The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-14
To Homestead workmen.

No delegation ever gave Major Mckinley
a warmer greeting than the thrty-three
carloads of cheering, hagwaving, hat
tossing Homestead workingmen did when
the Major advanced to reply to their greet
ing. He said:
Mr. President and my Fellow-citizens-
I am glad to have at my home and to give
welcome to the Workingmen of Homestead,
Pa. (CheersD The Republican party has
always believed in homesteads. daughter
and applause) Whether it be the home
steads upon the public domain in the far
West or whether it be nomesteads IN the
Mr. Lincoln signed the first homestead law
that was ever passed, opening up the great
lean citizens and from that hour until the
present the Republican party has been en-
gagged in advocating policy that would
give a homestead to- every man who
works. CA voice, We are looking for
second Lincoln in you, Major!D
the wonderful advancement you have made
in the great industry you represent, so
eloquently described by your spokesman.
We are now engaged in a campaign which
directly affects every workingman in the
United States (applausa2, and every inter
a contest which involves not only the ques-
ton of the tariff. but involves the question
Of sound money; whether we SHALL have
the same good money we now have ana
have had for more than sixteen years past,
or try the hazardous experiment OF en-
gaging in the independent free coinage or
silver--an experiment that has worked dis
aster everywhere and is bound 20 work IT
some phases OF this question I want es-
pecialiy to present for your consideration.
The very frequent statement is made that
the gold standard has Injured the business
of the country. diminished the prices OF ag-
ricuitural products. appreciated the price
of gold and wrought ruin and dlsaStef TO
the country. This is. of course, mere as
sumption. andis based on the fluctuations OF
the market prices OF commodities Wil o Ia III
many instances have diminished IN the laSt
twenty-five years, and because OF the De
crease in prices, 1t is asserted, gold mas
appreciated. The fall in prices. every man
in this audience knows, is easily and readl-
ly accounted for upon a moments renee
ton. The decrease in the price OF conn1o 3G,
tiles has been going on ever since skill,
and genius, and invention have peen az
work and such cheapening process nss
of a century, aided by protective tariff
and the rich rewards that our prosperity
has offered. Whenever agricultural rrp o.
ucts have fallen in price 1t is diScoEeraple
that there has been an increased production
and that the increased consumption mas
not kept pace with the increased proouc-
ZION Ks great areas of lands have been
opened to the raising of farm products
the quantity of such pfoductlon mas IN u,
the same proportion, prices nave loglcally
and inevitably fallen
KEY TO THE WHOLE NATTER.
eft does not require great effort of the
mind to comprehend that if you increase
the quantity of wheat in single year
enormously, with ABOUT the same HUMMER
of consumers as before, that the prices VIII
90 down With given number of consum-
ers and an increased production. with more
connections and no more consumers, the
cbeaner will be the products. What in
creases the price of any product is that
MANY neople want it and can only get it
nv having a better price than some one else
Is willing TO give. The more people who
want an article the better price it Will COM
mand The more people who want your Ia
nor the better wages you Will receive. TAP
nIauSe If there is one days labor Tor SIX
teen workingmen you would not get as
erood wages as though there We're sixteen
davs work for one worklngman. tLaugh-
fer and continued applause-) And that Is
the sort of Is TO we want IN the Iiileu
States. applause es.,..,
oroducts or any other commodities which
bbayra been cheapened in their production by
innroved machinery and more competitive
ields with greater production, does not
nroye that gold has advanced in value, but
simply that such products nave fallen IN
10 not the labor of man, rather than
the thing which the labor creates, the real
test Have the wages paid to labor since
is73 as measured by gold, decreased? Gap
plaIsal That is the crucial question. We
resumed specie payments on a gold basis
Ian 1879 Since that time wages and
Salaries have not declined. but have rather
risen In 1850 the number of employees in
tbe manufacturing establishments of the
United States. men and youths. was 2.si2.-