Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-04-26
ADDRESS BY ]. r. HANLY
Temporary Chairman, In Opening the
Convention. Contracts Strongly
the Democratic and Re-
publican Regimes.

ITal cOmmltUee, convened the meeting
with brief speech. After the report
of the committee on temporary organi-
cation was adopted, Chairman J frank
Hanly was introduced and spoke as fol-
lows:
am not insensible to the distinc-
lion you have conferred upon me by
selecting me to preside over delibera-
tions of this convention. 1t is an hon
or have not sought, but ] obey your
wish in this, as in all other things, and
accept the esponsibility, feeling that
thao your patience and forbearance
will aid me in the proper discharge of
the delicate duties of the position, and
that your partiality will excuse any
errors into which l may fall. Thru
your charity and indulgence alone may
hope to succeed in a position filled
hitherto by men of great experience
and capacity and of acknowledged
leadership in the party.
We are met in the closing hours of
the worlds greatest century to write
another page of Hoosier history. For
in what we do here we must needs
make history. recognize in the dele
gates before me the bone and sinew of
rcpublicanism in Indiana. For the
purposes of this day you are the re-
publican party. You have authority
to declare its creed and make its ticket
The ticket you name will be elected in
November and the names you place up
on it will be responsible for the state
government for another period of four
years.
II congratulate you upon the great
ness of this assembly in numbers, in
character and in enthusiasts; and
above all congratulate you upon the
suspicious circumstances under which
you have convened.
when we assembled in convention
In 1896, the democratic party was in
trenched in power in the state and in
the nation. Gold was being exported,
at the rate of more than $5O,OOO,OOO a
year, in excess of importation. Only
one and one-half per cenb of customs
duties were being paid in gold. The
gold reserve was exhausted and the
eendiess chain process was in effective
operation. Favorable trade balances
were either small or had entirely ceas-
ed to exist. Farm products had drop
ped in price below the cost of produc-
ton. Confidence had disappeared from
the business world. Commercial fail
ures had multiplied beyond precedent
In either number or sum; and money.
was understandable save at exorbitant
rates of interest.
T. Want, disaster and gloom, the ever
attending and triple concomitants of
democracy were everywhere. Indus
tries were paralyzed; commerce was at
q standstill; cars, designed for, the
transportation of freight were rotting
on sidetracks. Thrift was manned;
enterprise strangled.' Empleye and
employer, debtor and creditor, were en-
quilted in the universal disaster. A mil
lion unemployed and helpless working
men were upon. the streets and high
ways of the country asking for bread;
and women and children were hungry,
and were without food. The situation
was heartrending as a pestilence.
These conditions still obtained on
the 4th of March, 1897, when the re-
publican party was restored to power.
Charged with administering the gov
eminent during one of the most try
ing periods in the nations history, the
administration at Washington submits
to the loyal people of the country the
record of the last three years without
hesitation or fear; confident that it
will receive their approving judgment
] at the polls in November. Thru the
efforts of President Mckinley and the
work of republican congress, we are
living today under new dispensation.
The horrid nightmare of democratic
administration has passed away and
we stand again in the broad sunlight
of better day. During the last year
we have surpassed the red-letter years.
of 1892 and have set a new milestone
upon the pathway of American pros
perity and progress.
Foreign sales of merchandise have
been beyond all precedent. In three
years other peoples have purchased of
us thousand seven hundred and fifty
millions of dollars more merchandise
than we have bought of them. This
vast sum is required to balance the
worlds trade account with us. 1t is
sum eight times greater than the
trade balances for any two years of Mr..
9Cleveland's administration; and, four
times greater than the aggregate
trade balances for his entire term.
Sixty per cent of the customs duties
are now paid in gold. These condi-
lions have secured to us net importa-
ton of gold during the three years of
$500, 100000. We have gold stock of
more than.a thousand millions of dol
lars, of which $s50,oOO,OoO are in actu-
al circulation among the people and in
the channels of trade either in coin
or in gold certificates.
"Our store of gold is more than that
OF England and Germany combined and
far in excess of that held by any other
nation in the world. The gold reserve
in the treasury is more than double
the amount heretofore required, while
the monetary circulation of the coun-
try aggregates more than two thousand
millions OF dollars, and the per capita
circulation exceeds 500 as against
$21.15 in 1896. Money may be had for
the asking at rates of interest SO low
rs to leave but nominal profit to the
lender after tax charges are paid.
The credit and financial standing Of