Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-09-30

Z
operations of this law our circulating
medium has increased We had ST.
o06, 424,966 in circulation in 1896, in
1872 it has risen to $2,55S,770, 769.
Il Will not worry you with statistics,
but these two or three items are of
such remarkable and satisfactory char,
acter that l trust you will remember
them. The results of this increased
circulation and of this satisfactory bal.
ance OF trade may be seen on every
hand. The farmer feels it, the work.
lngman knows it, the merchants see
IL IN the returns of their daily OF
monthly business. | appeal this year
not alone to your reason but to your
memory, and ask whether you wish
a return to the conditions of 1898 to
1896?
Labor in Politics.
! The attempt is being made in this
congressional district to carry the la
Dor unions into politics, and not only
to divert them from their prudent and
useful purposes but to unite them to
the democratic party upon the Kansas
/ CITY and Chicago platforms of 1896
and 1900, which platforms were en-
dorsed in the convention that nomin-
ated my opponent 1t is true that the
state democratic platform excludes
the national declaration in favor of
free coinage of silver and the other
radical utterances expressed in those
remarkable documents.
Il do not believe the time has come
| when a labor leader can carry his
union into any political party at his
own will, and especially do | believe
that he will be unable to make the la
| Dor organizations side shows to the
free trade party. My opponent is an
enthusiastic gentleman who believes
that very much can be accomplished
| in a very short time, even in sleep,
/ but should he be elected to congress
| he will find that he must cooperate
| with the democratic party, he will find
that he shall have embarrassed every
labor union in the United States by
| the assumption that his election
would amalgamate the unions with the
democratic party. Every state in the
| Union has some labor laws, The dem
ocratic states of the south have given
labor less recognition in their statutes
than any other state: labor having for
merly been regarded as chattel in
those states it takes much time for
them to recognize the dignity of labor
and its rights to adequate protective
| laws. The labor men of this country
| know full well that the republican
states of the north have enacted
wholesome and necessary laws along
the various lines desired by the or
CARNATIONS which represent labor.
| They know that by non-partisan ac-
| ton, keeping their unions out of poll
tics, they have been enabled to ask
for legislation in Iowa of the republi-
cans and in Missouri of the democrats,
without any giving allegiance of their
organization to either of these parties.
They know that the congress of the
| United States has enacted laws in the
interest Of the laboring people of the
country The miners of the whole
country know full we'll that have per-
sonally prepared and secured the en-
actment of laws for their protection in
the territories of the United States.
the only part of our country where
congress has the authority to regulate
and control the operation of mines,
for under cur system of state govern
ments such matters of necessity must
be cared for in the states by local leg
islation. Pennsylvania has legislated
for her miners, Iowa has done the
same for the miners in this state; con-
gress has legislated for the miners of
thei territories, and, whatever the re-
suit may be of this election. it will al.
ways be gratifying to me to know that
the bills for that purpose were drafted
by me. There is only one party of Ia
Dor in the United States of America
and that is the party that was formed
nearly fifty years ago to make all labor
free in this country. That party has
been in favor of the protection of
American industry, in order that good
wages may be paid to our working
people; that party has been in favor
of the gold standard and good money,
in order that those wages might be
paid in the best coinage of the world
or its equivalent. In 1896 we were
told that the way to give employment
to the wol kingman was to cut his dol
lar in two. That the way to bring
prosperity to the country was to dilute
the medium of exchange. We were al
so told that a tariff shorn of ali protec-
tive features was best for the farmer
and labcrer. We were told that pros
perity could never again return to this
country until we had debased our cur
rency and opened our markets freely
to goods made by the cheap labor of
foreign lands. 1t does not seem to me
in the light Of history and of our own
personal experience, that the two poll.
cies of the great parties placed in
sharp contrast by the actual test of
recent trial need be discussed further
than to point out what has been done
under them both BY that test | am
prepared to be judged as your repre-,
sentative in congress. | have voted fol
many measures that many OF the PEG.
pie of this district believe were not
for the best Experience has demon.
strated that every policy adopted by
the republican party has proven for
the best interest of all the people. Nc
Kinley found the flag of our prosperity
lying in the dust in 1896; he picked ii
up and carried it in triumph He has
gone to his reward, wept and honored,
not only by his own friends but by
his former foes. A worthy successor
has taken up McKinley's life work.
He has demonstrated that this country
is governed by law. not merely by
men. 1t was not the man Mckinley