Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-08-08
OUR NATIONAL HONOR.

MIR. Mckinley, In His Speech to the
Notification Committee, Says
1t Is involved In the Cur
renoy Question.
Senator Thurston and Gentlemen OF
the Notification Committee of the Repub-
lican National Conventions To be selects
cd as their Presidential candidate by n
great party convention, representing so
vast n number of the people of the Unit
ed States, is Il most distinguished honor,
for which | would not conceal my high
appreciation, although deeply sensible of
the great responsibilities of the trust and
my inability TO bear them without the
generous and constant support OF my fel-
low countrymen.
Great as is the honor conferred, equal
ly arduous and important is the duty inn
posed, and in accepting the one i assume
the other, relying upOn the patriotic
devotion of the people to the best inter-
ests of our beloved country, and the sus-
tanning care and aid of him without
whose support all we do is empty and
vain. Should the people ratify the
choice of the great convention for which
you speak, my only aim will be TO pro-
mote the public good, which in America
is always the good of the greatest num-
Der. the honor of our country, and the
welfare of the people.
THE questions to be settled in the ma
tional contest this year are as serious
and important as any of the great gov
ernmental problems that have confronted
us in the last quarter of the century.
They command our sober judgment and a
settlement free from partisan prejudice
and passion, beneficial TO ourselves aud
betting the honor and grandeur of the
republic. They touch every interest OF
our common country.
Much Is Involved.
"0ur industrial supremacy, our pro-
ductivc capacity, our business and COM
mercial prosperity, our tabor and its re-
wards, our national credit and currency,
our proud financial honor, and our SPLEEN
did free citizenship-the birthright of
every American-arc all involved in the
pending campaign, and thus every home
in the land is directly and intimately con-
nocted with their proper settlement.
Great are the issues involved in the com
ing election, and eager and earnest are
the people for their right determination
Our domestic trade must be won back
and our idle ~workingmen employed in
gainful occupations at American wages.
Our homc market must be restored TO its
proud rank of first in the world, and
our foreign trade, so precipitately cut off
by adverse national legislation, reopened
on fair and equitab BILE terms for our sur
plus agricultural and manufacturing
products.
Protection and reciprocity, twin meas
urcs of a true American policy, should
again command the earnest encourage
ment of the government at Washington.
Public confidence must he resumed and
the skill, the energy and the capital of
our country find ample employment ut
home, sustained, encouraged and defend
ed against the unequal competition and
serious disadvantage with which they
are now ~contending.
Must Raise Sufficient Revenue.
"The government of the United States
must raise enough money to meet both
It's current expenses and increasing needs.
Its revenues should be so raised as TO
protect the material interests of our
people, with the lightest possible drain
upon their resources, and maintain that
high standard of civilization which has
distinguished our country for more than
a century of its existence. The income
of the government, / repeat, should equal
its necessary and proper expenditures.
n failure to pursue this policy has com
PEELED the government to borrow money
in a time of peace, to sustain its credit,
and pa its daily expenses. This policy
should be reversed, and that, too, as
speedily as possible.
1T must be apparent to all, regardless
of past party ties or affiliations, that il is
our paramount duty to provide adequate
revenue for the expenditures of the gov
eminent economically and p%rudently ad.
ministered. The Republican party has
heretofore. done, this, and this / conf
IDENTIFY believe il will do in the future.
when the party is again intrusted with
power in the executive and legislative
branches of our government. The ma
tional credit, which has thus far fortu.
nately resisted every assault upon il,
must md will be upheld and strength
ened. If sufficient revenues are provided
for the support of the government there
will be no necessity for borrowing money
and increasing the public debt.
Policy Is mt Fault.
"Thc complaint Of the people is not
against the administration for borrowing
money and issuing bonds to preserve the
credit of the country, but against the
ruinous policy which has made this nee.
essary. 1t is but an incident. and a nee.
essary one, to the policy which has been
inaugurated. The inevitable effect OF
such a policy is seen in the deficiency OF
the United States treasury except as IL is
r~eplenished by loans, and in the distress
of the people, who are suffering because
of the scant demand for either their labor
or the products of their labor. Here il
the fundamental trouble, the remedy fol-
which is Republican opportunity and
duty.
During all the years of Republican
control following resumption there was
a steady reduction Of the public debt
while the gold reserve was sacredly
maintained and our currency and credi,
preserved without depreciation. faint, OF
suspicion. If we would restore this pol
icy. that brought us unexampled pros.
perity for more than thirty years. under
the most trying conditions ever known in
this country, the policy by which w
made and bought more goods at hom,
and sold more abroad, the trade balance
would be quickly turned in our favor
and gold would come TO us and not &c
from us in the settlement of all sucf
balances in the future. The party thai
supplied by legislation the vast revenue:
for the conduct of our greatest war. anC
promptly restored the credit of the coun
try at its close, and that from its aband
ant revenues paid OF a large share IF tn,
debt incurred in this war, and that re
sumed specie payments and placed ouI
paper currency upon a sound and endur
ing basis, can be safely trusted to pre
serve both our credit and currency with
honor, stability, and inviolability.
Our Financial Honor Is Sacred.
"The American people hold the inan.
cial honor of our government as sacred
as our flag, and can be relied upon "a
guard 1t with the same s~leepless vigil.
ance. They hold it's preservation aboy,
party fealty and have often demonstrat,
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