The Dickinson press., 1896-06-20

ton as that the platform viii be conserva-
tive but uneuuivocal declaration in favor
OF the maintenance of the gold standard
as long US the present conditions prevail.
Fairbnnk'x Speech.
The following is the speech of tempo.
rary chairman Fairbanks
The iirst real demonstration Of the con-
ventiOn came when Chairman Carter intro
duced Hon. Charles a. Fairbanks. of In
diana. as the temporary presiding officer.
William II. Sutherald. of the New York
delegation. seconded Mr.. Fairbanks nomi-
nation. and his election was endorsed by
the unanimous voice of the delegates As
Mr.. Fairbanks stepped forward to deliver
the galleries interspersed with staccatO
cheers. He spoke as follows:
AS citizens we were never called upon
10 discharge a more important duty than
that which rests upon us. the nominating
OF president and a vice president of the
United States. This duty is peculiarly
impressive one for the moment. for 1t Is
the choice OF this convention will be the
next president and vice president Of the
great republic.
Three years Of Democratic administra-
tion have been three years of panic, of
wasted energy. of anxiety and loss to the
American people. without a parallel In
our history. To-day the people turn to
IDENTITY: and 1t is for us to meet their OK.
pectations: 1t is for us to give them those
candidates upon whom their hearts have
centered. and to give them clear. straight.
forward. emphatic expression of our 30.
litical faith. The Republican party is q
party OF convictions: and II has written
Its convictions in the history of the repub.
lie with the pen and the sword; with II
the supreme question always has been
| not what is merely 'politic," but what is
cvcrlastingly right" The great men we
have given to the nation and to history
the mighty dead and the illustrl0us living,
are our inspiration and our tower OF
strength If we are but true to their
exalted example we can not be false to
| our c0untrymrn.
For third of a century prior to the
advent OF the present Democratic admin
istration. we operated under laws enacted
by the republican party. All great meas
ures concerning the tariff and the currency
originated with 1t. Tariff laws were form
ed upon lines which protected our laborcrs
ana producers from unequal and unjust
foreign competition. and upon the theory
that the best market In the world is the
home market and that 1t should be en-
Joyed by our own countrymen.
Under the currency laws our currency
was made national. The wildcat state
banks money OF the Democratic party was
wiped out Of existence. The unprecedented
demands growing out OF the war were met
by paper currency which ultimately be-
came as good as gold. Since the rcsump
ton of specie payments In 1879 every dol
lar of our money. paper. silver and gold
has been of equal purchasing power tls
world over. The policy Of the party has
been to make and keep our currency euua
to the best in the world
Under the operation of these homes
tariff and honest money Republican law.
the country grew In wealth and pOwe
beyond precedent. We easily outstrippet
all other powers In the commercial race
On November S, 1892. there was work TO
every hand and bread for every mouth
We had reached high-water mark. I.abo
received higher wages than ever and cnpi
tai was protitably and securely employed
| The national revenues were sufficient I,
| meet our obligations and leave a surplus
| In the treasury. Foreign and domestic
| trade were greater In volume and vaiu,
than they had ever been. Foreign balances
| were largely III our favor. Eu
ropcan gold was flowing toward U.S. Bu
| all Of this is changed. The cause is no
| hard to seek. A reaction began when /
| was known that the legislative and execu
| tive branches OF the government were t,
be Democratic.
The Democratic party hid at Chcag,
| condemned the protective tariff principle
| MS unconstitutional; and solemnly pledges
| Itself to the overthrow and destruction o
| the Mckinley law and to adoption OF frc'
| trade as the policy of the United States
| This bold, aggressive attack upon the lon,
settled policy of the Republican part!
bore It's natural fruit in shaken confidence.
| unsettled business: and we were sOOi
| drifting against the rock OF destruction
Before the work of demolition had nctu
| ally begun, Il run was started upon tn,
treasury reserve which the Republican
party had wisely accumulated for the pro
| lection of the government credit. Ih'
| drain upon the reserve for the redemption
| of grecnbarks and treasury notes greatl,
| surpassed all prior experience ana empha
sized the diScredit into which the Demo
| cratic administration had fallen. An ute
| want OF confidence in the administration
| possessed the people
The Democratic party was harmonious
upon one subject and that was the dcstruc
| ton of the Mckinley law But when they
came to the exercise Of the creative faculty
the enactment of II great revenue measure
in its stead. there was discord. The i'm
| prrilcd interests Of the country watched
| and waited through the long and anxlou.
months for som" settlement of til" impor
| tant question. They wanted an end OF un
| certainty. At length the Wilson bill wal
adopted and 1t was characterized by F;
Democratic president as the child OF
''pertidy and dshonor." 1t was so bad thai
| he would not contaminate his hand by sign
| Ing it. a bill that was too base for Mr.
Cleveland TO approve Is too rotten for tho
| approval of the American people" This I'M
| portant law was wanting In the priinar!
purpos" of a revenue measure: for 1t failed
to provide adequate revenue to meet the
| requirements Of the government The de
| ficiency thus far amounts to some $50.
OOOOOO. The end is not yet for the def
cheney grows day by day. This leaves tho
| treasury and the public credit In con
| stant peril. Our foreign credit is impaired
and domestic capital feels insecure. The
| sectional favoritism Of the Wilson law
| was one Of its marked features. Its blow al
| sheep h,isbanlry was an unpardonable Of
| fcnsc: II was a fragrant wrong to the farm
| ers Of the United States. This great in
| dustry had developed and grown under
| Republican protective laws until 1t was one
| of our greatest. We are now sending
abroad millions of dollars for wool which
were paid to our farmers under the Nc
| Kinley law.
The bill struck down reciprocity, one OF
| the highest achievements In American
| Statesman>hip. No measure was ever en-
acted which more directly advocated the
interests of the American farmers and
| manufacturers than reciprocity. With its
| destruction fell advantageous commercial
| agreements. under which the products were
surely finding larger and more profitable
| foreign markets and without the surrender
| of their own.
The substitution of ad valorem for specific
duties opened the way for systematic
wholesale frauds upon the treasury and
producers and employees of the country. by
means of under valuations foreign goods
pass through the custom houses without
paying their just tribute to the treasury
of the United States. Thus we have lost
millions of dollars in revenue, and the for.
eign producer has been enabled to unfairly
possess our home markets.
Neither time nor place will permit fur
ther reference to the unfortunate legisla-
tion Of the Democratic party nor to the
hurtful, demoralizing effects OF 1t. Suffice
| 1t to say that II has been the great and
original factor In breaking down confidence.
checking progress, emptying the treasury.
causing continued deficits and enforced
| idlencss among millions of willing workers.
To meet the money deficit aud protect our
credit and save the government from pro-
test, the president has been forced to sell
| bonds; in other words. he has been obliged
to mortgage the future III Il time OF peace
to meet the current obligations OF the gov
ernincnt.