Allen's Acceptance

The democrntic papers have alleged that Hon. E. P. Allen's speech of acceptaDce at the Adrián conventiou was disconnected, and rambling- in fact a poor effort. ïhere liappened to be a short hand reporter there who took it down as delivered off hand, and we reprint it to show the ralslty of thelr assertions. He said: Mr. Chaikman, Gentlemen of ttie Repcblican Congbessional Conyention: Of my own free will and accord, without restralnt or constraint on the part of anyone, I am on my way to .Tackson. (Laufihter and npplause) 1 should not have been at this gathering to-day but for the fact that I had the distinguished honor of being treasurer of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Assoeiation of south-eastern Michigan, which meets to-day and the balance of the week at that place, and I am on my way to give au account of my stewardship with their funds. Ae I have only been In the state one day since the lst of last December, if I appeur at all bushful or awkward before yon, you must lay it to the fact that I have become almost a strangcr. I assure you, Mr Chairman, and gentleman, that in acceptlng the nomination at your hands, it is with feeliugs of responsibility and with a full knowledgeoi what is before me. And yet I accept it. Could I consult my own personal wishes, I would say to you frankly that as far as I am personally concerned, I am entirely satisned lo leave to my children as good a mime ns I have lecn uble to earn in two tertns ot Congress. It is uot a work that a man can expcct always to be engngpd in; and at best lic should consider it but an episode in a life, which ought to be aimed at least toward accomplhing as mucli as possible for those we are called u pon to care for. And the fact that there is no money in belng a member of congress, and the further fact that the responsibilltles of the poaltloD are eoormoné, and welgh constantly upon the man with any conscienceorany brain.are well calculated to cause hcsitation in acceptii2 so important a trust. Not only this, but future generatlons will fecl the rssult8 of the laws that may be enacted. The position is no sinecure. It is not a place Vu ". BQUgUt nitor for tito írttne tlicro ia, in it, or the ease, or the pleasure. But it is a place that rcquires conscientious,hard, earnest work, and that not to-duy nor tomorrow, but constautly. You represent the primarles. Yon represent (he pcople who assemble in their school holnes and town hall?, and other place-; of meeting, and send you here to carry out thelr behests. What they did or did not do was was entirely independeut of anything I did. The primarles, as far as I am concerned, have been as free from any attempt at manipulation as has thia convention. And while I say 1 did not court this nomination, I do gay that while I have been in congress I have faithfiilly, earne8tly and honestly carried out the behests of the republican party, as laid down In their platforms. (Applause) I have tried to do my duty, and I have no appology to make to any man. You and I readily understand that this Is very different from a district In the City of New York, for instance, here the people are for the most part engaged in hand to hand conflict for tnefood to keep them alive, and one, two, three, or posslbly a dozen men do all the polilical work, manipúlate all the convention., decide who 8hall and who shall not go to congress, who shall and shall uot be governor. But this is the second eongressional district of Michigan. (Applause) Here witli a populution ol 100,000 votes, the men of this congressional district settle these questlons for theinselves. No man settlea them for them. And It is the duty of a man who loves his country, who loves his party and believes the best interestg of this country are to be cared for by keeping the republican party in power - I say it Is the duty of such a man, if he is nomlnated by the quiet, sober jndgment of the people to accept the nomination, although he knows he is marcUing to certain and sure defeat. (Applause) The voice of the people In these mattere, in a country like this, governed as It should be by the voice of ihe people - the voice of the people to t very man should be the voice of God. 1 do not take tliis nomination at the hands of the republicans of this district as represented by you as an endoríeinent of all I have done. I muy have done things that I would not do agaln. Who has not? I have none partictilarly in m'uid now. But the man who says he always does the best he can, and that he does better than anybndy else could have done, is a vain man. I do not say it. This I know: Tiiat in this intelligent second congressional district, in whatever I have done, I have endeavored to get .is closely to the pcople as possible, and Uien curry out as neatiy as possible their behests as brought to me. And the time is coming, gentlemen, in this country - and the sooner the better for us all - and when every man who holds place or power aside from the purely administrativo funcllons of this government, from the president of the United States and United States Senator down to poetmaster, shall be elected by the votes ol the people. (Applause.) The day has gone by in this nation of sixty-five milliong of people, when bosses can control lt. Public men shotild bo released as soon as