The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-16
a Notable Speech to the ToiIers of
M~ckinLey's Home City.

VI
MchfnIey's Home City.
To the workingmen of Canton Major Nc
Kinley said:
Il have witnessed in front of this porch
many scenes which have touched my heart,
but none which has more deeply moved me
than this gathering OF the workingmen of
Canton. | greet you al as my friends.
The currency which. since 1879, has been
on a safe and sound basis, is now assaiied
by our political adversaries. 1t involves the
old question of the honest payment OF the
diers and of all public obligations which the
people long ago determined on the side of
good faith, good mora.s and common hon.
esty. But with that settlement some peo-
pie are not satisfied. So we are called on
TINS year to pass upon this question. There
is still another-the question of protection
against free trade, or tariff reform. In 1892
tree trade as against protection was the
issue OF the campaign, and free
OF the American people, and this year We
bring the question to you again. We ask
considered. better and more matured judg-
ment upon that ISSUE, after three years of
dreadful experience.
Il spoke in the city of Canton-and many
or you DOUBTLESS were present-on Monday
evening, Nov. s. 1892. and in that speech 1
appealed to my fellow-citizens at home, as
l had appealed to them elsewhere, not to
overturn the protective policy which had
brought US such universal prosperity. and
which at that very moment was spreading
it's blessings and benefits throughout the
entire country and in every Industrial GEN.
ter. Protection against free trade was the
leading issue then, and in the course of that
speech l said what was true then and what
is true now. This is what 1 said four years
ago: But again the Democrats say that il
we have free trade we could buy cheaper
than we do at present. Yes. we might while
the struggle between American and foreign
industries was going on, but when the
former are wiped out, the price would go
up to whatever figure might be dictated by
the foreign manufactured, and in the mean
time la bor will be s~cantily employed and
at reduced wages. Free trade cheapens the
article by cheapening the artisan; protec-
ton reduces the price of a product by CIV
Ing the artisan just reward for his labor
and receiving it's reward in his higher skill
product by cheapening the producer; pro-
lection cheapens the product through the
skill, the genius and the industry of the
producer But, my countrymen. nothing Is
cheap at any price which comes from
abroad, that entails idleness upon the
American people. The maxim of free trade
is: Buy where you can buy the cheapest
| will give you a maxim worth ten thou
sand times more than that: Buy where
you can pay the easiest. Buy where labor
receives its highest reward. and that is in
the United States of America'-or was--four
years ago.
During the years of protection every
manufactured product had been c~heapened.
but in that process, thank God. living men
Ects OF the country had gone down in price
labor UP to 1892 had more than held it's own
and a workingman at that time was re-
ceiving 60 per cent. more for his labor than
he received in 1856. All that we have done
by protection is to take care of our own
households and great national family.
That's what We propose to do in the future
by our ballots on the Sd Of November. l
said another thing then: If by your bal
lots you adopt this free-trade policy while
things may be cheaper in the United States.
you will have less labor and less wages
with which to buy them.
Those were the words spoken to you
four years ago and were my best and most
in my relations with you, with many of you
for more than a quarter of a century, ]
have undertaken to deceive. mislead or
wrong, but they were honest opinions and
none were more honest than those l ex-
pressed to you in 1892. How far they were
truly and worthily spoken you can now
Judge. We have passed from the field of
prediction into the kingdom OF Imminent.
We have passed the period of prophecy
since then and have experienced In our own
homes, in our own employments and in our
and tariff tinkering. You know the condi-
lions in 1892. You know the conditions now
Which do you prefer? How s SO n II II ever.
perity which 1892 registered i do not know;
but l do know that we can make a strong
and long start in that direction by the
proper use of our ballots this year in the
restoration of confidence and of the policy
that prevailed at that time.
INV feIlow-citizens, as If the dreadful
experience of the last three years and a
half was not enougn tor our peop,e 10
a new and very grave menace, affecting
the currency of the country. This menace
IuuSI Oc II DCAOiC vii
come back again. and the only way to re-
move 1t is to defeat the party which pro-
poses it. We cannot have business conf
denee; we cannot have an uninterrupted
prosperity; we cannot have good employ
ment and good wages until we have re-
stored confidence to the business OF the
United States. We cannot do that until we
have established an unalterable purpose to
sacred and every dollar of our currency
as good as gold. Nor will business activ-
ity revive so long as we do any part of
our work abroad that we can do at home.
The people must not only nave stability
IN their currency, pu " Iney mu Tba nave s sru
laws must not be ever changing with each
new administration. You k~now-there is
know-there is not an employer of labor
who does not know-that the home man.
tainty upon the character Of his foreign
competition, before he can plan his years
work. He must know In advance what
prices he will have to meet in this market
from his foreign competitor before he can
fix either the number or the wages of his
The sharper the manufacturers foreign
competition is the lower must be the cost
of his product if he would keep this mar
you that the lower the price of the prod
i nct n sne ,cmer II. Is not that true? Nor
need l tell you that the lower tariff du-
ties the sharper the foreign composition,
the harder the fight TO maintain this mar
ket and the lower will American wages
be. If the home manufactures cannot
compete with "a 1dlT prOlt upon his cdpi-
tai then ne will not manufacture; and
when that time comes work and wages are
no more and idaeneSS comes, which Is the
curse of this and every other country.
Your ballots on the Cd OF November. with
the ballots of your fellow-citizens every
where. will determine whether We are to
have a shifting currency or whether IL shall
be d good ard sound one and so rec>Snized
In every part of the world. These ba- SIS,
too. will help to determine whether We shall
continue q tariff policy that fails to supply
the government With adequate revenue or
restore the one which will supply ample
revenue and at the same time enable the
labor of this country to be employed in
doing the work of this country rather than
by the labor OF any other country, while
our own ~workingTnen are idle.
your ballots are free They belong to
nobody in this world but yourselves. you
have nobody to answer to for your votes
bur vour conscsance and your God. Suffrage.
n the most priceless privilege of citizenship
and should be free. fair and independent.