, 1896-09-28
TO H LINCOLN CLUB
MAJOR M'kINLEY'S FAMOUS
SPEECH TO ERIE MEN.
The Name of the Liberator Dragged
In the Dirt by the PromuIgators of
False and Insiduous Doctrines - A
Stirring address.

~ 'A"i N-eS "a
Abraham Lincoln. (Cheers.) His life
and career put to shame the false doc
trines now so insidiously promulgated
that there are class divisions in the
Unite.l States. tremendous applause
and cries of "Good.'D Humble of
birth, surrounded by poverty, forced by
circumstances to acquire unaided what
ever education be had, he forged his
way to me trent, reaching the highest
place Iii the gift of a free people and
the greatest place in the world. Great
applause and cries OF Well put Nc
kinley there too.")
He demonstrated while in Office Won
derful ability and met every public ex-
ieency in the most trying years in our
history with cOnsummate sagacity and
strength. 1t is gratifying to lis to know
that on the great questions which are
dividing us this year Mr.. Lincoln stood
from the beginning of his early man
hood where We stand to-day. We have
the satisfaction of knowing that in the
present struggle W. are close 10 him
and have his approval of the great
principles We advocate. tApplause.D No
man has shown more thorough knOwl-
edge of the tariff and its influence upon
domestic prosperity than he.
Forty-throe years ago he made al ad-
dress upon the subject of tariff and tax
alton and their effects upon the condi-
ton of the country which ! think has
not been excelled by anybody before or
since. 1t is peculiarly applicable to the
present situation. Lincoln said: The
first of our resolutions declares a tariff
of duties upon foreign impOrtationS,
producing sufficient revenue for the
support of the general government and
so adjusted as to protect American in
dustr.es. to be ind!spensably necessary
to the prosperity of the American pco
pie; and the second declares direct tax
alton for a national revenue to be i'm
proper Great %applauSe.)
Listen to his description of the con-
lition of the country at the time when
he spoke and how wildly it portrays
the times in which We live. For sew
eral years past the revenues of the gov
eminent have been unequal to its ex-
perditures. and consequently loan after
loan, sometimes direct and sometimes
indirect in form, have been resorted to.
and by this means a new national d,bt
has beer created and is still growing
on us with rapidity fearful to contem-
plata rapidity only reasonably to be
expected in time of war"
You would think that Abraham Lin
coin was describing the three years
from 1898 to 1896. Great applause.)
Is it any wonder when the national
convention met in Chicago. May II.
ISG0-the second national assemblase OF
the great republican party-the follow
ing resolution was passed, which is the
same doctrine that We advocate now?
Resolved. That while providing rev.
enue for the support of the genera
government by duties or imports.
sound policy requires such an adjust
ment of these imports as to encourage
the development of the industrial inter
ests of the whole country: and we
commend that policy of national eX-
changes which secures to the working
men liberal wages. to ~agricu,;urc re-
munerative prices, to mechanics and
manufacturers an adequate reward for
their skill. labor and enterprise, and to
the nation commercial prosperity and
independence" Tremendous cheer
ing.)
That. my fellow citizens. was the
= .n.I.. ,I,tr,,r, f 1Scn o.l ~ g., ~,
republican platform of 1896. Great
cheers and cries of That's right.')
I am glad to meet the young men of
the republican league of the state of
Pennsylvania. There is no surer safety
for our institutions than the manifesto
tion of intellige 1t and patriotic inter-
est by the young men of the United
States. America is the country of the
greatest and free't opportunity. We
have nc hereditary rulers, and we will
have none. Applause and cries Of
That's right.') WV have no privileged
class and we will have none. CHEERS
and cries Of That's right. too.'D
There are two great incentives to
American manhood-the realization OF
the individual ambition and patriotic
devotion to country. The more active
and intelligent the participation OF
every citizen in the affairs of state, the
freer and purer and greater will be the
government. Here all citizens are In
terested in the government and here
represented in this great assembly are
men OF every vocation and profession
but you are here because you believe
alike and because you do not want free
silver. Great cheering and cries OF
"Hurrah for McKinlny!O
We do not delegate to anybody our
right to govern. We cannot delegate
the right to anybody. 1t is a sacred
trust which cannot be performed by a
substitute, but must be. done by each
citizen for himself. Indifference to our
duties as citizens will inevitably be fol-
lowed By incompetency and corruption
In public affairs. There is no higher
evidence OF true patriotism than hearty
and earnest interest in the affairs of
the government with the object in view
Of securing to all the people the great
est possible good.
The discussion, such as we are hav-
ing now. and at last the sober, intelli-
gent use Of the ballot, is the surest
foundation upon which our institutions
can rest and takes the places Of rsvolu-
tion In despotic government. (Grea:
applause.) The source Of all power is
from the people themselves. That ia
]. ". STRYKBR,