The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-03-08
WILLIAM

wish OF the people OF Ino natlOn WILL
lam Mckinley has entered upon his
second term as president of the United
States. His last election was by a
majority larger than ever before given
to any candidate. This majority
was not made possible through the SUI
perlor skill of his campaign managers,
but was the simple expression of con-
fdence in his executive ability, pat
riotism and craftsmanship as voiced
by the people at the polls last Novem-
Der when they were afforded oppur-
tunity to give uttrance to their
wishes and desires. The four years of
his administration then drawing to a
close had given them proof of his
fitness for the position of president
and the reliance that could be placed
in him to guide we'll and periodically
the destinies of the nation.
When four years before they had
voted for him it was OH the pledge
that if elected he and his party would
rescue the country from the condition
in which it then found itself and again
cause an era of prosperity and plenty
to prevail. AS soon as inaugurated he
proceeded to fulfill that promise and
convened congress in extraordinary
session for the enactment of the only
tariff laws that have ever proved
beneficial and wise for the country to
adopt-a tariff for the protection of
American labor and American indus
try. The present tariff was put into
effect and with a bound the country
shook off the thra]ls of inactivity and
stagnation and where want and suffer-
ing had formerly held sway beneficent
plenty and her twin sister happiness
manifested themselves. The stimulus
given American manufacturing in
dusries was SO great and lasting that
now the United States ranks among
the first of the industrial nations of
the world and it's products are in COM
petition with every coutry where a
market for them can be found. In
the exports of domestic productions
we exceed all other nations.
Thus was pledge kept, and the
fruits of it are happiness and content
to millions erstwhile in poverty and
despair.
Another pledge kept was the main.
tenance of the nations currency on q
solid and sound basis. This has beer
accomplished by a law establishing
the gold standard and for the adop
tion of which the president is MOI
without credit. While he may at one
time have been opposed to the presen'
form of the nation's financial system
he was not so narrow minded ant
prejudiced as to make him blind t,
the acquisition of knowledge showing
the error into which he had above,
himself to fall. He realized the i'm
;portance of keeping inviolate tn
credit of the nation and when he at
tanned the position of executive ant
had opportunity of viewing from
broader standpoint cause and effec
he honestly admitted his earlier erro
and became one of the strongest advo
Gates Of the gold standard, realizin
that in it's adoption alone lay the roa
to permanent financial prosperity an
stability. In this he gave manifesto
ton of the honestly that is his char
acte1izing quality and which has al
ways enabled him to rise equal to an
emergency. While having opinions c
his own, he has always shown due re
gard for those of others and when b
has found himself in error has had tn
courage and honesty to admit it an
allow himself to be guided by wha
he believed to be right and just.
When the events arose that brougl
about the war with Spain he We
submitted to a W test. With til
nation and both houses Of congress
then in session, clamoring for war h
tried in every honorable way possibl
to avert conflict. He had been a
active participant in the bloodiest an
cruelest war Of which civilization hs
ken and knew the horrors that we
always brings about. When diplt
macy had exhausted all its resouroe
and notsing but war could settle th
questions in dispute he submitted til
entire matter to congress in a messag