The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-06-21

ination of VIM. Mckinley, the president
who has had to meet and solve problems
more numerous and more important than
any other president since the days of
mighty Abraham Lincoln; the president
under whose administration this country
has attained a higher pitch of prosperity
at home and honor abroad than ever be-
Tore IN It's history. Four years ago, the
kepubncan party nominated William Nc
klnley as its standard bearer in a pOliti-
cal conflict of gravest moment to the ma
ton than any that had taken place since
the close Of the civil war saw us once
more reunited country. The Republican
party nominated him. but, before the
campaign was many days old he had be-
come the candidate not only of all Repub-
Hcans. but of all Americans who were
both far-sighted enough to see where the
true interests of the country lay and clear
minded enough to be keenly sensitive to
the taint OF dishonor. President McKin-
ley was triumphantly elected on certain
distinct pledges and those pledges have
been made more than good. We were
then IN cond1tlon or industrial paralysis.
The capitalist was plunged in ruin and
disaster; the wage worker was on the
edge of actual want; the success of our
opponents would have meant not only i'm
mense aggravation of the actual physical
distress, but also stain on the nations
honor so deep that more than one gener-
alton would have to pass before it would
be effectually wiped out. We promised
that IL president Mckinley were elected
not only should the national honor be
kept unstained at home ana abroad, but
that the mine and the workshop open,
the farmer have market for his goods,
the merchant for his wares and that the
wage-worker should prosper as never be-
fore. We did not promise the impossible; We
good administration there would come
prosperity to all men; but we did say that
each man should have a better chance to
win prosperity than he had ever yet had
In the long run, the thrift, industry. en-
ergy and capacity of the individual must
always remain the chief factors in ms
success. By unwise or dishonest legisla-
ton or administration on the part of ma
tfonal authorities, all these qualities in
the Individual can be nullified, but wise
legislation and upright administration
will give them free scope And it was this
free scope that we promised should be
given.
Well. we kept our word. The opportun-
| ity has been given and it has been seized
by American energy. thrift and business
| enterprise. AS a result, we have pros
pered as never before, and we are now
prospering to degree that would nave
seemed incredible four years ago, when
the cloud of menace to our industrial we'll
! being hung above the land
So it has been in foreign affairs. -Four
years ago the nation was uneasy because
| right at its doors an American island lay
! writhing in agony with the curse of worse
than medieval tyranny and misrule. We
/ had our Armenia. at our very doors, for
| the situation in Cuba had grown lnt9ler- lll9
| able and such that this nation coulq no
/ longer refrain from interference and re-
/ tain it's own selfrespect- President Nc
| turned to others He sought by every ef-
| fort possible to provide for Spain's with
| drawal from the island which she was
| impotent longer to do aught than Cypress
Then, when pacific means had failed and
| there remained the only alternative, we
waged the most righteous and brilliantly
! successful foreign war that any country
has waged during the lifetime OF the pres
! ent generation. It was not q great war
( simply because it was won too quickly
| but it was mornentous indeed in its eff
| fects 1t left US, as all great feats must
leave those who perform them, an in
heritanee both of honor and of responsi-
/ bility. and under the lead of President
Mckinley, the nation has taken up The
task of securing orderly liberty and the
reign of Justice and law in the islands
1 from which we drove the tyranny OF
Spain, with the same serious realization
of duty and sincere purpose to perform
it that has marked the nations attitude
/ in dealing with the economic and fnan
/ cial difficulties that face US at home
This is what the nation has done during
the three years that have elapsed since