The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-07-13

After President H. D. Lucas had
made a presentation address, Governor
Mckinley said:
Mr.. President, Ladies and Gentle
men, and My Fellow Citizens: It gives
me very great pleasure to welcome you
to my home city and to my home, and
I appreciate more than can find words
to express the honor and the cOmpH-
ment of this call. thank you for your
congra tulations and the assurances of
support which you make for the prin-
cipIes for which this year the RepubH-
can party stands.
Il congratulate you upon having Civ
en- your name to one of the most Illus
trious of our statesmen in Ohio, Joseph
Benson Foraker. My fellow citizens,
recent events have imposed upon a pat
riotic people of this country a RESPONSE
bility greater than the civil war. Then
it was struggle to preserve the gov
eminent of the United States. Now it
is a struggle to preserve the honor of
the government. Then it was a con-
test to save the Union. Now it is a
contest to save spotIess its credit. Then
section was arrayed against sec
ton. Now men of all sections can
unite. and will unite, to rebuke the re-
pudiation of our obligations and the
debasement of our currency. In this
contest patriotism is above party, and
national honor is dearer than any par
ty name The currency and credit Of
the government are good now, and
must be kept good forever. Our trou-
bles is not with the character of the
money that we have, but with the
threat to debase it. We have the same
currency that we had in 1S92-good the
world over and unquestioned by any
people.
Then, too, we had unexampIed cred
it and prosperity. Our difficulty now
is to get that money in circulation and
invested in productive enterprises
which furnish employment to American
labor. Great appIause) This is i'm
possible with the distrust that hangs
over the country at the present time,
and every effort to make our dollars. or
any one of them, worth less than 100
cents each only serves to increase the
distrust. What we want is a sound
policy, financial and industrial, which
will give courage and confidence to all,
for when that is done the money now
unemployed, because of fear for the
future and lack Of confidence in invest
ment, will quickly appear in the chan
nels Of trade.
Gentlemen, the employment of our
idle money, the idle money that we al
ready have, in gainful pursuits will
put every idle man in the country at
work. When there is work there is
wages, and when there are work and
wages there are consumers who con-
stitute the best market for the pro-
ducts of our soil. Having destroyed
business and confidence by a free trade
policy, it is now proposed to make
things still worse by entering upon an
area Of deprecated currency. Not con-
tent with the Inauguration of the ruin
Gus policy which has brought down the
wages of the 1aborer and the price of
farm products, its advocates now offer
a new policy which will diminish the
value Of the money in which wages and
products are paid. Against both of
these We stand opposed. Our creed en-
braces an honest dollar and an untarn-
ished national credit, adequate reven-
ues for the uses of government protec-
ton to labor and industry, preSeFva-
ton Of the home market and reciproc-
ity which will extend our foreign mar
kets. Upon this platform we stand,
and submit its declarations to the So
Der and considerate judgment of the
American people.
It thank you again for this call and
greeting, and it viii give me very. great
pleasure, ladies and gentlemen, to meet
you all personality"