Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 October 1900 — STANDS WITH THE OLD PARTY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

STANDS WITH THE OLD PARTY

Ex-President Harrison Refutes the Insinuation That He Opposes McKinlev.

Bryan’s Election Would Throw Governmental and Business Affairs Into Confusion.

7 o The Full Dinner Basket Is Not a £ Sordid Emblem—What It Real- o ly Means. °

Ex-President Harrison’s position in this campaign is not one of doubt. lie has" given to the people liis views on the political situation and his endorsement to the candidacy of William McKinley for reelectlon. Last week in New York an authorized statement of his position was made public and it spikes the guns of the Bryanites and their organs who have had the temerity to claim that General Harrison was not desirous of the success of the Republican party. The questions asked him and the answers given were as follows: “Is It true, general, that you have consented to make some speeches in the campaign?” “No, that statement has not been authorized by me,” was his answer. ,“I have said to everyone who has spoken or written to me on the subject that I could not do any more campaign work. I began to make Republican speeches the year I began to vote and have had a laborious, if uanportant, part in every campaign, j late and national, until ISOS. In 1890 submitted myself to very hard usge, and then made up my mind, and oO said to my friends, that I would do no more campaigning. Following this conclusion I declined to take a speaking part in the campaign of ISOS. My retirement dates from that year, not from this. Few men have made more speeches for their party than I have, and no ex-President, I am sure, has made more. Since I Washington my retirement from all participation In party management has been complete. All that I have left to others, and I think they have very generally and kindly accepted my sense of the 1 proprieties of the case—at least be- 1 tween campaigns. In a word, I have vacated the choir loft and taken a seat in the pews—with a deep sense of gratitude to my forbearing fellowcountrymen.” I “But, general, It Is said that you are not altogether in accord with your party.” “Well, I have heard that my silence was Imputed by some to that cause.' Now, the only public utterance I have made in criticism of the policies of the party were contained in the interview, consisting of one rather short sentence, that I gave to the newspa-j pers while the Forto Rico bill was ( pending. It was, in substance, that I ! regarded the bill as a grave departure from right principles. I still think so. I do not believe that the legislative power of Congress in the territories is absolute— and I do believe that the revenue clause, relating to duties and imports, applies to Forto Rico. These views, I know, are not held by many able lawyers. It Is a legal question—one that the political department of the government cannot fully adjudge. The final and controlling word upon this question is with the supreme court of the United States. Cases involving the question are, I understand, pending, and a decision, in which we all must asquiesce, cannot be muon | deferred. I, think, therefore, that voters ought to vote with a view to the right decision of those questions ! that are directly and finally in the I control of the President and Congress, "The general reasons I gave In my Carnegie hall speech in 1896 why Mr. Bryan should not be elected still hold good with me. His election would, l think, throw governmental and bus! Hess affairs into confusion. We should Dot aid the election of a President who would, admittedly, If he could, destroy the gold standard and other things that we value even more, upon the deceptive suggestion that he has been bound, and that the Republican party will, after defeat, still have strength enough to save the temple. It will be much better not to allow the man with destructive tendencies so much as to lean against its pillars. Perhaps it will save you much trouble if I give you, and underwrite as of this date, this extract from my Carnegie hall speech: ‘“When we have a President wlrj believes that ft is neither his right nor his duty to see that the mail trains are not obstructed, and that Interstate commerce lias its free way, Irrespective of state lines, and courts that fear to use iheif ancient and familiar writs to restrain .and punish law-breakera, free trade and free silver will be appropriate accompaniments of such an administration and cannot add aoore

jemmy to me national c'.ist-i ss gi; lae j mil dishonor.-’ "'l'lse economic policies of tin* Republican party have been vindicated by the remarkable and general prosperity that has developed during Mr. 1 McKinley’s administration—succeeding 1 a period of great depression. A change of administration this fall would almost certainly renew conditions from which we have so happily escaped. The full dinner bucket is not a sordid emblem. It has a spiritual slg- ! nificance for the spiritually-minded. It j means more’comfort for the wife and family, more schooling and less work for the children and a margin of savj ing for sickness and old age.”

BENJAMIN HARRIRSON.