The record-union., 1896-06-17
and vice-President: of the great re-

tration have been three years Of panic,
of wasted energy, of anxiety and loss to
the American people without a parallel
in our history. To-day the people turn
to the Republican party hopefully,
confidently, and it is for us to meet
their expectations; it is for US to give
them those candidates upon whom their
hearts have been centered, and to give
them clear, straightforward, emphatic
expression of our political faith.
"The Republican party is a party Of
convictions, and it has written it's con-
victions in the history of the Republic
with the pen and the sword. With it
the supreme question always has been
not what is merely polite, but what is
everlastingly right The great men
we have given to the nation and to his
tory, the mighty dead and the illus
trious living. are our inspiration and
tower of strength. If we 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 ad-
administration 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 pro-
ducerS from unjust 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 coun-
trymen. Under the currency laws our
currency was made national; the wild
cat State bank money of the Demo-
cratic party was wiped out of exist
ence; the unprecedented demands grow
ing out of the war were met by pa
per currency, which ultimately became
as good as gold. Since the resumption
of specie payments in 1879 every dol
lar of our money, paper, silver and gold.
mas been of equal purchasing power the
world over. The policy of the party
mas been to make and keep our cur
rency equal to the best in the world.
Under the operation Of these hon
est 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 November 8.
1872, there was work for every hand.
and bread for every mouth. We had
reached high-water mark. Labor re-
ceived higher wages than ever and
capital was proitably and securely en-
ployed. The national revenues were
sufnclent to meet our obligations and
leave surplus in the treasury. For
elgn and domestic trade were greater
III volume and value than they had
oeen. Foreign balances were largely in
our ravor. European gold was flow
ing toward u.s. But all of this fs
changed. The cause is not hard to
seek A reaction began when it was
known that the legislative and execu-
tive branches of the Government were
to be Democratic.
"The Democratic party at Chicago
condemned the protective tariff prin-
ciple as unconstitutional, and solemnly
pledged itself to the overthrow and de-
struction of the Mckinley law, and TO
the adoption of free trade as the policy
Of the United States. This bold. ag-
eressive attack upon the long settled
Policy of the Republican party bore it's
natural fruit in shaken confidence and
unsettled business, and we were soon
drifting against the rock of destruction.
Before the work of demolition had actu-
treasury reserve which the Republican
party had wisely accumulated for the
protection Of the Governments credit.
The drain upon the reserve for the pro-
lection of the Governments banks and
treasury notes greatly surpassed all
prior experience and emphasized the
| discredit into which the Democratic
administration had fallen. An utter
;v,
ton possessed the people.
''The Democratic party was harmoni-
| Gus upon one subject, and that was the
destruction of the Mckinley law. But
when they came to the exercise of the
creative FACULTY, the enactment of a
great revenue measure in its stead.
there was discord. The imperiled inter-
ests of the country watched and waited
through long and anxious months for
some settlement of the important uues-
tain. They wanted an end of uncer-
tainty. AT length the Wilson bill was
adopted, and it was characterized by
Democratic President as the child
of 'perfidy and dshonor" 1t was so
bad that he would not contaminate his
hand by signing it. A bill that was
too base for Mr.. Cleveland to approve
is too rotten for the approval of the
American people.
This important law was wanting in
the primary purpose of a revenue meas
IRE, for it failed to provide adequate
| revenue to meet the requirements of
the Government. The deficiency thus
tar amounts to some one hundred and
fifty millions of dollars The end is
not yet, for the deficiency grows day by
day. This leaves the treasury and the
public in constant peril. Our foreign
credit is impaired and domestic capt.
tai feels insecure.
Neither time nor space will permit
of further reference to the unfortunate
revenue legislation of the Democratic
party nor to the hurtful, demoraIizing
effects of it. Suffice it to say that it
has been the great and original factor
in breaking down confidence, checking
progress, emptying the treasury, caus-
ing continued deficits and enforced idle
ness among millions of willing work
ers. To meet the monthly debts and
protect our credit and save the Gov
ernment from protest, the President
has been forced to sell bonds. In other
words, he has been obliged to mort
gage the future in time of peace to meet
the current obligations of the Govern
ment. This is in sharp contrast with
the Republican record. Our tariff laws
rot only raised the revenue, but they
protected our domestic industries; they
impartially protected the farmer and
manufacturer, both North and South;
not only it, but they also raised suffi-
cient revenue to gradually reduce the
public debt, and without imposing a
grievous burden upon the people. Dur
ing the administration of Harrison,
S236, 100000 of obligations were paid,
| while Cleveland during the last three