The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1896-02-22

- p. u - ~ ~ No. i e
nx-oev. Me1kinley's 0ra<icn % ths aaar-
tyred presidents
Attn banquet Of Marquette club. Of
Chicago. on the night OF "Wednesday.
February IL. In the celebration Of Lin
coins day. ex-t;ov. william Mckinley.
Of Ohio. spoke In response to the tonst;
abraham Lincoln" In part a. fol-
lows;
Lincoln n certainly tho most sara
oous and far-seeinE statesman I'm the AN
nails OF American. history. His entire pub
lie life justifics this estimate OF him. II II
notable that his stand on all public ques-
tions IN his earlier az well an his later
career, stamps him as the wisest exponent
Of political truths We have ever had
witnessing the government as wo DO to-
day. with its debt-increasing. bond-isnu-
ing. gold depicting. iabor-destroying, low
tarin policy. with what mighty force the
words OF Lincoln. written more than hair
q century ago. come TO us In this hour a7d
emergency. They read az u written
forgotten past. Why. do you know, that
ms FAR back an March I, is43. at wnis
meeting IN Springfield. Mr.. Lincoln OF
fercd a series OF resolutions relating 70
the tariff which could well be accepted rcre
to-night7 They were then Installed ana
was himself appointed 10 prepare an I'D
dress 10 the people OF the state" upon the
subjects which they embraced Let me
read from this address his profound OBJ
pervations upon tariff and taxation ara
their relation TO the condition OF the coun-
by: ,...,... ..,c NJ
Lincoln. declares tariff OF duties upon
foreign Importations. producing sufncicnt
revenue for the support OF the genera
government and so adjusted as TO protect
American industry. 70 be indispcnsapiy
lean people: and the second declares ai-
ret taxation for n national revenue 10 be
improper.
- FOR severaf years past the revenues
Of the government have been unequa' 10
SIS expenditures. and consequently loan
after loan, sometimes direct and some
times Indirect I'm form. has been resorted
20. ny this means a new nationai cent
has been created, and II still growing OF
us with rapidity fearful TO contemplate
"a rapidlty only reasonable 10 be expected
IN time OF war. This state or things mas
been produced by a prevailing unwiiling-
ness either 10 Increase the tarin or TO re-
sort 70 direct taxation. But the one or the
other must come Coming expenditures
must be met. and the present debt must DC
paid. and money cannot always be bor-
rowed for these objects. The system OF
loans IA but temporary In It's nature. and
must soon explode. IL is system net
only rulnous while II lasts. but one that
must soon fail and leave us Destitute As
an individual who undertakes TO live by
borrowing soon finds his original means &C.
vour.d by interest. and. next, no one left
20 borrow from. 80 must II be with the gov
eminent
:. we repeat. then. that tariff SUFFICIENT
for revenue, or a direct tax, must soon be
resorted TO. and. indeed. we believe THIS
alternative Is now denied by no one. But
" hich system shall be adoptod7 Some
Of our opponents. In theory. admit ths
propriety OF a tariff SUFFICIENT for rev
enue, but even they Will not IN practice
vote for such a tarlff. while others boldly
advocate direct taxation. lnasmuch,
therefore as some OF them boldly advocate
erect taxation. and all the rest-or SO
nearly all as 10 make exceptions needless
refuse 10 adopt the tariff. we think II
doing them no Injustice 20 class them
nil as advocates OF direct taxation III.
deed, we believe they are only delaying
an open avowal OF the system till thoy
can assure themselves that the people VIII
tolerate IT, Let Us then briefly compare
the two systems. The fariff IN the cheaper
system because the duties. being collected
In large parcels at few commercial
points will require comparatively few ON
GERS I'm their collection; while by the al
rect tax system the land must be literal
going forth like swarms OF Egyptian To-
Gusts, devouring every blade OF grass and
other green thing.
by this system Ohe protective) tho
man who contents himself 10 live upon the
products OF his own country PAYS moth
ing nj all. Surely our country Is exton'
pive enough and It's products abundant
and varied enough, to answer all the
real wants Of It's people. In short. by th's
protective system the burden OF revenue
falls almost entirely upon the wealthy
and luxurious few. while the substantial
and laboring many who live at home and
upon home products 20 entirely FREQ.
by the direct tax system none can
escape. However strictlv the cifizan NAV
exclude from his premises all foreign lux
uries--fine cloths. fina silks. rich wIhes,
golden chains and diamond rings-still for
the possession OF his house. his barn AMI
his homespun. he Is 10 be perpctualiy
haunted and hara ssed by the tax-gatherer.
With these views we leave IL TO be de-
termined whether we or our opponents
are the more truly democratic on the sub
ject.'
that these views OF Mr. Lincoln found al
most literal expression In the republican
national platform OF 1850. Nor II Il strange
that this year. as In 1850, no chart Is needed
10 mark the republican position upon this
great economic question. The whole world
SHuW ytAf w hoNnuCo Ot It's uttcFAuCU
what the republican platform OF 1850 would
be. and the whole world knows now, an1
has known for year past. what the re-
publican platform or 1896 viii be.
Then the battle was to arrest the spread
OF slave labor In America: now II IL 20 pre-
vent the increase OF illy-paid and degraded
free labor In America The platform OF
issd, | say, IL already written-wrItten IN
the hearts and at the homes OF the masses
Of our countrymen. IL has been thought
out around hundreds OF thousands OF Amer
lean ENTHUSIASTICALLY wrought out by the
new conditions and harsh experiences OF
tho last three years.
ION the great questions still unsettled.
OF IN dispute between tho dominant par
ties, we stand now just as we did IN lVn.
for republican principles are unalterabio
On the subject OF protection to American
labor and American interests we can re-
nffrm and Will roanirm. the Lincoln pla.-
form OF 1850. IL needs neither amendment
nor elaboration. Indeed. we could begin
the platform OF 1895 In the exact words
with which tho fathers OF the republican
party began the platform OF 1850 Its FIRST
plank. you will remember. reads as fol-