Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1901-03-13

MkINLEY'S ENVIABLE RECORD.
President During Four Years in Office Solves All Grave
Problems Before the Nation.


William Mckinley has been inaugural
cd President of the United States for the
second time, as his own successor. This
is a distinction which he shares with
| Washington, Jefferson. Madison, Monroe,
| jackson, Lincoln and Grant. The Ameri-
can people can give TO no citizen better
| evidence Of their absolute confidence in
hima confidence which is the child Of
experience--than when they continue him
at the bead of national affairs.
In the winter of 1890 no one would
have yentured to say that in little over
ten years time William Mckinley would
be entering upon a second term as Presi-
dent of the United States. He had just
been defeated for reelection 10 the House
! of Representatives. He was enc of the
| many Republicans who were victims Of
the reverses which besell the Republican
party that year, reyerses which were as
cribed in part to the enactment Of the
tariff act which bears his name. 1t was
assumed hastily by some that Mckinley 5
| political career was at an end.
The following year the Ohio Republi-
cans made him their candidate for Gov
ernor, and elected him by 4 plurality Of
! 2O,JOO. In 1898 they reelected him by
a plurality of 10000 All this showed
that he was a strong man in Ohio and the
| man who has given evidence that thai
great State is behind him may legitimate
| ly begin to dream of the presidency. The
defeat Of Mr.. Mckinley in 1880 opened
the doors of the White House TO him.
| His record as Governor gave him the
prestige which secured for him i'll 1896
the presidential nomination over so
strong character as Thomas B. Reed
| The campaign which followed was one
of the most exciting this country had ever
known. There was brea} = p Of par
\ ty lines. which was calc' al to make
the coolest and shrewdesl I politicians
doubtful as to the result During the try
ing summer aud fall mont 4 1896 Mr.
| Mckinley displayed gnity and
strength of character which inspired his
supporters with confidence. He made
no hysterical canvass. He committed
no blundess He showed no timidity. and
| he made no boasts.
The record which President Mckinley
| has made is not vet ancient history, and
most Americans are familiar with It, 1t
was because of their knowledge of, and
! hearty approval OF, that record that they
reelected him by an increased majority.
I Not all of his two-term predecessors were
thus honored. He is deserving Of this
| special mark of popular favor, for dur
! ing four years he has been exposed 10
| the scrutiny of the world. Political enh
mics have watch 4 mis- every step. They
| have scrutinized closely every act. Moth
/ ing has been disclosed to his disadvan-
| tage.
/ Ends Commercial Crisis.
! When he took the oath of office fen'
years ago Mr.. Mckinley was confronted
with a serious commercial crisis. The
| country had been in business difficulties
| for years, and it seemed as if things
were going from bad to worse. He w2s
pledged to a new tariff policy as com
pared with that which had prevailed dur
! ing Mr. Cleveland's administration.
Almost the first act of the new Presi-
! dent was to call an extra session of Con-
gress for the express purpose of reyis-
1 ing the Wilson Tariff law, which he con-
4 strued to be one of the principal reasons
1 for the business depression of the previ-
Gus four years That law was passed
/ through Congress rapidly and without
scandal Even the delicate subject Of The
tariff on sugar was handled in a way
which left no faint on the adminIstFa-
| ton.
The Dingley tariff was much higher
than it's predecessor, but it has - ed
eminentIy satisfactory. and the .esi-
| dents prediction that tn treasury would
be full to oyerfowing as soon as labor
was protected by an adequate customs
| tariff has been fulfilled.
The four years of prosperity which
I g.xf3 h. 60 how
amply justified William Mckinley in his
financial aud thrift theories, which only
ten years ago lost him his seat in Con
| gress The prosperity of the country is
! 50 self-evident that even his Democratic
adycrSarics have never attempted TO dis
pute seriously the fact, and the treasury
! statement to-day is of such a character
a. to demonstrate, so far as figures can,
the complete success OF the Republican
policy of which Mckinley has been the
recognized prophet.
Calm Amid War Clouds.
With the beginning of the administra-
ton the clouds of war had begun 10 roll
up. Mr.. Mckinney fell heir to a disturb
ii international condition which could
! have only one outcome. He was not
responsible for me preliminary negotia-
tious and he bad done nothing to bring
on the clash with the kingdom of Spain.
He accepted the pledge of his party that
conditions in Cuba must be improved
ami he was honestly attempting to force
Spain 10 agree to some peaceable solu-
ION of the problem when a disaster o.
cur ed which shocked the civilized world
and prt~ipiated red war
The bat,leship Maine was blown up in
Havana han Dor and while the most care
fui inc airy could not develop the respon-
sibility the American people and the
world at large could only be convinced
that cert in Spaniards unoftieially, but
malicio5 sly. destroyed the ship.
This was the chance Of all chances for
a maA vithou a backbone 10 lose his
heal. but WiIl8,a Mckinley did moth
ing Of the kind lie instituted careful
aerutiuy into the causes of the action
and while the people were fretting and
Tuning from ocean TO ocean and demand
Ing instant war with Spain. the President
sat at the White House council tahl" cool
and collected. He resisted q popu ar
clamor and held back wisely and W, H.
lie was charged with eowardice. with n
decision. and with trucking to corporate
interests, bur the nation now knows that
he was right throughout and that he was
waiting to prevent war il such thing
were possible and to make certain that