The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-07
TO pENNSYLVANIANs.
Major Mckinley Tells What All
Working People Want.


MIR Graham and My Fellow citizens of
East Brady, Pal am very regretful that
the day is so inclement on which you make
your call / am glad to meet each one of
you at my home. / have received great
many delegations, your spokesman has
said, in the past two months, many of
them larger than yours, but from the
shouts 1 have heard from you to-day L
am sure none of them had better lungs
than yours. Uaughter.) And none of them
was more earnest in their support of Re
publican principles than the little body of
men gathered about me to-day. There is
one thing which, L think, we are apt to
forget. We are too apt to forget what is
behind us and too apt to be needless of
our own experience. We can hardly rea-
lie that from 1878 to 1893 reduced the
public debt from 81 1873, 33l 1903 in 1866 to $50,
100000 in 1888. We paid off during those
twenty years $1.623 5S1,613 of the public
debt. And we were under a protective and
ing the large payments. Two-thirds of that
great debt has disappeared and while we
were paying it off we were building in this
country the most splendid industrial enter
prises, giving constant and steady employ
ment to American labor at fair wages and
giving to the farmers of the country just
reward for their toll and labor. During
that period, for the greater part of the time
We We're selling more goods abroad than
we We're buying abroad. And the balance
of trade was therefore in our favor and
that balance of trade settled, as il was in
gold gave US the good yellow money from
the other side of the ocean.
Now, my fellow-ctizens, four years ago
the people of this country determined to
change that policy and they did change it.
What has been the result? We have since
that time created a national debt, principal
and interest, of about $500 900, 000 We have
had for the great part of that time de-
iciency in the treasury, the government
not collecting sufficient revenues to meet
it's current expenses, and labor has never
been so lily employed as it was in that
period. Your spokesman tells US that in
your own county thirty-one blast furnaces
have been stopped. What does that mean?
1t means that wages have been stopped. 1t
means that comforts have been taken away
from hundreds of American homes which
they had previously enjoyed. 1t means dis
treSs and what is true of your county has
large a degree. of other counties of your
State and throughout the entire country.
NOW, what we want to do, whether we
are railroad men or farmers, profess
is to get back to a policy that will give
us chance to increase our manufacturing
improve our home market. extend our for
eign market and give employment every
wants it: (Applause) If will but fol-
low the lamp of experience, and follow in
the direction which the light of that lamp
leads us on the Sd day of November. we
will vote down the policies which have
brought us these conditions and vote to
continue a monetary system built upon a
solid basis. which will give us the best
money of the world, a money which panics
not depreciate. tremendous cheering and
cries of Pennsylvania will vote that way.O
we want good times. plenty of work. good
wages and good money. How will you
you most heartily for this call and bid you
all good morning" (ApplauSe.)