The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-08
TO WEST VIRGINIASS.
Message to South erners That Should
Appeal to Their Patriotism.


Major McKinley's speech to the West
Virginia delegation was frequently inter
rupted with applause, and at its conclusion
there was triple round of cheers. Mr.. Me-
Kiney said:
Mr.. Caldwell, Ladies and Gentlemen
and my Fellow -citzens-I bid welcome to
my home the citizens of Parkersburg and
Of the State of West Virginia L greet you
most cordially and thank you for this tes-
timony of your zeal in the Republican
cause and for its promise of triumph on
the third day OF November. [ thank your
eloquent spokesman for his generous as
ise that for the first time the electoral
votes of your little mountain State will be
given to the Republican party. No State
in the Union has made greater progress
from 1870 to 1892 in some respects and
State OF West Virginia. You have mineral
wealth, the development of which has only
just begun and which will be greatly pro-
NOTED or retarded, according to the deter
mination of the people as to the industrial
policy which they will adopt this year.
You have, too. a rich agricultural State,
which is dependent for its prosperity on the
prosperity of the cities and the towns,
which in turn are dependent on the pros
perity of their manufactures. 1t needs
only the touchstone of confidence and the
assurance of stability to enable your State
to achieve still higher rank and place. Had
your onward march of 1882 remained un-
checked: had your growth and development
man in the State of West Virginia, a
farmer whose products would not bring
him living prices
The interests of West Virginia are iden-
tical and are not different from the inter-
est of every other section of our country.
The interests OF your State are identical
with the interests of my State. What will
benefit one will benefit the other; what will
injure the one will injure the other. They
have no divided interests. They are one
and indivsible. No longer are they sep
arated in interest or affection or fraternity
ago. The wounds then inflicted have been
healed. The bitterness then engendered
has been .assuaeed., The fires of passion
then burning have been quenched. We are
all equal part of the glorious Union of
States, all equally interested in preserv-
ing it's indissolubility all alike concerned
in the strength and integrity of the Union;
in upholding law. in maintaining that great
bulwark of American rights, the courts of
rolds of protection over us. and is as near
TO the hearts of the men of the South as
to the men of the North
1T will be a glorious day in the history
of our country when the North and the
South shall be united in control of the gov
ernment brought together in the execution
of a common purpose. agreeing IN COM
mon policy for the good of all, and togeth-
shall be national in fact as we'll as in name.
We will never reach our full and imperial
power as a government until that unity
shall demonstrate its presence in national
triumph, which shall be the joint work and
common triumph of all sections of
country This is my aim and prayer and
if this contest shall result in promoting
that greatly to be desired result it will be
American destinity since Appomattox.
Parties my fellow-citizens, are only the
Instruments in the hands of the people for
the accomplishment of the good of the
country They should not require cur fealty
or allegiance single moment after they
have ceased to be instruments for the pub
lie good, for the public honor ard for the
public veal. Party attachments, strong as
they are, should be quickly broken if to
continue them means injury and hurt to
the countrys highest interests and the well
fare of all the people. No patriotic citizen
can, with his own self-respect mindful of
the interests OF his State and country. fol-
low any political organization no matter
how long he has been member of it. when
that political organization assails the cur
rency and credit and industrial independ-
ence of the government. Nor should FORM
er political opinions be closed against reVi-
sion when experience has demonstrated
tnat .aI IN 9nose s4 oplIlons It are clearly wrong
this country, no matter what they have
thought in the past, who will not now say
that free-trade or so-called tariff reform
has proven, by the experience of the past
four years, to be q signal and disastrous
failure. 1t has failed, utterly failed in
every prophecy, promise and expectation
1t has not secured a single thing that its
advocates said would follow its adoption.
Not one. More, it has not served a single
American interest. 1t has served the
interests of other nations of the
world, but has given benefit TO
the American people. 1t has not helped
the laborer, the farmer. the manufacturer.
the mechanic, the merchant. the lumber
| helped either the producers or the consum-
ef. IL mas given Tile treasury InadeUuate
revenue, insufficient revenue and il
has given the laborer inadequate and in
sufficient employment. and the farmer a
disappointing and ruinous price for his
products
Why, think for a moment farmers of
West Virginia. that during the first wear
of this so-calied tariff-reform law we i'm
ported $3S. o00 of agricultural products
from other countries. Is that the way to
bring prosperity to the American farmer?
The way to do that Is to buy your products
at home and make your tariff high enough
70 keep the products of the cheaper labor
and the cheaper lands of other countries
from destructive competition with our own
producers. You would have thought If this
taIiff-ref3rm revenue law would have done
anything it would at least have raised
enough money to run the government. 1t
as not even done that As a producer of
revenue it has ba9n an utter failure and as
q producer of wealth, or wages. or markets
or prices TO the farmer its failure IS depIor-
able and unprecedented. 1t did not COM
L and the support Of half Of the Democrats
OF the country when 1t was put into the
public enactment known as the Wilson
tariff law. It did not even ccmnaend itself
10 the President whn refused to sign it.
bile it's practical as1e2i ristration has con-
drmed the wisdom Of 1e men IN the Demo-
cratic party who eonde lnned il and would
have nothing to dc with it. 1t has received
popular disapproval by the most sweeping