The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-06-30
M'kINLEY,s SPEECH OF ACCEPT
ANCE.


| The committee appointed by the St.
Louis convention to notify Major Nc
Kinley of his nomination as the Repub-
lican candidate for president has duly
performed its duty. Major Mckinley,
in a somewhat lengthy speech, ac-
cepted the nomination, promising a
more formal acceptance at future
date
The speech is rather a disappoint-
meut, not so much in matter as in man
was thoroughly Republican. His views
are thoroughly orthodox from a party
standpoint. but his presentation of
them was not so strong and forceful as
people like TO see in a man raised to
such great prominence as presiden-
| tial candidate. The American people
like a strong man, a man who leaves
the impress of his own character upon
all he says and does. This speech of
| acceptance does not show Major Nc
Kinley to be that kind of man.
There was a good deal of platitude
and claptrap in the speech. We are
told that our domestic trade must be
won back. When was it lost, pray?
Our home market must be restored
to its proud rank of first in the world"
We do not deny this, for we honestly
confess that we do not know what it
means. Then we are told that pro
lection and reciprocity, twin measures
of true American policy, should again
command the earnest encouragement
of the government at Washington"
The sentence is to be more remarked
for its ALTERATION than for the pro-
foundness of its sentiment
When Major Mckinley says that the
income of the government should
equal its necessary and proper expen-
ditures. we heartily agree with him,
but We do not so heartily agree with
him as to the method of raising that
revenue. He would make it all through
the tariff. The major part OF it should
be raised through internal taxes.
Major Mckinley was hardly ingenu-
Gus in speaking of the policy OF the
Wison-Gorman law He said the in
evitable effect of such a policy is seen
in the deficiency of the United States
treasury. Had he been as truly great
as man who has received the presi-
dental nomination: of his party should
be, he would not have talked so; at
least he would have reminded his hear
! ers that much of the deficiency of
which he spoke resulted from the fail
ure of the income provision of that law
10 be held constitutional. As a revenue
producer the policy he condemned is
/ quite as good as the one which bore his
name. The last month that the MIC
kinney law was in force July, 1S94,) the
total revenue from all sources collect
ed under it was $34, sos, 3S9. rs, while the
government expenditures for the same
month were s36, GAS. $50. 90, leaving a de-
felt of 1883, 242.7S. The first month
that the Wilson-Gorman law was i'm
force august, 1S94,) the revenue col
lected under it was s4O,417, 6O5.S1. while
the expenditures were $31, 656 ,636. IS.
leaving surplus Of So, 1886.
He fully endorsed the St. Louis plat
form in its demand for the gold stand
ard but in doing so he could not re-
frain from using almost the identical
| language of the Ohio financial plank
THE American people hold the finan-
cial honor of our government as sacred
as our flag and can be relied upon to
guard it with the same sleepless Wig
! ilanee.". A rather commonplace SEN
/ tin1eI1f -exnreS.Sad fi,, q l+;eo,,,,.k -,
moric language.
On the whole the speech is a disap-
pointment, though why it should be is
hard to see, as Major McKinley's
speeches never have been above me-
diocre. Perhaps the reason for the dis
appointment may be found in the fact
that when great occasion offers itself
to a man people expect him to rise to
it. This he did not do.