Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-08-19
MCKINLEY TO THE COLORED MAN.
He Points Out Why He Should Stick
to the Republican Party.

Major Mckinley addressed delegation
of two hundred Afro-Americans from
Cleveland. at Canton, Ohio, yesterday af
ternoOn. He said: 1T gives me extreme
pleasure to meet and greet my colored fell
low citizens of the city Of Cleveland of
northern Ohio; and rejoice to learn from
your eloquent Spokesman that your race
this year, as In all the years of the past,
stands faithfully to the republican cause,
which 1 believe is the cause Of our coun-
try. (Applausel. l DO not forget-no man
can forget-that whether IN war or '9 IN
peace, the race which you represent never
turf ed Its back on the glorious stars and
stripes. Great applause and cries of HUI
rah for McKin1ey.D When that great civil
war CON menced no man could tell what its
outcome would be in regard to its effect
upon your race. There were those who be-
lieved that 1t must result in the abolition
of human slavery. There, were those who
believed otherwise. The result was the inn
mortal proclamation of emancipation by
the best friend you ever had Abraham in
coin. whose name you will cherish and re-
we're forever and forever more. tremendous
cheering). James G. Blaine once said that
the first instinct Of an American was
eGuality-equality of privilege, equality in
political power. That sentiment long ago
found expression in the Constitution of the
United States, and the people of this coun-
try placed in that great instrument, where
1t had never been before and where under
God, it shalrever remain, civil and political
equality to every citizen everywhere be-
meath the flag. (Applause)
congratulate you gentlemen upon the
spiendld progress that your race has made
since emancipation. You have done bet
ter; you have advanced more rapidly than
1t was believed possible at that time: you
have improved greatly the educational ad-
Vantages which you have had. Your peo-
pie everywhere, north and SOUTH are ac-
eliminating property and today you stand
as among the most Conservative of the
Citizens of this great republic. Applause).
| congratulate You from the bottom of my
heart upon the advancement you have al
ready made, and l sincerely wish for YOU
and your race, fellow citizens of a common
country, the highest realization of your
hopes and your prayers. Great cheerinE),
we are now engaged in political con-
test and your presence in such vast num-
bers here today evidences the interest
which you have in the public questions
that are now engaging the attention of the
American people. We have q great coun-
try and We must keep It great The post
which the United States must occupy. both
IN wages and industries, and in the integ-
rity OF its finances AMI currency must be
at the head Of the nations Of the earth,
cloud applause) To that place of honor
the people of the country must restore it
ODDOrtunitV
they have wished for since 1892 viii they
meet in this year. 1896? Cries of ''They
Win.")
We want in the United States neither
cheers.) We win have neither the one nor
the other. (Applause) We must not for
get that nothing is cheap to the American
PEOPLE which comes from abroad when it
entails idleness upon our own laborers
Tremendous applause)
I'VE are opposed to any policy which in
creases the number of UNEMPLOYED in the
United States, even IL 1t does give us cheap
er foreign goods; and we are opposed to
any policy which degrades American man
hood that we may have cheaper products
made either at home or abroad. Great
applause) Having reduced the pay Of
labor, 1t is now proposed to reduce the
value of the money In which labor is paid
daughter and applahse.)
This money question presents itself to
me in this honnely fashion: II free coinage
not an honest dollar. Applause) If free
coinage means O 1OQ-cent dollar, equal to
gold dollar, as some Of its advocates assert.
we will not then. have cheap dollars, but
which viii be Is hard to get. (Applause.1
In which case free coinage will not help the
debtor or make IT easier for him to pay his
debts. Cries IF That's rightly
of all appeals observable in this campaign
Is the one which tseeks to array labor
against capital employs against employer
(Applause) 1t IS most unpatriotic and is
fraught with the greatest peril to all con-
cerned: We. are all political equals here
dent upon each other, and the prosperity of
the one is the prosperity of the other.
Great cheering) 1t is as Mr.. Lincoln said
to the committee from the Workingmen's
Association Of New York, in the campaign
Of 1864: Prosperity is the fruit of labor:
prosperity is desirable; 1T is a positive good
in the world. That some should be rich
shows that others may become rich and
hence Is just encouragement to industry
and enterprise. Let no man who is home
less pull down the house Of another, but let
Tim work diligently and build one for HIM
self, thus by example assuring that his
own shall be safe from violence, when
built
II thank you. my fellow citizens for this
call of greetings and congratulations.
thank you for the honor you have con-
ferred upon me in ielectins me the first hon
orary member Of your organization I as
sure You 1t will give ne pleasure to meet
each one OF you personally" (Great cheer
ipg)