The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-09
TO FIRST VOTERS.
Mckinley Tells Them What Their
Ballots Should Express.

The First Voters Club, of Cleveland, was
presented by. Mr.. o. Snyder Mr. Mckinley
Mr. Snyder and my Fellow-citizens-I
congratulate all of you upon having
reached your majority; l congratulate you
upon having entered into full possession of
sovereignty in the best government of the
world. Born in the seventies you have en-
joyed the most marvellous advantage of the
nineteenth century You have witnessed
the greatest progress in science, mechanics
and material development of any similar
the advantages of the free and higher
schools of learning. You have lived in 81
period of the greatest opportunity for
moral and intellectual growth and enjoyed
most favorable conditions for forming right
opinions. You have escaped the extreme
bitterness OF old party divisions and the
passions of a tratricidal war. You carry
none of the scars of the past party con-
flicts You witness only as you come TO
your sovereignity a reunited country un-
der the old flag, blessed in all its national
resources beyond any otnef country ana
suffering ONLY because of the unwiSe poll
cies already inaugurated, and the danger
Gus policies yet threatened: You approach
under the most advantageous circum-
stances, free from any past predllecuohS
and prepared in calm Judgment, to con-
slider without prejudice the issues upon
which parties are divided. You have in this
campaign as in no former campaign the
advantage of the most exhaustive discus
sion.
started out for yourselves nave tlaq III tne
last three or four years some valuable per-
sonal exnerience. which is quite as good
school in politics as in anything else You
come to your majority at a time when the
people are enga ged in d great national con
test to settle some of the most important
questions which have M eyer eonlr1n'ea "a co,us us
VOC are given the ballot at a time when
it's use for good or evil TO country was
never greater. You assume thus response
bility at "A period fraught with as grave
problems as were ever presented TO the
American people, except IN the time OF
war. - -. .,o,,,o,,
that the Union was saved by the dread or
deal of war If it cannot be continued IN
neace with honor. No nation can hold its
standing before mankind that will depre-
ciate it's own currency any more wan ~ IL q
nation can stand well before the worlq tnat
will not defend its flag ana honor; NO ma
ton can hold its position that VIII Vl9iSte 10 it
plighted faith or repudlate any part OF iS
indabtedness under any guise whatsoever
No nation can command respect at home or
fbe supremacy of law and inviolability of
its own sacred obligations. .
nnder the conditions proposed by our al
lied oDDonents will result in debasing our
currency. deprive us OF the use OF gold ana
ali naDer money based on gold, thus con-
tra cling our currency and leaving us upon
a silver basis alone. Its result would ne
to give US poorer money ttian t, we we, now nape s
have Free silver would depreciate invest
ments shake public confidence; destroy
values: cheat labor. imDalf the savings or
moor and produce a commercial revulsion
the like of which this country has never
known our first voters surely will not
want 10 use their ballots TO bring about
such result.
surely every young voter who has his
spurs Vet TO win his career yet to make
his fortune to build, will hesitate before
he will give his ballot to a party which
seeks to create hostility between classes
and sections; between the rich and the
poor; between The mechanic and the man
ufacturer; between the farmer and the
banker or capitalist He will cast his bal
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