Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-10-22
The Great Apostle Of Protection
Meets His Opponent in
Public Debate.
Governor Campbell Easily Downed
on Both the Tariff and
Silver Issues
Ten Thousand People Enjoy the
Forensic Battle, and Cheer
the Gladiators.

Ohio, between the opposing candidates
for governor was notable victory for
Major Mckinley, the apostle of republican
ism. During the course of the debate,
which was listened to by 10000 people, the
great advocate of protection said
ut gives me pleasure to greet this great
audience and a special pleasure to speak
from the same platform and to the same
audience with Gov. Campbell, that we may
present the cause that we respectively rep
resent.
The issues between US and between the
parties for which for the moment we stand,
are fixed not by ourselves, but by the plat.
form of our respective parties. There is
one or two of them which | propose TO
present. One Of them is the question of
the silver and the other the question of
taxation. One relates to the standard
with which we shall measure our exchanges
with each other and the rest of the world,
and the other relates TO the method of tax
alton by which We shall raise revenues for
public purposes.
'Up9n this question of silver the demo
cratic platform has declared for free and
unlimited coinage of the silver of the
upon the ratios now fixed. The republican
it cannot be safely done until the great
commercial nations shall have fixed the
ratio between gold and silver. The repub-
lican party stands, therefore, for dollar
worth 100 cents, whether it be gold OF sill
yer or paper, and approves of the legisla
ton of the last congress which requires
the government to buy 4 100000 ounces OF
silver every month at its market value.
That is a little more than the entire silver
product Of the United States, and for
every dollars horth of silver thus pur-
chased the government issues its treasury
note, which shalt be legal tender for all
debts, public and private, and redeemable
in coin at the will Of the holder. The
treasury note thus issued has behind it
"A dollars worth Of silver purchaser at
its market value The difference between
the commercial value of the silver in the
dollar and the coin value of the silver dol
lar went under the silver legislation Of
1873 to the treasury The cost of silver in the
silver dollar averaged to the government
from 80 to 81 cents. the government cut
ting its stamp on it and making 1t legal
tender for 100 cents, and the difference
between what the government paid for
the silver ard inc face value of the silver
dollar amounted III twelve years TO $751;,
900, 900 which went to the benefit Of The
63,000,000 people.
Free and unlimited coinage would give
that profit to the silver producers of the
world You can buy to-day tie 371I
grains Of pure silver which constitute the
silver dollar for 76 cents. Free and I'M
limited coinage would invite the silver
producers of the world 10 bring their rs
cents worth OF silver to the mint of the
United States to be coined into silver dol
lar, the government by its fear compelling
this people to take it for 100 cents The
republican party says that If there is to be
any profit in THIS matter of money mak-
ing it should 90 to the government. When
we sell or labor our crops we want to get
for them the money that is as good as the
thing we gave for that money, and we
want the thing we get to be unvaryipg II
value, and not only good to-day, but good
for every day OF every week of every year,
and good wherever trade goes. We want
no short dollar. There is a general no
ton that if we had free and unlimited
coinage we would have more money In
stead Of having more, we would have less,
for every dollar worth 100 cents would 60
out of circulation at the appearance of
silver dollar worth rs cents. 100. cent
dollar will not keep company with TO-
cent dollar,
Maj Mckinley said that In 1877 he
voted for free coinage. He was ii favor
nj both gold and silver as money. to be
kept in parity with the other, and voted
for a restoration of the silver dollar. Con-
tinuing, he said:
Gov Campbell and | voted together
once. We have voted together more than
once In 1856 he voted against free and
unlimited coinage of silver. He is for it
now He was right then; he is wrong
now He voted in 1886 that unless the
nations of the world, by January, 1885,
should by. concurrent action fix the ratio
between gold aud silver the whole silver
coinage of the country should be suspend
ed. He and voted together then. He
was not willing then to chance it. He is
willing to chance it now.
a have twice Woodland ] don't know
but oftener, against the free and unlimited
coinage of silver. | am opposed to free
and unlimited coinage now, because 1t
means that we would be put upon silver
basis and do business with silver instead
of gold and silver and paper, each the
equal of the other. | want to tell the
sorkmen nd farmers here that it takes
just as mary blows OF the hammer, as
many strokes of the pick, as much dig
ging, as much swinging and as much
Ieaping to get hort dollar as it does to
get full dollar
The other issue between the democratic
and republican plaiforns-the one relAt-
ing to the tariff. Gov Campbell does not
like protection now. remember when IN
former congress Mr.. Morrison brought
IN bill which provided for only about a
20 per cent. reduction of the tariff. and
asked even the poor privilege of having
it considered, and made motion to that
effect. | demanded the ayes and noes,
and Gov. Campbell voted with me then.
Governor Undressing Gov. Campbell you
were right then, and, governor You dion t
want to vote for the Mills bill, either, did
you?
Fellow citizens there are only two
ways to test any great question of public
policy, one by reason and argument; the
other by experience and history. The
governors platform commits him to d
tariff for revenue only. That is tariff
upon foreign products, levied with nc
other object in view but revenue, unmind
full of every other consideration but
revenue, not caring for the industries aud
occupations of the people. A tariff that
will produce the most revenue is the tariff
which the revenue tariff policy maintains
o-day A revenue tariff will raise revenue
for the government; a protective tariff will
do ~, A 10. Il