The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-08-31

y
resent the supreme authority Of the Re
publican party. You have assembled
for the purpose Of placing in nomina-
tion candidates for the Office of auditor
general and state treasurer and t1
adopt q platform upon national and
state questions in which the people are
interested, This meeting is the grand
council Of Republicans In the state.
There are represented here all shades
Of political faith. This Is the place
where Republicans meet to adjust DIFF
ferences of opinion and promulgate
party policies. In a conyentlon like this
1t is presumed that every delegate is
desirous Of doing that which win inure
to the success of his party. For this
purpose there should be the free ex-
change of opinion on questions affect
ing the public we fare. I am a firm be
liver in the doctrine that the Republic
can party is big enough and broad
enough to include within its ranks all
persons who believe in the principles,
regardless of their partisan differences.
We seek the counsel and support of all
citizens who desire to perpetuate Re
publican institutions. In this cOnven-
tion will be found representative busi-
ness men, lawyers, physicians, farmers,
artisans, wage workers and politicians.
We welcome you all and bespeak for
each proper consideration I'm the delib-
erations Of the convention. Every dele
gate should make known his wishes
and let me request that all be treated
in spirit of equity and fairness. But
when the convention Is over, the candi-
dates nominated and the platform
agreed upon then let us all return to
our homes, enter the ranks of the Re
publican workers, elect our ticket by a
pronounced and emphatic majority SO
that the high water mark of Republic
cansm may still be credited to our
grand old commonwealth.
This is an off year in politics and our
people will need stirring up. We should
not allow ourselves to be lulied to sleep
with the consoling thought that a new
tariff law has been passed and good
times are assured. This is true, but it
| is necessary to sustain the national ad-
ministration and the policy 1t has out
| lined i'm the elections this fall. The pas
sage Of the Dingley bill is now a mat
ter of history This is the first and
great step toward the return Of pros
perity which had departed from us un-
| der the Democratic administration. 1t
/ has been but a few weeks since Presi-
| dent Mckinley signed his name to that
| law. What wonderful changes have
taken place already There have been
| growing signs of prosperity such as the
most hopeful Republican had scarcely
ventured to anticipate. There is a re-
vival Of business everywhere. The fires
] H.,
| Iron manufacturers are employing more
men and turning out more product. The
railroads are carrying a large tonnage
and the merchants are selling a greater
amount of goods. The business men have
taken heart and the capitalists have re-
called their idle wealth from it's hiding
places in the banks of Canada and the
vaults of the old world. They are now
becoming purchasers of stocks and in
vestors in legitimate enterprises. Stocks
have been steadily and rapidly advanc-
/ ing. The volume of trade is increasing.
| The profits of legitimate business are
more assuring. The laboring man is
working more days a week and more
weeks a month than he has done for
many years. All this change in a few
weeks! Is not this record enough for
the Republicans of Pennsylvania to
stand upon? 1t is our duty to stand by
this policy until it shall be carried to a
final and glorious conclusion. We are
fighting the battles not of a party or
ganization, but of a free and hopeful
people The candidates whom you
nominate today viii go before the
voters, not as individuals, but as the
representatives of the party which has
promised to restore prosperity to our
state and nation Their defeat would
not reflect upon them as individuals
but upon the party they are chosen to
represent. If Pennsylvania should fall
ter in its allegiance to Republican prin-
ciples, it would be heralded with fiend-
ish delight by the party of Bryan, from
the lakes to the gulf and from the gull
to the western mountains. 1t may be
cruel to say it, but candor compels me
to state that this is a delight our Demo
cratic friends win never realize, fol-
Pennsylvania is as surely Republican
in 1897 as it was in 1896.
It will be remembered that the Chi
cago platform appealed with great
earnestness to the farmers Of this cOun-
try. For several years the agriculture
interests have been suffering. The
prices of products have fallen so low
that it was Improbable to cultivate
them. It was contended by the Demo
cratic orators in that campaign tha'
there was somehow or other a certain
affinity existing between silver anC
wheat, that made the former the meas
ure of the value of the latter They
confidently said that as silver went W
so did wheat and as silver went dowI
so did wheat This was their great anC
fundamental argument. This though
was iterated and reiterated by Demo
cratic orators from Cape Mendocino t
Passamaquoddy bay. 1t was affirmed
and reafirmed by these voclferous anC
eloquent gentlemen from Key West t,
Puget Sound 1t was announced as tn
central and controlling principle upoi
which the whole doctrine of free silve
rested. Great orators in the Mississippi
valley proclaimed it in thunderou
tones. NIiddle-of-the-road Populist
splashed mud all over the fences a.
they shouted this new theory with
fervor bordering on frenzy. Even Ton
Watson, who represented the Othe
branch of Populistic faith, dehed tn
stars in their courses, threatened t
obliterate the chairman Of his part
and courageously supported the doc
trine OF equality In the prices of silve
and wheat, What will become of thes
/ campaign speeches now? Where wi
these lamented orators find a hidin
place? How they must feel the cart
slipping from under their feet as the