The record-union., 1896-09-20
Ten Thousand Voters Call Upon the
Republican Nominee for President,
To Greet and Cheer Him and Promise
Their Support.
One DELEGATION Alone Consisted of
Nearly Five Thousand Chicago
Railway Employees = A Stirring
Labor Demonstration That Tlet
With a rIOst Cordial Reception at
Canton.
Canton.

With a rIost Cordial Reception at
Canton.
CANTON, Sept. 19.-All day long the
tramp of visiting delegations was heard
in Canton, and all day long Major Nc
Kinley was able to say, How beautiful
upon the mountains are the feet of him
that bringeth good tidings," for 10000
voters called to greet him and cheer him
and to promise him their support. The
greatest delegation of the day and of
the campaign was that of the Chicago
railway men. There were nearly o,O0O
in the delegation. They came on their
special trains and travelled all night in
common day coaches in order to see Mr..
Mckinley They were all workingmen,
railway employees. They marched up the
streets in splendid order with their own
hands 1t was a stirring labor demon
stration, and the spectators on the
streets were liberal in their demon
trations. Major Mckinley was i'm
pressed with the great outpouring of
Chicago railway employees and he made
them a long speech, Notwithstanding
the fact that he had to stand in the rain
to do it. With the railway men was
ers, nearly 200 in number. NJ. ]. Burke
was their spokesman.
J.W. Dodge spoke for the railway men.
In response to this warmly applauded
address Mr.. Mckinley said:
My fellow-citiZens: 1t would be a
hard heart indeed which would not be
moved by this splendid demonstration.
] lid you, each and every one of you,
sincere welcome to my home. (Cheers.)
] count it among the greatest honOrs
of my life to have 5000 representative
men of the great railroad lines of the
country centering in Chicago come to
this city to give me their assurances
that in the year 1896 they stand by pro-
lection. reciprocity and sound money
C~,heers.)
These delegations coming from great
distances present a remarkable phase
III our political life, and evidences the
deep solcitude they have for the well
y fare of our country. Such a demonstra-
tion as this would not be possible If the
people of the country were not pro-
foundly sensible of the dangers menac-
ing which is presented in the national
contest of this year. applause and cries
of I'VE are all interested You are here
to-day men of all parties and creed,
which is now being made to destroy the
credit and currency Of the country, and
also because loving law and order you
want to stamp out the spirit of law
lessnesS and reputation which now
threaten it. applause and cries of
THAT'S what we will do.'O Your active
interest in this contest for good politics
and good government good morals and
good money, will be helpful in every
part of the country, and inspiring to the
friends of good government everywhere
The railway is the mightiest factor
of modern civilization. If one proof
above another be asked for the superb
Gritty of the United States above any
other country of equal or approaching
territory, l know of no better evidence
than the fact that of the 421 900 miles
of railroad in the world we have nearly
900, 000 miles in this great republic.
applause and cries of "Good.O To
trace their history during the past
twenty years would be to write the pro-
rress of the country Itself. so Intimately
are they associated. To say they have
cost nine billion dollars, employ one
million men, with 10000 locomotives,
1900 passenger cars and over 1.10O,-
600 other cars; that their capital stock
is 81 $40 900. 900, with funded debts of
81 500 600 900, yearly traffic earnings of
81 600 900, 900, net earnings of S31S,-
600, 600 and dividends of SS4 0O0. 900 an
nually conveys but faint idea of how
fully they enter into every line Of bus
mess and affect directly or indirectly
the great masses Of our people. Not
only are lives constantly in their keep
ing. but every year they become more
and more essential to our subsistence,
nd i.
THE greatest tribute which can oe
paid to the railway men of the country is
that high degree of care and attention
and skill which they give to the service
performing the most delicate and re-
spons;ble duties engaged in business
in which both life and property are in
yOlved where heedlesSness or careless
ness will sacrifice either or both, and yet
the percentage of loss is merely nominal
in both cases Not only are skill and en-
durance required in their exactins
duties but the greatest watchfulneSs
ard fidelity and often the keenest IN
telligence, to think and act instantly
under circumstances the most perlious
and trying. applause and cries OF
That's right. Major.)
II have said that railroad men are
cool and collected, brave and Vigliant'
in the discharge of their duties great
applause and cries Of 'Hurrah for Nc
EinleyO, and surely greater praise couio
not be given them than this. Faithtul
unto death has been truly written OF
many a brave engineer. conductor or
brakeman who perished rather than
abandon his train when that was pos
sible. at the expense Of others. (Great
applause and cries of That's right.) 30
worthy are these devoted servants oil
the public so watchful, that railroad ac-
cidents are said by competent authority
to be neither as frequent nor fatai as
other modes of transportation
Your spokesman has justly observer
that no body of Americans have greater
interests at stake in the present cam
paign than the railroad men, who are
everywhere taking the liveliest interest
in the proper settlement of the princi-
pies involved. The triumph of free Sill
yer would mean to you as the adoption
by Mexico has meant to the railroad en-
ployes of that country, decrease in the
purchasing power of the money in which
they are paid of fully or.e-half, with
comparatively no increase in wages.