he market reports, the
savings banks, international trade balances, and the general prosperity
of our people. Already we begin to hear from abroad and from our
custom-houses that the prohibitory effect upon importations imputed to
the act is not justified. The imports at the port of New York for the
first three weeks of November were nearly 8 per cent greater than for
the same period in 1889 and 29 per cent greater than in the same period
of 1888. And so far from being an act to limit exports, I confidently
believe that under it we shall secure a larger and more profitable
participation in foreign trade than we have ever enjoyed, and that we
shall recover a proportionate participation in the ocean carrying trade
of the world.

The criticisms of the bill that have come to us from foreign sources
may well be rejected for repugnancy. If these critics really believe
that the adoption by us of a free-trade policy, or of tariff rates
having reference solely to revenue, would diminish the participation
of their own countries in the commerce of the world, their advocacy
and promotion, by speech and other forms of organized effort, of this
movement among our people is a rare exhibition of unselfishness in
trade. And, on the other hand, if they sincerely believe that the
adoption of a protective-tariff policy by this country inures to their
profit and our hurt, it is noticeably strange that they should lead the
outcry against the authors of a policy so helpful to their countrymen
and crown with their favor those who would snatch from them a
substantial share of a trade with other lands already inadequate to
their necessities.

There is no disposition among any of our people to promote prohibitory
or retaliatory legislation. Our policies are adopted not to the hurt of
others, but to secure for ourselves those advantages that fairly grow
out of our favored position as a nation. Our form of government, with
its incident of universal suffrage, makes it imperative that we shall
save our working people from the agitations and distresses which scant
work and wages that have no margin for comfort always beget. But after
all this is done it will be found that our markets are open to friendly
commercial exchanges of enormous value to the other great powers.

From the time of my induction into office the duty of using every
power and influence given by law to the executive department for the
development of larger markets for our products