River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-04-05
M'KINLEY SPEAKS.
Addresses an Audience of Fellow
Republicans at Minneapolis.
ABLE AND CONVINCING ARGUMENT.
Reaffirms the Principles of the Party and
Predicts Republican Triumph The
Lesson the Past Year and Demo-
cratic Success Have Taught
the People.

Gov. Mckinley, of Ohio, delivered the
| following able address in Minneapolis,
Mimi, on the evening OF March 2s, 1894.
The great republican orator said:
MIR PRRsIDESr. GENTLEMEN or THE RE.
| PUBL1CAN LEAGUE OF MINNESOTA AND Eel
| Low-CfTizENs; Much has happened since the
gr, at republican national convention OF 1892
assembled in this hall The platform and can
uidates OF that great cCn ventiOn, admirable rs
they were. were rejected by the people at the
election following; but the people had no
sooner spoken than they realized their great
mistake-a mistake which they now feel a. I
sensibly and regret most deeply. The prinei
| pies enunciated at that convention were true
then: they are true now. They are as dear 10
republicans now as then; theyare better under.
stood and more ardently supported by the
great body OF the people In the year 1894 than
they we're Ia the year 1892. While the repub-
lioan party failed to carry the election, the
cause for which II c0ntended did not fail IL
survived the awful disaster AMI shines mere
brightly and gloriously than ever before.
The past year has been a long one-the long
est since the war. It has been full OF changes
and experiences which have been impressive
ind instructive. but expensive. All kinds OF
business have been seriously disturbed. In
vesttents have been sacrificed; capital has
been despoiied OF It's earnings, and labor. more
than all and dearer to than all, has sue
cumbed TO the wasting bias IS OF the great
its just rewards. Everything has suffered but
the republican cause. Everything has been
blighied but republican principles They have
escaped the mildew which has settled upon
every thing Even the democratic rarty has
sunered-a calamity we could bear with resig
nation IL II had nos also carried in its train the
vast and sacred interests OF the people
What we're the great principles and policies
then enunciated in this hall? Let me enumerate
them: A protective tariff which shall serve
the highest interests of American labor and
American development. reciprocity, which,
while seeking the worlds markets for our sur
plus products. shall not destroy American
wages, nor surrender American markets for
products which can be made at hOme the
Of both gold and silver with " hich TO meas ure
the exchanges of the people and cheat nobody,
honest elections, which are the true sources OF
public authority; the extension Of our for
eign commerce. the restoration OF our mer-
chant marine by home built ships; the creation
OF navy for the protection OF our national in
terests and the honor OF our flag; the mainten-
Rnce OF the most friendly relations with all for
eign powers and entangiing alliances with
none; the reafirmation OF the Monroe doctrine
ana OF our faith in the achievement OF the
manifest destiny OF the republic as the best
government OF earth in the broadcast and truest
sense
Nho would modify these prlncipless Who
would reverse this declared policyg Who
would strike from the republican banner a
single star or stripe? Like all republican doc
trlnes, they are Interchangeable. upon them the
republican party bases its claim 10 future SUI
premacy ana iInpatently awaits the constitu-
tonal opportunity to make its appeal TO the
people.
The democratic party won in 1892 as in every
contest since the war Ia which IL has succeeded
by campaign OF profuse and glittering prom
Uses. 1t now stands demOralized on the field Of
performance, and has so far signally failed TO
redeem single pledge It made TO the people.
II has been for many years denouncing the
tariff because some men became rich under it's
operations and others poor. The first year OF
democratic control has cured all that, and the
prescription has proved quite effective on
the poor as the rieh, for 4 has involved them
all In common loss What deyas tion and
distress have been wrought IN a single year.
Let the briefest statement OF the business
condition at the close OF the year 1882 be con
Cd a, ~.
at the end OF 1893 THE year 1892 says Dun's
Review Of Trade, the best bipartisan author
lily, has been the most pros porous ever known
in business" This Is the business indoi sement
OF thirty years OF republican rule. Now mark
the change Says Dun's Review of Trade for
Starting with the largest trade ever known.
mills crowded with work and ali business
stimulated by high hopes The year 1898 has
proven in sudden shrinkage OF trade In com
merctal disaster and the depression OF indus
tries, the worst for fifty years. Whether the
hnal results OF the panic OF 1887 were relatively
more severe, the seanty records OF that time
DO not clearly show. The year closes with
prices OF many products the lowest ever
known, with millions OF workers seeking In
vain for work, and with charity labortng To
keep back suffering and starvation in all our
cities. All hope that the year may bring
brighter days, put the dying year leaves only
dismal record The review OF different de-
partments OF trade given to-day exhibits
most without precedent The iron industries
sustained a weekly production OF 1881
tSe OUTPUT had fallen To * SOS ions and
the recovery TO about l0O.OO0 tons De
cember still leaves 40 per cent. OF the
force unemployed. Over half the wooden man.
