The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-12
Major McKiniey's RepIy.
In reply to the greetings Aator MeKinley


spoke as follows:
Mr.. Chairman and my Fellow-citizens--
/ give you welcome, generous welcome
from an overlooking heart to my State my
my own feelings and irresponsve to the
KIND sentiments uttered by your spokeS-
man If I permitted to pass unobserved the
fact that in the preliminary contest for
nomination of President the State of Yer
mont mont gave to me her united vote. CAP
deared TO us all by tradition and history
IN song and story, but above all in good
work; manifest in glorious results
olution,, when her hardy mountaineers
repulsed the best soldiers of Europe:
IN the days of the rebellion, when her SOL
dlers displayed the same resolute cour-
age at Big Bethel, Champions Gap, Saw
agess Station, or Gettysburg in the
less important and decisive conflicts in
civil life, the people of Vermont have al
est obligations of duty and active distin-
gushed and useful in every great emer-
rious part in achieving the independence
Of ffatI the e colonies ] None will question that
human slavery and in the final triumph of
the Union in the hour of it's greatest peril.
iI, 1GTeat applause2 Nor in our later trials
Will any doubt that the example and voice
or vermont have always been most poten-
tail on the side of justice, honor and
Some of the newspapers have asked me
10 interpret the result of the elections in
Vermont on Sept. /, but it seems to me
Applause) They have simply declared
what what every student of your history must
nave already discovered, that your
thoughtful and patriotic citizens are as
true as ever aye truer than ever, to the
tenets of good morals, good politics and
good government: (Great applause) They
nave shown by their ballots. by a greater
pfeponderance than ever. that they are
more determined towards the honor of the
government, to the maintenance of the law
and order and the restoration of that
sound. wise and economic system which
has always been our chief pride and source
oi i strength than at any previous period
THE value of your example is certainly
greater than ever in the past the is
sues on which your victory was won are
the same as those which now engage the
attention of the whole country. The free
silver orators and organs of Vermont i'll
concealed. If they did not positively assert
what is being proclaimed everywhere that
their solicitude is the relief of those who
n1jEranc n1lght temporarily 2" profit by degraded
the pla1nest precepts of good morals. In
no case and at no point do they propose
obligations on the plain old-fashioned prin-
ciples of good faith and honesty which have
always heretofore distinguished the Ameri-
can people. (Applause)
A FATAL EXPERIMENT..
Practically admitting that the effect of
the free, unlimited and independent coin
age of silver would be an immense loss to
the savings and resources of our people
and that its adoption would reduce the
plane of their social and industrial con-
dition, they yet seriously propose that we
shall risk this hazardous experiment Yer
mont has said in tones that cannot be mis-
understood that she will have nothing to
do with that fatal experiment. Great ap-
plause and cries of Good. goodr) Indeed
they are urging us to attempt by legisla-
ton to make so cents worth of silver to
pass current as legal-tender 100-cent dol
lar good for all public and private obliga-
tionS. The mere statement of the PROPOSE
ton ought to lead to its instant rejection.
We cannot by law make every man honest,
but certainly will never make a law
encouraging them to be dishonest. Gap
ITO me the question of free trade is a
question of humanity-the voice of labor
pleading for its own; and the question of
free silver a question of public morality.
honor and good faith. and it's. success would
be blot on our hitherto spotIess national
credit. (Applause.) Obscure the real is
sues, and it finally resolves itself into that
but will it prevail? No, | answer. forever
nation, like those of the State of Vermont
are entirely above so unworthy an imputa-
a weak ana Struggling eonfederacy of less
than five million inhabitants, emerge from
eight years of blight and destruction. and
proceed Immediately to gather up and pay
off its enormous revolutionary debt includ-
ing the independence of all the States. ag-
gregaung $l35.003'Oo0 or ST per capita, at
the time of its assumption, will not falter
at the present temptation. Cheers and
tax themselves most heavily to equip and
maintain the armies and navies of the
Union and continue the most extensive and
destructive war in history will not turn
their backs upon the soldiers of that war,
nor seek to pay their pensions in dollars
worth only half their face value. Great
cheering and cries of 'Good!) A people
who emerged from that war with an inter
capita for our entire population in 1866 will
not now. after having honestly paid three
fourths of that great debt. ever seem di-
rectly or indirectly, to reDudiate one dollar
of it or cheaper the coin of payment. ZAP
plause and cries of Good. Major.9
WILL NOT DEFRAUD CREDITORS
"A people / say, who proceeded in good
faith to pay off the debt with such an un-
paralleled rapidity which, it was estimated
in 1888. up to that time they had paid s123
for every minute of every day of every year
from 1866 to 1855, will not now paiter bar
gain scheme to defraud any creditor of
the government Wkeeyer or wherever he