The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-18
MICHIGAN'S GREAT WEALTH.
Major M~cKinIey's Speech to Il WOlver-
inc State LEGATION

In responding to a delegation from Grand
Rapids and other towns in western Michi-
gan, Mr.. Mckinley said:
My Fellow-citizens-I am glad to well
Michigan. / recall with pleasure the sew
eral visits | have made to the city of Grand
Rapids. l remember the great assem-
biages of people which greeted me on each
occasion, and am glad to have you at last
return my frequent calls. l recall also
with pleasure my attendance upon that
great Republican love feast annually held
in the city of Detroit on the anniversary
of the birth of Washington. There is one
thing that can be said about the Republican
party-it can celebrate the anniversaries
of all the great American statesmen, no
matter to VIVA party fd they may have be-
honor. We have no difficulty in celebrat-
ing, too, with our Democratic friends the
anniversary of Jefferson, Jackson and
Benton. We celebrate those anniversaries
with the same satisfaction that we cele-
brate the anniversaries of the early states
men who were more nearly of our political
belief.
You have, my fellow-citizens, a great
to me, Republicanism, more than ever be-
fore, proud as has been it's record in the
represents all that is best in the past rec
ords and teachings of all American
parties and statesmen. You come of a
State of the most magnificent material re-
sources, grit by lakes and noble rivers,
and crossed and recrossed by great trunk
line railroads. Michigan not only has more
shipping than any other Western State, but
her commerce in every other particular is
of exceeding great Importance. You glance
p~ortance of her lake traffic; but did you
ever think that she has within her borders
over five thousand lakes, covering easily a
thousand square miles and including islands
of six times that territory?
And. my fellow-citizens, great as is the
Importance of your you are not
left with that alone. You have immense
advantages in both mining and manufacture
ing. The mme of Detroit and Port
Huron, your chief shipping points. amounts
to about ten millions annually. But by the
census returns Michigan had Invested in
manufacture in 1890 about $251. 000, COO and the
value in production of 1921, 600, 900. Under
the census law every establishment of pro
ductive industry, including mines and fac
tories. in which the value of the products
was $500 or more, was to be reported. Mich
trial establishments Of all kinds at S.s12;
capital invested, s251, 900, 000; value of ma
terials used, $l25, 100000 value of produc-
June j, 1890 was $50, 900, 600, YOU Know bet.
ter than | do the condition of labor in
Michigan now. Is it in the same condition
that it was in 1890 or in 1891 or 1892? (Cries
of No! no. no!) In agriculture Michigan
is equally prominent, with an acreage of
about 14,000. 900 of excellent farm lands
valued at 500, COO 900 and an annual product
And how shall we speak of Michigan's
great wealth in minerals? From 1880 to
bushels of salt, the greatest product Of
any similar territory in the world. Coal
uHuefIleS o,dD square miles or her surface,
while her iron ore product is far greater
than that of any other State. In 1890 more
than 100000 tons, valued at SIG. 600, 600, were
produced. Indeed. l saw the statement of
a great StatiStician ten years ago that down
to that time Michigan had shipped within
Il single decade 81. 600. 600 tons of iron ore.
worth $2So. 0W 1000. These figures are indeed
startling, but bear in mind that Michigan
produces Cor once did one-third of the en-
tire American output. Then. in the pro-
duction of lumber how remarkable the
showing of the State of Michigan is or has
been.
Then your great furniture manufac-
tories of Grand Rapids. the pride and adj
miration of the entire country, were busy
with thousands of employees working at
living wages. How is 1t to-day. men of
Grand Rapids? From the close of the war
up to 1880 1t was estimated that you had
turned out the enormous product of near
ly 5000, 900. 900 feet of lumber. / cannot go
into the details of the product in the good
times of 1880. Suffice it to say that il was
much the largest of any equal territory in
this or any other country
"When we reflect the DEVELOPMENT of all
this wealth is in a State of less than GO. 900
square miles and among people not yet
2, 500, 900 in number. we can begin to realize
how great is our country. Can it be posi-
Bile that such a magnificent commonwealth
will lend her influence to free silver. free
trade, dishonor and partial or entire re-
pudiation? cNo, No! Never.) No, l say;
forever no. What the people of this coun-
try want. whether they dwell in Michigan
or Tennessee or Ohio. is a. policy that will
protect and defend every American interest
against the outside world from any quar-
ter. What we want Is a tarir put upon