The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-08-30
POwDERLY's POSITION.
Why the Labor Leader
VIII Vote for Mckinley.

From Interview with 7. V. Powderly.
In selecting a President we should be
guided by the same desire to improve our
own condition as if we We're to select an
officer for some organization, fraternal,
mercantile. commercial or manufacturing,
with which we might be connected. Senti-
ment or personal friendship rarely enters
into the question of choosing an official to
take charge of a business concern. Expe-
rienCe. well-known ability. training, stabil-
ity of character and steady habits are all
considered. 1t not in~frequently happens
that sympathy plays its part in selecting
officers. and in such cases it often turns
out that sympathy for the individual works
injury TO the masses. Surely the long
years of, experience and the integrity of
Mckinley will tell in this canvass.
one or the strong made use
OF In this election is that We should legis-
late, for ourselves without waiting for the
consent of any other nation on earth. I
believe in that doctrine. so far as Ii can
be carried out without injury to ourselves.
When Major Mckinley was striving to up
hold an American policy which would
place our agricultural and manufacturing
interests beyond the power of foreigners
TO injure through competition he did not
ask the consent of any foreign power or
country. He did not even take Ounse
with them. He considered what would
benefit the American wage-earner and his
II liktbuldCtuIcT
were benefited by the Mckinley law. SO
were American workingmen, and so were
American business men, and If the day
comes when We. as Americans, can go it
alone ON the money question. rest assured
Mr.. Mckinley will be as ready and as
anxious to take that course as any other.
Committees from labor organizations al
ways regarded Major Mckinley as their
friend when he was in Congress. We al
ways sought his counsel. and he always
gave it. We relied on his word when
spoken, and he invariably aided US to the
extent of his power"
DO you regard the silver issue as the
most important now before the peopie?'
Il do not. The depressions through which
we pass at intervals have in the main been
caused by iuctuation in the circulating
medium, but the present depression is not
the result OF currency changes so much as
industrial revolutions. We have always
had gold and silver as money i'm this coun-
try. and we always will, no matter how
this campaign ends. There should be q
standar III all things. particularly in our
currency, and you cannot have two stand
ards. each differing from the other. in cur
rency regulations any more than you can
have two schedules on a railroad and hope
to avoid collisions.
1T Is all very nice. very patriotic ara
soothing TO our national spirit to tell us
that We can go IL alone. We can do moth
just now. We are the debtors of the v orld,
we have borrowed from the world. the
world holds our bonds and evidences of in
d~ebtedness. and until we pay them off and
begin to free ourselves from this debt we
must pay I'm the coin the creditor demands.
We do not do this voluntarily. but because
we mJst. and ii Is simply playing TO the
gallery to say that we can go il alone. Let
us first secure the bonds now held by
foreigners, let us hold the obligations of
our own government. and then when We
have nodded public opinion SO that ii will
be steady, fixed and invariaole We will be
able 10 go IL alone. Thousands believe that
the only bonds held abroad which would
cause US annoyance are government bonds.
But our railroad securities. our industrial
securities and other obligations are also
held by foreign creditors. | doubt IL our
railroad and mining interests are prepared
to go IL alone. and he would he Il oeHla-
g6gue, indeed. who would attempt. to de-
ceive the people into the belief that IL
would not bring ruin upon labor to effect
n sudden and revolutionary change I'm our
monetary affairs such as would drive these
securities back on us for redemption he
fore we are ready or able TO pay.
II believe gold. silver and paper should
circulate at par, that neither should be
driven from circulation. IL Dry IN H. c'ectci
I see IL. drive gold from circulation and we
will be on a single silver hasIs. " McniL-
ley is elected silver will be REFINED I'm rs
place as part OF the money OF the Nation:
gold VIII not bc driven out. and all kinds
OF money will be OF equal value and pur-
chasing power I'm the hands of the American
people. Anyway. I am taklng no chances
and will vote for Mckinley"