The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1900-08-24
READY FOR BATTLE.
Wisconsin Republicans Are in Line
for the Fray.
Speech of Temporary Chairman H. C.
Adams at the Milwaukee Com
ventiOn-Praise for McKin-
ley's Administration.


In his opening address before the
Wisconsin republican state convention
at Milwaukee, Wednesday, August 8,
Temporary Chairman H. c. Adams
said:
1.-The republican party of Wisconsin is
ready for political battle. 1t has cleared
for action. 1t win go into the contest of
1900 in solid column. There will be no fire
in the rear and nothing very dangerous in
front. Our friends the democratic enemy
will as usual be busy and noisy. They
are busy now trying to hide from public
view the one plank in their platform nailed
there by the imperious hand of William
j. Bryan They claim to have concealed
no assassin of the public credit in their
house, for the reason that he is not eXhib-
tied upon their front porch. They are rails
ing a frightful din over what they call i'm
perialism, and their leaders with an as
surance almost sublime are calmly inform
ing the public that it will be the paramount
issue of this campaign. Where do these
gentlemen get their authority to determine
what shall be the paramount issue? The
American people have not spoken. The
Tammany tiger is not recognized as an
authority at the bar of public judgment.
Mr.. Bryan may consent. But the repub-
lican party of the nation must be consulted.
There is fight on hand. Shall the demo-
CrdClC party choose weapons anu place.
Gen. Grant said: Never permit the enemy
to select your positions. We never will.
The republican party has controlled the
administration of national affairs for four
years. The paramount issue Of this cam
paign will be, Has that administration been
wise or unwise? The party has made a
record. We must stand or fall by that
record.
Served the People Well.
"The republicans of Wisconsin have
right to congratulate themselves upon the
administration of affairs, both state and
national. Gov. Scofield has served the
state we'll. He has been loyal to party
pledges and loyal to the public interest.
He has been a watchful, painstaking and
conscientious executive. He has insisted
upon, good business methods in handling
public funds and in keeping state accounts.
He has been fearless in demanding that
state appropriations should not exceed
money available in the general fund He
has watched the conduct of the great char
table and penal institutions of the state
as If they were a personal charge. His
administration of affairs has been such
that even a partisan press has not ven
tured to attack 1t. Every department OF
the state has been handled in the public
interest The last legislature disposed of
the pass question for all time. 1t increased
the taxes of some corporations and then
did the best thing it has done in genera
tion-eStablished a tax commission for the
purpose of thorough investiga ton OF the
complicated question of taxation. These
questions are not easy of settlement. They
may not puzzle those gentlemen who chatter
wisely upon the streets or the demagogueS
who chatter upon the stump. But since
governments were organized. they have
puzzled statesmen and scholars and the
honest patriotic Judgment of every country
in every age. The republican party of this
state is not entering on a raid upon cor
porate interests. Neither has it formed an
alliance with them. In the matter of tax
alton it will know neither corporations nor
individuals. 1t has no friends to protect
and no enemies to punish. 1t will hunt
for property, and find 1t If 1t can, for record
upon the assessment rolls, the hidden prop
erty of the state which, while receiving
property to bear the burden and cost of
sustaining that law. Every form of wealth
except that devoted to religious,
benevolent and charitable purposes
should help support the state. 1t
is idle to claim that the ultimate
burden of taxation must rest upon the
back of labor. If that is true why not levy
a per capita tax and burn our assessment
laws upon the affairs of common sense?
1t is not true. 1t never has been and it
never will be. 1t is to the everlasting credit
of the republican party that 1t has met
squarely and boldly the new questions
which have arisen in the constantly chang
ing conditions of modern life. 1t has blazed
the path of advancing political thought for
half a century. 1t has been the go-ahead
party of the nation. The democratic party,
as John M. Olin once said, has been the
hold-back party of the nation. In the ad-
justment of this matter of taxation, which
is fundamental and affects every citizen, it
will simply be just 1t will endeavor to
tax the home of the labOrer and the palace
of the millionaire in exact proportion. 1t
would tax all the stock of the farmer and
all the stock of the capitalist. 1t will say
to men who hold franchises given by munic-
qualities or by the state: We have given
you something of value. Your franchise
is property. You must help support the
state in proportion to the value of that
property. The republican party of the
state may not do 1t in one year, and 1t may
not do it in five years, but as sure as hon
est, conscientious work will bring 1t about,
it will make living thing of the rule OF
the constitution that all taxation must be
uniform.
Stand by Mckinley.
.'In national affairs we stand by the adj
ministration of President Mckinley. We
are proud of 1t. Proud Of 1t not simply
as republicans, but as citizens Of this
American commonwealth, who are glad
that his administration has brought new
to American arms and new prosperity to
the American people. say this not merely
for the purpose of using the perfunctory
terms of conventional eulogy, but because
you and and every fair minded American
citizen knows that it is true The repub-
lican party has done all that it promised to
do and more. The democracy said in 1896
that a republican tariff would be a Chinese
wall about the United States. shutting out
foreign trade. We passed the Dingley bill
amidst furious uproar Of democratic pco-
test Instead of wall 1t has proved
way. In single year. for the first time
in the history of this republic, the trade
balance with other countries in our favor
has exceeded $500, 00O, 900. In three years 1t
has exceeded 81, 500. o0O, 900, and in the year
which closes to-day we have made a record
Of foreign trade greater in amount than
in any year of our history.
Butchered Theory.
''Some one has said that there II no
tragedy in nature more horrible than the
murder of beautiful theory by homely
fact. The democratic theory of free trade,
approved by some college professors, sane
toned by John c. Calhoun, Jefferson Davis,
John p. Altgeld, Richard Croker, William
J. Bryan and other misguided patriots,
has been horribly butchered by the ruth
less facts of the prosperous commercial
and Industrial life which has followed in
the wake of the Dingley bill. Shall Mr..