The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1896-06-17

SPEECH OF FAIRBANKS.
Temporary Chairman Arraigns Democrats
and Praises Republicans
Gentlemen Of the convention:
am profoundly grateful for this ex
preston uf your generous confidence.
A. citizens we were never called upon to
discharge il more important duty than
that which rests upon uS-thc nomination
of ii president and vice president of the
United states This duty is Il peculiarly
impressive one al the munirnt, for it i al
ready written in tn" book Of fate that the
choice of this convention will be the next
president and vice president of the great
republic.
Three years of ID, Ia ,clatic admniStra
ton have been thltr years of panic, of
~a>,cu energy. or anX!cty and loss to the
American people. without "A parallel in
our history. Today ne people turn TO the
Republican party hopefully. confidently:
| and it is tor us to meet their expectations;
1t is for II, to give them those candidates
upon whon their hearts have centcred.
and to give them clear ruight forward,
| emphatic expression OF 0Ur political! faith.
The Republican party
Isa Party of Convictions:
| and it has written its convictions IN the
| history Of the republic with the pen and
| the sword, with it the supreme question
| always has been not what is merely
"pOlitic.' but what Is everlastingly
right" The great men we have given to
the nation and to history, the mighty dead
| and the illustrious living. are our in
Synir nfc fxxya
| are but true TO their exalted example we
cannot be false to our countrymen
For third of century prior to the
| advent of the present Democratic admin
| istration, we operated under laws enacted
by the Republican party. All great
measures concerning the tariff and the
currency originated with it. Tariff laws
| were formed upon lines which protected
our laborers and producers from unequal
and unjust foreign competition, and upon
| the theory that the best market in the
| world is the home market and that 1t
| should be enjoyed by our own country
men.
1t Struck Down Reciprocity.
| The bill struck down reciprocity, one of
the highest achievements in American
craftsmanship. No measure was ever
enacted which more directly advocated the
| interests of the American farmers and
manufacturers than reciprocity. With its
destruction fell advantageous commercial
agreements under which the products
We're surely finding larger and profitable
foreign markets, and without the surren-
| der of their own.
! To meet the money deficit and protect
our credit and save the government from
protest. the president has has been forced
| TO sell bonds: in other words. he has been
| obliged to mort gage the future in a time
| of peace to meet the current obligations of
| the government.
| How the Country Prospered.
| Under the currency laws our currency
was made national. The wildcat state
bank money of the Democratic party was
i wiped out of existence The unprecedent-
ed demands growing ont of the war Were
met by paper currency which ultimately
| became AS good AS gold.
| Under the operation Of these honest
tariff and honest money Republican laws
the country grew In wealth and power
beyond precedent. We easily outstripped
all other powers in the commercial race.
On Nov. 3. 1892, there was work for every
| hand and bread for every month. Foreign
| NSiC hIktly III OuT ldNOF.
pean gold was flowing toward us. But all
of this Is changed. The cause is not hard
to seek A reaction began when it was
known that the Legislative and executive
branches of the government were to be
Democratic.
The Democratic party had at Chicago
condemned the protective tariff principle
as unconstitutional and solemnly pledged
itself to the overthrow and destruction OF
the Mckinley law and to the adoption of
free trade as the policy of the United
States This bold. aggressive attack upon
the long settled policy Of the Republican
party bore its natural fruit in shaken con
fidence. unsettled business. and we were
soon drifting against the rock Of destruc
ton.
Could Destroy but Not Rebuild.
The Democratic party was harmonious
upon one subject and that was the de-
struction of the Mckinley law. But when
they came to the exercise of the creative
faculty. the enactment of Il great revenue
measure in its stead there was discord
The imperiled interests Of the country
watched and waited through the long and
anxious months for some settlement oi
the important question. They wanted an
end of uncertainty. At length the Wilson
bill was ado p ed and it was characterized