Mexico weekly ledger., 1897-06-10
JOHN WANAMAKER.
He Again Arraigns Republicans for
Ante-Election Promising Speech
es, Which Were "Only Empty
Shells, Without Kernels"

NEW YORK, June John Wanna
maker has no apologies to offer for
his recent speech before the business
men of Philadelphia, in which he ar
raigned the Republican spellbinders
for their false promises Of coming
prosperity if Mckinley should be
elected. On the contrary, he has rub
bed salt into Republican wounds in an
interview published in the New York
Herald. In explaining his position he
said:
az chose two argumentsto convince
them that they should stand up and
keep on working for the public good.
"First, because of their ante-elec-
ton promising speeches, which should
be kept in good faith.
"Second, because of the creeping
paralysis of business and bitter want
of the unemployed.
"What 1 said was addressed to
Pennsylvanians, and much of it bore
solely on State politics. Much as I
love quietness and peace it is not
possible for me to be Indifferent
or silent in the present condition OF
affairs. Neither a I take nor give
opiates.
SIN these times campaign speeches
are only empty shells, without kerr
nels. However well meaning, or
| whoever it is who thinks he does good
by them must be forgetting that a
million of workmsn and their children
are hungry. The man who looks for
bread in such speeches will not have
much to eat.
"The public heart cannot be fred
by eloquence in this way just now, for
the powder of patriotism Ia wet with
the tears of the unemployed. Give me
hold of somebody's hand who will do
something; not talk about 1t month
after month.
"To keep work for the six thousand
and more persons in my employ and
turn away from the several hundred
who apply daily and beg for the priv
ilege of labor to keep the wolf from
the door drives me into a fever, and ]
must speak out. Any citizen has thai
right.
81 cannot sit on a fence with a stiff
wind blowing and whistle for prosper.
ity, vanished bird of beautiful plum.
age, to come back.
"We ought to have a new, a better
tariff; but If we cannot get it, let III
settle down on the old one and adjust
ourselves to it as best we can. If we
cannot move out of the old house, we
might build a wing to it or add another
story"
(This reference to the sold house,
is a dig at President Mckinley, who re.
minded Mr.. Wanamaker in a recent
speech that s'we cannot move out Of
the old house until the new one Ii
ready.")
ga Republican House has been in
session since last December, and its
riddled tariff bill still losses about al
the other end of the capitol.
eff to be impatient is unpatrfotic.
when the days are SO protracted and
seemingly unnecessary in adjusting
these two great questions uppermost
in the public mind, then I must ask to
be forgiven for miscounting the pulse
of most of the people that I meet.
"There r not a few who believe
that since the war no such exigency
fell upon the country as that which
preceded the election of November
1896.
"The spirit which moved the people
then is still alive. 1t will neither be
ignored nor dallied with. The tariff,
money economy of expenditures must
be arranged fairly and promptly If we
are to find contentment or prosperity
"Gathering ourselves together on
the monetary question cannot be done
too soon. There is nc use of sending
delegations to foreign nations unit
we have some definite proposition tc
make.
"Let authority be given immediate
ly for a monetary commission to de.
termine what the United States want
to do on the money question, and ther
let us go after it and get 1t as prompt
ly as possible"