opponents of the President ns a had thing for the country and his enemies will have to work hard to convince the people of the country that dull trade Is better than brisk trade. President Roosevelt has announced that he will support England In aiding the enslaved Congonns, who are suffering dire hardships under the rule of King Leopold, of Belgium. He has taken that step In spite of the action of the Senate. The dismissal of the negro troopers has continued to occupy a place In the prominent discussions at the sea of government. President Roosevelt insists upon adhering to his action, even though some of the Republican leaders say that, by so doing, he Is committing political suicide. Great activity has been noticed In the War Department, ns the army is about to undergo a shaking up. The navy will be /substantially Improved this year. The Department of the Interior will settle many mooted laud questions within the next few months and the near future xrtlt bw the end of land grabs.