Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-09-03
Magnificent Demonstration at
Niles, Ohio, as an opening OF
the Buckeye Campaign.
Mckinley, Republican Candidate
for Governor Makes Powerful
and Convincing Speech.
Democratic Tenets, Free Trade
and Free Silver, Assailed in
a Merciless Manner.

The republican state campaign in Ohio
was opened at Niles, Major Mckinley :
birthplace, Saturday with a grand de-
monstration. Over thirty thousand
strangers were in town. Ex-President
Hayes arrived in the morning and Colonel
A. L. Conger came in from Akron at the
head of strong delegation. President
T. R. Morgan, of the Morgan Engineering
company, brought a delegation of 500
from Alliance, and another special train
loaded to the platforms came from Paines-
vile. A cavalry company fifty strong put
in an appearance from Sharpersville, Pa.
The city was very handsomely decorated,
a street arch of American tin being a
notable feature.
In the afternoon there was a great pa
rade and industrial display, after which
the mass meeting was called to order and
Major Mckinley made his first speech of
the campaign. Following are the salient
points of the famous high-tariff cham
pion's powerful address:
The democratic platform declares for
the free and unlimited coinage of the
silver of the world, to be coined, as freely
as gold is now, upon the same terms and
under existing ratio. The platform of
the republican party stands IN opposition
to anything short of full and complete
dollar, and approves Of the legislation of
the last congress touching silver, which
l. I h. Ill
of silver up to 100000 ounces-an
amount fully equal if not in excess of the
entire silver product of the United States.
That legislation is a mighty bulwark
for the protection of silver. 1t has pre-
served ard enlarged its momentary uses
upon safe basis, and has provided that
the silver dollar shall be kept as good as
the best dollar of our coinage, always
equal in iegal-tender quality and debt-pay-
ing power.
What the Democratic Platform Me ans
The free and unlimited coinage of silver
demanded by the democratic convention
recently held in Cleveland amounts to this:
That all the silver Of the world, and from
every quarter of the world, can be brought
to the minis of the United States and
coined at the expense of the government;
that the minis of the United States must
receive 412I grains of silver, which are
worth but 50 cents the world over, and
coin therefor silver dollar, which, by tie
fiat of the government, is to be received
by the people of the United States and to
circulate among them as worth full dol
lar of 100 Gets. The silver producer,
whose 4121a rains of silver are worth
only so cents in the markets of this coun-
try and the world, is thus enabled to de-
mand that the government shall take 1t at
100 cents. Will the government be as
kind to the producer of wheat and pay
him 20 cents more per bushel than the
market price? The silver dollar now
issued under a limited coinage has so
cents of intrinsic value in it, SO accredited
the world over; and the other 20 cents is
Legislative will-the mere breath OF con-
gress. That is, what the dollar lacks of
value to make it perfect dollar congress
supplies by public declaration, and hold
the extra 20 cents in the treasury for its
protection. Now it is proposed to remove
the limit and to make the government
coin not for account of the treas
ury, but for the benefit of the silver mine
owner.
The Short Dollar.
It does not take wise man to see that
if dollar worth only eighty cents intrin-
sically, coined without limit, is made a
legal tender to the amount of its face
value for the payment of all debts, public
and private, a legal-tende in all business
transactions among the people, it will be-
come in time the exclusive circulating
medium of the country. Gold, which is
20 per cent more valuable on every dollar,
will not be paid out in any transaction IN
this country when an eighty cent silver
dollar will answer the purpose. Nor will
the greenback be long returning to tie
treasury for redemption in gold. We shall
do our business, therefore, with short dol
lars rather than with full dollars, as we
are now doing.
The danger of free and unlimited coin
age has been pointed out over and over
again by leading statesm en- of both polltl-
cal parties. The position of leading re-
publicans upon the question Is so well
known that need not pause to quote from
them. Let US call your attention to what
the leaders of the democrat party VINO are
chief in its councils say. No one has
spoken with greater ability on the demo
cratic side than the president Of the
United States, Grover Cleveland. His let
Ter written but a few months ago, taken IN
connection with his former utterance upon
this object, show that nothing could be
more disastrous, in his Judgment, to the
business interests of the country, and to
the best welfare of all the people than the
free and unlimited coinage of silver.
My competitor has said in his report in
teIvlews that In sentiment upon this sub
ject the democrats of Ohio are much dlvld-
ed; that the vote in the convention was
close one. This close vote only emphasizes
the danger in the minds of large number
of the democrats OF the state of the free
coinage declaration, and enjoiEs the i'm
portance and necessity of the friends of
honest money standing together. as IN slI
the contests of tie past they have ben
forced to stand together for an honest cur
oucy.
Gov Campbell viii "Chance It."
Gov. Campbell declared that while be
Dad his doubts about it be was willing TO
chance the free and unlimited coinage OF
silver fm not willing to chance it.
Under present conditions the country Can
not afford to chance 1t. can imagine
nothing which would be more distu1 bling
to our credit ard more deranging to our
commercial and financial affairs than to
make this the dumping ground of the
worlds silver. The silver producer might
he benefited. but the silver user never.
If there is 10 be any profit in the coin
age of silver it should go to the govern
ment. 1t has gone to The government ever
since the Bland-Allison act. This new
declaration would lake it from the govern
ment and give it to the silver producer.
Now. the people know that IF we had
two yard sticks, one tree ct in length
and the other two aud half feet In length.
the buyer would always have his goods