The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-08-13
WHO IS THE ToILER's FRIEND.

had an equal show in the struggle TO
! existence: he finds his condition ant
chances circumscribed and himself OPP
pressed. His earnest and vehemen
| protest is being incorporated in th'
| spirit of parties and in their platforms
The plutoc1atic trend of the preseni
! Democratic administration, its syndi
cate bond dealings and monetary
manipulationS in the interest Of fa
| vorites and against the many, has in
tensified a we'll nigh universal cry OF
| protest A recognition of these exist
| ing conditions has inspired the mana
gers Of the Democratic party TO present
and represent Mr.. Bryan, their nomi-
nee, as a special champion Of the TOLL
ing masses. The fact that their party
is largely and directly responsible for
the unhappy and unsatisfactory cOndi-
tons, is brazenIy ignored by some Of
these Democratic leaders, while by
others the fact is sought 10 be kept out
of sight by dust throwing, such as
threats of boiling. the squabble over
two vice presidential nominees, the
cry for silver and the like. But the
real isSue-the responsibility for the
present unsatisfactory conditions
not be kept in the background, and the
question will soon be at the front; who
is the real friend of the toiier, McKin-
ley or Bryan; which the CONSERVATION of
the industrial interests of this coun-
try, the party now in power or the one
which for so many years brought only
prosperity to the country and for all
its people.
The Republican party has nothing TO
fear from this enquiry, either in its
candidate for president or upon its
record. Major Mckinley is a better
representative of the men who toll in
field and shop and mine, than is Mr..
Bryan. The Republican nominee has
proved their champion by his acts and
votes in the past. Mr.. Bryan comes
forward with promises but also with
record that is against his profession.
Mckinley represents the cause of pro-
lection for American labor; Mr.. Bryan
represents the cause of free trade and
the rights of foreign manufacturers
and laborers on American soil.
But again. Mckinley won his first
public recognition as a young man by
making q winning fight for coal min
ers. Bryan was first heard of in a
free trade speech in which equal OPP
portunities for European industries in
American markets were advocated
Major McKinley'S defense of the de-
mands of the coal miners was followed
by one intellectual and political
achievement after another until he be-
come to be recognized as a national
figure and factor. His recommends
ton to public office was a defense of
laboring men who were on trial for
burning the works Of coal mining
company at Massillon, Ohio. The
miners were out on a strike and dur
ing this strike someone fired the works.
More than q score of miners were in
dicted and placed on trial, charged
with incendiarism. Major Mckinley
was young attorney at Canton. He
had never been thought of for public
office and had no ambition for any
other success than that of a lawyer
He was a friend of the miners on trial
and he was engaged to defend them.
Public opinion condemned the men
without trial. but William Mckinley
took up their cause with such earnest
ness and made such defense that the
ma ority of the men were acquitted
and those who were found guilty escap-
ed with very slight punishment
The Inter Ocean in speaking of Nc
Kinley's early public life. says that old
lawyers in Ohio who heard McKinIey's
defense Of these men predicted a bril- |
liant future for him at the bar, and |
the mine owners who had the men ar
rested felt that this young man was |
more dangerous to their interests as !
the champion of labor than was the |
miners organization that had brought !
about the strike. The miners OF that |
part of Ohio looked upon Mckinney
as their champion. and that speech |
made him the Republican candidate |
for prosecuting attorney of Stark eoun- |
ty. There was a large Democratic |
majority in the county, but McKin-
ley's defense Of the miners broke down /
the opposition and gave him the elec- |
ton by good majority.
As the public prosecutor Mckinley |
Wis the friend Of the laboring men. !
not in pretenSe. but in the honest and !
fearless Judgment he used in refusing |
to allow his office to be used 10 intimi- |
date men in the free exercise of their /
rights as citizens. When he became |
L candidate for congress the laboring |
men looked upon him as their true |
friend, and hundreds who had voted |
the Democratic ticket helped elect Nc !
kinley 10 congress, and for many years /
helped keep him there in spite of the |
Democratic gerrymanders OF his dis |
trict.
Mckinley became the champion OF |
protection 10 American industry. not |
because he was tariff expert, but be
cause he was interested in the cause OF |
labor. and he represented a district |
which had many industries where |
wages We're dependent on the protec- |
ton given them IN our tariff laws. One |
Of his first arguments in favor Of pro-
lection was that The right of labor |
and Of labor'S best reward is not only |