The age-herald., 1900-03-04
M'KINLEY SPEAKS OF OUR PROSPERITY Addresses the Ohio Society of
 New York. THE NATION IS NOW HAPPY President Refers to the Gold Standard and Open Door in the East as
 Signs of Continued
 Prosperity
THE NATION IS NOW HAPPY

New York, held its annual dinner at the WaldorfAstoria tonight. William McKin- ley, president of the United States, was the guest of honor. More than 400 covers were laid.
 Before the banquet, President Mckinley, with President M I. Southward, of the so- ciety, and Henry L. Burnett, chairman of the banquet committee, held reception and shook hands with IF members of the soci- ety and the guests.
 Among those at the presidents table on either side of the president were M. l. Southward, president of the Ohio society, of New York; Governor Theodore Roose- yelt, Governor George Knash, ex-Governor Levi P. Morton Cornelius N. Bliss Senator Mark Hama, Lieutenant Governor Timothy l.. Woodruff, Judge Addison Brown, Gen eral Wagener Swaine, General H. c. Corbin, H. Clay Evans, General Thomas H. Hub bard, Charles Dick, John Barrett, Tunis G. Bergen and Julian T. Davies.
 The list of speakers on the programme was as follows: President Mckinley, Gov ernor Knash, of Ohio; Solicitor General of the u4hed States John A. Richards, Lieu tenant Governor Timothy L. Woodruff and James H. Hoyt. There were no fixed toasts, the speakers having sub ects allotted to them as they were called upon.
 Presidents speec..
 MT. Mckinley said:
 MT, Toastmaseer and Gentlemen:-l ap- prec1ate your welcome and thank you for this renewed expression or good Will. II Is proper that should say that the managing board of the Ohio society has kept the p-,omises made to me that l would not be expected or required to speak at this ban quet I shall not be guilty of refecting on their good faith or breaking my own resolu- ton not to speak, if I indulge in some ob- servatiohs while expressing in the briefest manner the pleasure which I have In greet ing my old friends of the Ohio colony In New York It has been some years since I was your guest. Much has happened in the meantime. We have had our blessings and our burdens, and still have both.
 We will soon have 1egisialdve assurance Of the continuance. of the gold standard, with wllsch we measure our exchanges, and we lave the open door in the liar. east, through which to II hrket our producfs- W are nea CT in alliance, nor ants agonism, nod eastaIszi cement with any foreign power -Dut on terms of amdt ty and cotdiaaAy With all. We buy from all of them and sell to all of them. Markets have been increased and mortgages have been, reduced. Interest has ,fa.ien and wages have advanced. The public debt Is decreasing. The country IS well to do. It's people for the, most part are happy and contented. They have good | times, and are on good terms with the na- tions of the world.
 ."Ihere are, unfortuna tely, those among us few in number I am sure, who seem to thrive best under bad times. and Who, when good times overtake them in the Undted States, feel constrained to pur us on bad terms with the rest of mankind. Wi.n them I can have no sympathy. l would rather give express.on to what believe the nololer and a1nlJst universal sentiment of my coup.rymen in the wsa not only for our peace and prosperity. but for the peace and prosperity of al the na- tions and peoples Of the ea1Sh.
 An navoidgb.e nar
 After thirty years of unbroken peace came an unavIo;da b1e war. Happily the conclusion was quickly reached, without suspi.con of unworthy motive or practice or purpose on oil- c.Le and wGjl fadeiess honor to our arms. l cannot forget the qusck response of the people to the coun- Liy's need and the quarter of a million of men w,no freely offered their, lives to their m lghty reserve power and taught us that large standing armies unnecessary when every citizen. is a minute man. ready to Jo-n the ranks for national de- fense.
 .Out of these recent events have come to the United> States grave trials and respon- sibi,tties. As it was the nations war, 50 are its results the nations problem. It's solution rests upon us all. It is too serious to stihe. No phrase or catch word can can eisl the sacred obligation 1t involves. No use of epSthets, no aspersion of motive by those who differ, will contribute to that so- Der judgment so essential to right conclu- sionss. No political outcry can abrogate our treaty of peace with Spain or absolve us from Its solemn engagements. It is the peo- ples question and will be until its deter imitation is written out in their enlightened verdict. We must choose between manly duty and base desertion. It will never be the latter. It must be soberly settled in justice and good conscience and 1t will be- Righteousness, whioh~ exalteth nations. l must control in its solution. No greater ! emergency has arisen in this nations his- l tory and progress which has not been met i by the sovereign people with high capacity. | with ample strength and with unfinching | fideHty to every honorable obligation. Par | tisanship can hold few of us against pub | lie duty. The national sentiment and the ! conscience was never stronger or higher than now. 1
 A Rcunio of the People ,
 There has been a reunion of the people ! around the holy altar, consecrated to coun- try newly sanctified by common sacrifice The followers of Grant and Lee have fought under the same flag and fallen for the same faith. Party lines have loosened and the ties of union have been rooted in essss ssessssseesesess e sssessessss |. |