The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1898-10-21
STAND BY THE PRESIDENT!

1t is clear now that William Nc
KInley's tour through the Mldile
West is of epoch making significance.
Several of our presidents have made
tours of the country, but no other
president ever did so under such
circumstances as the present. Other
presidents have spoken to the people
~on what their administrations and
their parties had done in years past
President Mckinley is speaking to
the people on questions that one year
ago had no place in the minds of our
statesmen or party leaders. Other
presidents have pointed the people
to the record of deeds that had been
done. President Mckinley faces the
problems of the future.
The nation stands at the crossroads
of destiny. The spirit of pioneer
Americanism urges it on to q great
future. AS the representative of
this spirit, President Mckinley ex-
horts it to be confident, bold, and
loyal in the discharge of its new
duties. He is not preaching a new
crusade, but he is asking the people
TO stand with him so that "wherever
destiny shall lead us, we will have
hearts strong enough to meet every
sponslbility." He is not shirking
responsibility, but, on the other hand,
assures the people that he is willing
to assume the responsibility, however
heavy it may be. He wishes them
only to record their desire ''to bear
the burdens that have come with
victory, that they may fully enjoy
the glories of victory"
At the beginning of a new epoch,
looking out trustfully into the future,
he says to the people that they must
gather the fruits of victory and must
meet the duty of carrying forward
the great trust of civilization that has
been committed" to them. There is
in these words the earnest pathos
that characterized the address of
Lincoln when he insisted: eve
must do right as Cod gives us to see
the right" No one can read the
presidents St. Louis speeches with
out the conviction that William Nc
Kinley is making tie strongest ap-
peal heard since the days OF Abraham
Lincoln to national conscience and |
national pride. He is not asking for
personal support. He is calling upt n !
the people 20 stand together in main
tanning and guarding with sacred
care the new opportunities that have
been placed within their reach. He
asks that :'nothing distract them; that
no discOrdant voice intrude to en-
barrass the people in the solution of |
the mighty problems which involve
such vast consequences to ourselves
and posterity,' reminding them, in
''that God bestows upon |
no nation supreme duty" The
warning is as solemn as the eXhorta,
ton is splendid. Both will live long
in the American history of the next
century. 1t is noteworthy that the
president during his present tour has
spoken exclusively as an American.
In not single speech has he appealed
to partisanship, even covertly, in be-
half of an American policy in the
present emergency. In exhorting
The people to hold fast to their new
for national wealth,
power and splendor, he has been as
completely dissociated from party
politics as he was when he first called
for 125,00O volunteers TO crush the
arms of Spain. AS an American
president he simply asks the Ameri
can people to help him In carrying
put a policy to strengthen, enrich
and glorify this American republic.
It must be poor type of American