Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-10-12

solved in favor OF the policies of the re-
publican party. The results are recent
and you are now required to say wheth-
er you are satisfied with your action or
whether you want, after all, to try the
nostrum of the Chicago platform. A
man will try almost any quackery
when he is sick, and he is especially
credulous as to remedies when his dis
ease has become chronic, but man of
good health is more prudent about what
he admits into his stomach. Let me
give you a few figures from the ma
tional ledger right in the beginning of
my address. 1 will give only the sum
totals, for they will be easier kept In
memory.
In 1892, when the people resolved in
favor of Il change. the last fiscal years
business showed the following crafty
ing condition of affairs, at that date
the most remarkable in our history.
We had imported in the year goods to
the amount of Ss27,402 ,462. Our ex-
ports had reached the almost incon-
ceivable sum of $1,030,27s, Jas, leaving a
balance of trade in our favor of $780,
s75,5s6. This splendid showing was
followed by a vote of want Of conf
dence by the American people, and
next year was 1898. The balance Of
trade was against us in 1893 $1s,735,-
1914. Then came chaos and business
became SO unsettled thN the custom
house figures ceased to have Ky nor
In 1895 You weEl remember the con.
dition of affairs.
Hon. Fred f. White was then a candi-
date against me for congress. He advo-
Gated free trade and free coinage of
silver and vast issue of greenbacks
as the necessary remedy for all our in
dustrial and financial ailments.
He then followed in the footsteps OF
his favorite, Mr.. Bryan, and no one
more earnestly or eloquently preached
the gospel of discomfort and taught
that our money was too good and too
scarce to do the business of the coun-
try. Upon the hastings everywhere he
proclaimed that evil and ruin, and
that continually, could only be found
under the gold standard and the pro
tective tariff.
You well remember that campaign.
[ made seventytwo speeches in that
campaign, insisting that protection and
sound money were no experiment, that
we had found success and prosperity
under the rule of repubicanism, and
that when we found we were on the
wrong road, we should not follow Mr..
White into the wilderness, but we
should retrace our steps and take the
right road
In my acceptance speech in this city
in 1896, ] said:
with Mckinley in the White House,
a congress elected in favor of sound
money and protection in the capital,
the nation will march on into the twen-
tieth century on career of prosper
ity unequaled at any time in its his
tory"
l know it is one of the weaknesses
OF human nature to say, II told you
So" and l confess that l am not super
ior to that weakness. But the same
gentleman who told you that the sue
cess of the republican party meant dis
pair and ruin, is now the democratic
candidate for governor and is going
around explaining why the bad things
did not happen as he had foretold, and
how 40 country has prospered in spite
of republican policies and not be-
cause of them.
Let me give you some more results
as shown by the national ledger and
then i will abandon the domain of dry
statistics.
The republicans have repealed the
Wilson act, enacted the Dingley law
and upheld the standard of our cur
rency 10 a parity with gold and equal
to the best money in the world. We
have adhered to the use of the best
financial tools, instead of going to Asia
or Mexico for the worst. We have en-
acted protective laws, SO as to give to
Americans the opportunity for employ
ment.
Let us see the results. The fiscal
year ending June 30, 1898, showed our
exports even greater than the phenom-
email results of 1892. amounting to ST.
PSI, 4S2,330 and the balance of trade in
our favor to the amount of $615,432, )
GIG. The last fiscal year showed our
exports to be $1.227 pos, sos, and our
balance OF trade $530,OsS,565. The
bank clearings through the various
clearing houses during the last year
exceed $S9,000,000,0OO, sum rs impos.
sible OF conception as the distance OF
the fixed stars.
And now comes DR.. Fred i. White
and asks the workman to leave his
shop, the farmer to abandon his pillow
the merchant to turn from his counter
long enough to take the medicine
which he protfsred to them in 1896.
DIR. White seems to be suffering from
an enlargement of gall.
In 1897 the democratic state platform
of Iowa. upon which Mr.. White ran TO,
governor, made the following declara,
ton:
I'VE point to the fact that the claims
of the republican party in the last cam.
paign have proven false, and not one
OF the pledges made by that party has
been fulfilled. The citizen was urged
to vote for Mckinley and prosperity;
confidence was to de restored; the
i