ufactorles are idle and excepting brief reeov-
cry in November have been ever since new
wool came in in May for all sales In the chief
markets In the eight months have been but
100, 795, $50 pounds. partly for speculation, The
price having fallen 20 per cent for heeces 10
the lowest point ever known, against PIP 33e, DOB
pounds in the same months last year, sales OF
cotton goods are fully one fourth below the
usual quantity. The small advance attempted
IN boots and shoes year ago was not sustained,
but with prices as low as ever the shipments Of
boots and shoes from Boston "a per cent
less than last year in December, Not only man
ufactured goods as whole, but the most inn
portant farm products are so low that farmers
md little comfort Official and other reports
deluded traders with the notion that crops OF
last year were so short that famine prices could
be realized"
TO add TO the perplexities OF the situation
under the menace OF free trade here described
the Wilson bill. which recently passed the
house Of representatives at Washington and is
now In the hands of the senate, proposes os-
tensibly TO reduce the revenue s76,O000Jl Tho
real decrease would eventually, after we be-
came more and more impoverished, be far
greater. This is at O time when the expenses
Of the government far exceed its receipts and
when by reason OF such a condition the secre-
peiied to n sell ssSoo6ooo Of F SoS% Eon
bonds with the belief in many quarters
issuing 70 relieve the daily wants OF the gov
ment The sum OF $4,000 900 which Il IS pro
posed to surrender OF the revenues. is more
than One-thrd Of the entire sum received from
customs in the last fiscal year This reduction
is made upon the theory OF the democratic free
traders that II VIII relieve the people OF bur
densome taxation Whether IL does or not de.
ponds. But OF one thing we are certain: 1t has
Relieved the people OF employment, OF work, OF
OF them Of their homes The blessings OF good
wages, good prices aud good times are more TO
be desired than the proposed relief from So
called '.burdensome taxation Such a reliefis
no relief
Before considering this measure in detail
let us briefly review our tariff legislation. 1t
Is worth something 10 Us all to know what the
founders OF the republic thought and did 1t
Is inspiring TO US TO know from history that our
earliest legislation upon economic questions
was not manned by seetionalsm, nor framed
upon geographical lines. but was prompted by
the loftiest patriotism and marked by nation
al sentiment as broad as the country. The first
protective tariff law In our history Ga law that
was approved by Washington had tor its au-
thor James Madison. os tiTginia, known and
revered as the Father OF the Constitution"
Among its supporters and friends were such
wel-known southern statesmen as Richard
Henry Lee, the friend and euogist OF Wash
ington: Charles Carroll, OF Carrollton. Abra-
ham Baldwin and James jackson. of Georgia;
TheOdoric Bland and John Brown, Of Virginia;
Hugh Williamson and John Sewer, Of North
Carolina; John Henry and Daniel Car
roll OF Maryland: George Read and John Vim
ing. OF Delaware, Ralph lizard. Thomas Tudor
Tucker and Thomas Sumter OF South Carolina.
These men he :, for the most part, been sol
diers OF the revolution and members OF the
They held protective legislation TO be essential
TO our Industrial independence and progress
and knowing something OF the constitution
did not hold such legislation TO be an infraction
OF that instrument
A stin more strongly protective law was en-
acted In l7eU, and IL is o significant fact that
OF the thirty-nfne votes given for the bill
twenty-one were from the southern, thirteen
from the middle and five from the New Eng
land states Its advocates included most OF
the southern leaders already named and James
Monroe, OF Virginia The early laws which In,
augurated the policy OF the government had
the approval OF three presidents. all from the
south--Washington, Madison and Monroe. OF
the thirteen votes against the law nine were
from New England three from the southern
and one from the middle states. II will thus
De seen that are largely indebted TO the
south for the inauguration and establishment
OF our protective system The early southern
statesmen were nearly to a man in its favor,
and e Is cause for universal regret that those
who assume TO speak for that section today
have wandered SO far away from the example
aud teachings OF their patriotic predecessors.
John G. Calhoun began his career as pro-
tectiOnist, and favored the diffusion and growth
OF manufacturers throughout all sections alike.
He remained staunch protectionist for many
years. until he and his followers of the south
buyers ana owners, and OF free. protected and
well paid labor were inevitably antagOnistlc.
That reason. whatever influence IL may have
had then. ought 10 have no force now, for
slavery and the slave tratfic no longer have
place In our civilization and the interests o.
one section % our common country are exact
~ identical with the interests OF every other.
washington, II his message OF 1873. urged
upon congress the necessity OF accelerating
the establishment Of certain useful manufac-
protection. " jefferson, in December 1871, in
hts flrst message cCrgra fulat ted congress- upon