XXVI. ADMINISTB.ATION OF BENJAMIN HAR RISON (1389-93). Cabinet.—Seerrtary of State, James G. Blaine, Maine, March 7, l889. Secre tory of the Treasw•y, William Windom, Minne sota, March 7, 1889; Charles Foster, Ohio, Feb ruary 2], 1891. Secretary of War. Redfield Proc tor, Vermont, March 7, 1889. Attorney-General, \V. 11. H. Miller, Indiana, March 7, 18S9. Post mastcr-Gencral, John Wanamaker, Pennsylvania, March 7, 1889. Secretary of the :Vary, Benjamin F. Tracy, New York, March 7, 1889. Secretary of the Interior. John W. Noble, Missouri. March 7, 1889. Secretary of Agriculture, Jeremiah M. Rusk, Wisconsin, March 7, 1889.
The administration of Harrison witnessed a remarkable growth of public interest in the for eign relations of the United States, both com mercially and otherwi=se. One of this is to be found in the meeting of the so-called Pan American Congress At Washington, October 21, 1889, under the presidency of Secretary Blaine, did much to foster a popular sentiment in favor of commereial reciprocity between the United States and the other American republics. This policy, warmly advocated by Blaine, found expression in the so-called 'reciprocity section' of the important bill for the revision of the tariff prepared by William McKinley (q.v.), of Ohio, which passed both Houses of Congress and be came a law October I, 1890. (For other provi sions of the bill, see TARIFF.) Under this sec tion reciprocity treaties were early negotiated with Brazil and Spain, and the principle was thereafter strikingly developed.
Several diplomatic difficulties of more or less seriousness had arisen between the United States and foreign Powers within a few years. Among these had been complications growing out of a state of anarchy on the Isthmus of Panama, the United States Government, in accordance with its treaty obligations. being required to send an armed force to protect the isthmus. A dispute with Germany over the Samoan islands (q.v.) in 1889 had also taken a serious apeet, though finally arranged in an amicable manner by a treaty signed at Berlin (February 4. 1890). A serious disagreement with England also arose in 1890-91 regarding the rights of this country ac quired in Bering Sea by our treaty with Russia, and was referred to arbitration in 1891. The
question was finally settled in 1893. (See BERING SEA CoxrnovEnsY.) The lynching of several Italians by a mob in New Orleans, in 1891, led to something like a diplomatic rupture with Italy, which recalled its Minister from Washington. In October, 1891, difficulties arose with Chile in consequence of a murderous assault upon Ameri can seamen in Valparaiso.
In November, 1889, fora• States, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana. and Washington. were admitted into the Union. On May 2:1890, the new Territory of Oklahoma (q.v.) was organized, and Idaho (July 3d) and Wyoming (July 11 th) were as States. Other events of impor tance during Harrison's administration were the passage in 1890 of the Dependent Pension Bill, which nearly doubled the number of pensioners; the repeal of the Bland-Allison Silver Coinage Act ; the passage of the Sherman Silver Purchase and Coinage Act, requiring the Secretary of the Treasury to purchase 4,500.000 ounces of silver each month and to coin 2,000,000 ounces into sil ver dollars each month until July 1. 1891; and the labor disturbances at Homestead, Pa.
The close of Harrison's administration wit nessed a serious financial panic. An event of in ternational importance was the overthrow of the monarchy in Hawaii by the foreign residents, and the application made by the new Government for annexation of the islands to the United States. The President sent a treaty of annexation to the Senate (February, )893), but it was not acted upon. See HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.
The conventions of the two great political parties had been held in June, 1892. The Demo crats nominated Grover Cleveland, of New York, for the Presidency, and Adlai E. Stevenson, of Illinois, for the Viee-Presidency. The Republican Convention renominated President Harrison for the Presidency and selected Whitelaw Reid, of New York, for the Vice-Presideney. The People's Party, or Populists, nominated Generals J. B. Weaver, of Iowa, and James 0. Field, of Vir ginia. The ensuing campaign was largely con ducted on the question of the tariff, and resulted in the election of Cleveland and Stevenson, who received 277 electoral votes, as against 145 for Harrison and Reid, and 22 for Weaver and Field.