The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-02-13


ed and endorsed as the great, masterful,
triumphant American principle-the
key to our prosperity in business, the
safest prop TO the treasury OF the Unit
ed States, and the bulwark OF our ma
tional Independence and financial honor.
The question of the continuance or
abandonment of our protective system
has been the one great, overshadoWlng,
vital question in American politics ever
since Mr.. Cleveland opened the contest
in December, 1887, to which the lament
ed James G. Blaine made swift reply
from across the sea, and it will continue
the issue until a truly American policy
for the good of America, is finally estab-
lished and perpetuated. The fight will
go on, and must go on, until the Amerl-
can system is everywhere recognized,
until all nations come to understand and
respect it as distinctly, and all Ameri-
cans come TO honor or love * as dearly,
as they do the American flag. God grant
the day may soon come when all par
tisan contention over it is forever al an
endi
The Republican party only is compe-
tent to carry this policy into effect.
Whenever there is anything to be done
for this country, it is TO the Republican
party we must look to have l. done. We
are not contending for any particular
tariff law, or laws, or for any special
schedules, or rates, but for the great
principle-the American protective pol
icy-the temporary overthrow of which
has brought distress and ruin TO every
part of our beloved country.
1T may be asked what the next Re
publican tariff law will provide. l can
not tell you. can not tell you what the
rates viii be, but they VIII measure the
= -,
ropean conditions, and will be fully ade-
quate TO protect ourselves from the in
VaSiOns of our markets by Oriental pro-
ducts to the injury of American labor,
and viii in no case be too low to pro-
Iect and eXalt American labor ard pro-
mote and increase American produc-
ton.
1 cannot better answer this grave
question than by an illustration of Mr..
Lincoln's. Some one asked him, ''HO~
long a mans legs ought to be-" He
said: That is a very serious question
and 1 have given much thought TO it
great many times. Some should be long
er and some shorter; but want 10 tell
you that a mans legs ought always 10
be long enough to reach from his body
to the ground" And so I tell you, my
inquiring free trade friend, that the legs
OF the next Republican tariff law will
be long enough 10 firmly support the
American body polite; sustain its pub
lie treasury; lift up our national credit;
and uphold the dignity and independ-
ence of American labor, and the enter
prises and occupationst OF the Ameri-
can people.
No one need be in any doubt what
the Republican party stands for Its
own history makes that too palpable
and clear to admit Of doubt. 1t stands
for a reunited and recreated nation,
based upon free and honest elections
in every township, county. city, dis
trict and state in this great American
union. 1t stands for the American
fireside. and the flag of the nation. 1t
stands for the American farm, the Am
erican factory and the prosperity of
all the American people. 1t stands
for a reciprocity that reciprocateS and
which does not yield up to another coun
try a single days labor that belongs
to the American workingman.It stands
for international agreements which get
as much as they give, upon terms Of
mutual advantage. 1t stands for an
exchange of our surplus home prod
ucts for such foreign products as we
consume but do not produce. 1t stands
for the reciprocity of Blaine; for the
reciprocity of Harrison; for the resto-
ration and extension of the principle
embodied in the reciprocity provision
of the Republican tariff of 1890. 1t
stands for a foreign policy dictated by
and imbued with a spirit that is gen.
timely American; for a policy that Will
revive the national traditions, and re-
store the national spirit which carried
US proudly through the earlier years
of the century. 1t stands for such
policy with all foreign nations as will
insure both to us and them Justice i'm
Partially, fairness, good faith, digni-
~, and honor. 1t stands for the Mon
roe doctrine as Monroe himself pro-
claimed it, about which there is no di-
vision whatever among the American
people. 1t stands now, as ever, for
honest money. and a chance to earn IL
by honest toll. 1t stands for cur
rency of gold, silver and paper with
which to measure our exchanges that
shall be as sound as the government
and as untarnished as its honor. The
Republican party would as soon think
of lowering the flag of our country as
to contemplate with patience or with
out protest and opposintiOn any at
tempt to degrade or corrupt the medi-
UNI Of exchanges among the people.
1t can be relied upon in the future, as
in the past, to supply the country with
the best money ever known, gold, sill
yer, and paper, good the world over.
/ stands for a commercial policy that
will whiten every sea with the sails of
American vessels flying the American
flag, and that will protect that flag
wherever it floats. 1t stands for a sys-
tenn which will give to the United
States the balance OF trade with every
competing nation in the world. II is
for q fiscal policy opposed to debts and
deficiencies in time Of peace. and fav-
ors the return OF the government to
debt paying, and opposes the continu-
ance Of a debt-naking policy.
And. Gentlemen OF the Marquette
club, let me tell you that the Republi-
can party, true to the advice and ex-
ample of Lincoln, is going 10 make the
campaign this year upon its own
ground. not upon its opponents. That
is to say, the Republicans of the coun-
try are not going TO help the Democrat
ic leaders obscure the issue on which
their party has been wrecked and the
administration stranded. by taking up
every new incident about which a hue
and cry may be raised. On the con-
trary, they will not be led OF by side
issues. but they viii everywhere cOur-
ageously insist that the people in No
vember shall judge the admin.strat ton
and its party by their works and not by
any new and hosstful protestatons by
them. They viii give due credit for
any sporadic oUtbursts of patriotic fer
vor for our rights IN foreign countries
that the administration may choose 10
indulge IL and rejoice that i is al last
on the right side OF a great question,
* NJ +ha RarlrrhIF0a-S have
always been. The ship OF state shall
not be lured into shallow waters by
false lights No newborn zeal for
- Ill l.