The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1896-09-03
Harrison on the Situation

The campaign Of the Republican party in
New York for sound money and national
honor began in earnest with the address Of
ex-President Harrison in Carnage Hall last
Thursday evening Thousands anxious to
hear the distinguished speaker were unable
to gain admission to the hall, and even after
the speaker of the evening had concluded
his hearers were clamorous for more and
called for other addresses, which were furn.
| lshed by Chairman Hanna, Postmaster
General Wanamaker, Edward Lauterbach,
President Hill of Rochester U University.
| The eX-President's speech proved to be one
OF the most able and forceful he has ever de-
lvered, and he was successful in carrying
MS hearers along with him. He devoted
much attention to the revolutionary nature
OF the Chicago platform, and characterized
situations as fraught with the greatest
danger to the nation. He pointed out with
great clearness the dangers of free coinage,
and predicted that if Byran or man of sim
liar views were in the Presidential chair we
should have free coinage forced upon US in a
week time without legislation by Congress.
Mr.. Harrison laid special stress upon the
policy OF protection as an important factor
IN the campaign, and dwelt upon the neces-
sity that the workingman should be return
ed to the prosperity which he enjoyed up to
1898, and declared that facts had won the de-
bate in favor of protection. Many Of Mr..
Harrison's sentences will undoubtedly sur
vive as campaign slogans. "The first dirty
errand of dirty dollar is to cheat the work
lngman,' is one of the sentences which will
! cling to the memory. We give the conclud-
ing paragraphs of the address in full
My friends, these men surely do not con-
| template the irretrievable and extensive
character of the disaster and disturbance
and disruption which they are proposing for
all of us in all our business affairs, great and
simple Take the laboring man. how full of
sympathy they are for him. NY countrymen.
l never spoke a false word to the laboring
man in my life. Great applause.) | have
never sought to reach his vote or influence
by appeals to that part of his nature that
will pollute the intellect and the conscience.
l have believed and | believe to-day, that
any system that maintains the price of labor
IN this country, that brings hope into the life
OF the laboring man, that enables him to put
by, that gives him stake in good order, in
the property of the country, is the policy
that should be our American policy. ZAP
plauSe,) | have resisted III many campaigns
this idea that debasei currency could
help the workingman. The first dirty errand
that dirty dollar does is TO cheat the work
ing!nan. (Appause)
My friends, a cold statistical inquiry, nom
partisan in its character, was made by a com
ihlttee I'D the Senate IN lS9o and the follow
ing year. The committee was composed of
Democrats and Republicans, and they set
OUT TO study as statlstclans the relative
prices OF commodities and wages at differ
ent periods in the history of our country.
inns investigation covered the years of the
war. LII showed how prices OF goods Went
~ ana IN what proportion labor advanced.
Goods Went mp rapidly, because the pencil
process IS quick process, Wages went up
haitlhgty anu slowly because the employer
mas TO be persuaded and the pencil won t
serve, Now, | have here somewhere mem
Uranium OF some OF those FACTS resulting
from 'hat investigation. Labor IN one period
advanced thfee per cent Goods, the things
1ie men nave 70 buy out OF their wages for
thelr iamlles and living, advanced Is per
cent Through another period the laborers
wages advanced 10 - per cent. and the price
OF goods advanced ~ per cent In another
perloo the wages OF the laborers went up .
per cent. ana the prices o. merchandise adj
Nanced W per cent. In another period the
laborerS wages went up 43 per cent. and the
price OF goods III per cent.
Now these statistics are the result OF
cold, scientific inquiry, made by men of both
partles to determine what the truth was, and
the truth they found that the enormous dis
parity between the advance OF the cost of
living and the advance of wages falls in ex-
actly with what we would conclude in adj
vance Laborlng men who work, whether
with head or with hand, in salaried positi, rs,
would do well to take the facts to heart and
settle the question after the broad and deep
inquiry which Mr.. Byran invites, whether
tn ntar lntn