possible from the burden of even seeming to be bosses, a thing that Is hateful to every candid, honest man. Xow I do not know who my distinguished competitor will be. But I do - - - - - ■-- ■- -i- i know that he will be a worthy man, and one, it ia more tlnn probable, who is like myself - poor. I know,furthermore, that I shall be compelled to remaln at Washington for a considerable lenffth ot time yet. And in order to ease Lis pocket and my own, I shall just as soon as he is named, ask him to help pay the expense8 of one buggy, in which we will rlde tog'ether; and we will eat at the same table and sleep In the same bed until electiou day- until one or the other of us gets kicked out. (Laughter and applause.) In other words, wboever the democra' nominee may be, he will be honest in his convictions - just as honest as I aui in mine, and he will believe that it is for the best interests of his country that he sbould succeed, as l know it is for the best interests of the country that I should succeed. (Laughter.) The pcople of this district must settle it. 80 liaving f al tb in what he believes, and I have faith in what I belieye, what better or fairer way can be arranged or deyised than for us jointly to go before llie people and give a reason for "the hope that Is in usf' (Loud applause.) I say this that you may understand, from tbc outset,that I do not propose to ncglcct this congressional campaign. Not for myself. It is not a dollar in my pocket; but t is because I believe in the maintenance of the majority in the houses of congress and in the maintenance of the republican party in the majority in this country, as a vital necessity for its prospiritj and the well being of you and those wbo are to come after you. (Applause.) I need not teil you that for the lirst time In nearly twenty years the republican party is in power in all the departments of the government. Hus it anything to sliow for your faitk in it? The legUlation of the fifty-first congres3 is historie, and it will teil for ?ood In tliis country for the next huiulred years. The work bas been accomplisbed, not in baste, but after careful foretbought. No great interest in this country bas been neglected, or will be. I could recite, if nece9sary, in detail, those varlous acts of tliis congress now become law that ".will inure to the happiness of the American people. We have kept our pledges; and that is a thiug our friends, the democrats, will not claim they did wken they were in power in the fiftieth congres?. The legislation regarding the currency in this country is already, before tlie ink with wliich the president put bis name to the bill is fairly dry, beginning to have a beneüceut effect in evcry avenue of trade, aud is reachlng for good, the hcartlistones of every workingman in the United States. (Applause.) The additlons to what the farmers in the United States have to geil in the last ten days, because of the rise in prices, brought about mainly by the fact of the passage of the silver law, is over $90.000,000. (Applause.) In 1S87 President Cleveland sent a message to congress in which he demanded the repeal of the Bland silver law - a law which coins $2,000,000 per month, and not to exceed $4,000,000. It had been in operation since 1878. And President Cleveland laid it dowu that the coining of these silver dollars was a me nace to our monetary institutlons, that it threatened the whole monetary fabric ; and he demandad the repeal of the laws. And his secretary of the treasury also demanded the repeal of the law. But the democratie house of representatives neither repealed the law or said anything about It, nor did anything about it wbatever, in any way, shape or manner. The St. Louis convention of 1888, renominating Cleveland, bas not a single word relative to the silver questlon in it at all. The republican convention at Chicago In 1888 declared that gold and silver were money, and must be used by the people as money, and when congress met the silver bill was framcd in such a manner that every dollar in paper should rest up011 a dollar in silver. What is the efft-ct? Silver bas advanced in price. And the moment it advances ten cents more, so that it is 129, or $1.20, what have you? We have gotton free colnage of silver - unlitnlted colnage of silver. The moment that silver approaches or reacues 129,that moment, nader the law, any man can britig hls silver to the treasury as he brings hls gold and have It coined freoly. (Applause.) That is the free coinage of silver. In 1865 the government of the United States owed two and one-half billion of dollars. Iu 1890 it was less thau one billion dollars. During all of tliis time the legislation of this country has been shaped !u its policy by the republlcan party - save when there was an obstructlng democratie house of representad ves. The intereit charged in 18G5 was $ 175,000,000; to-day t is $20,000,000 only. Paper money was wortli 50 cents on the dollar; toilay 100 cents on the dollar. At the close of the war, the tnassea of the people of this country, both north and soutli, were impoverished. To-day there never has been a time and there never has been a nation, siiice OoJ created natlons, when tliere were so many men, and so ïiumy woini'ii, and so many children happy, comfoitablc well clotlied, and doing well ii 8 in the United Stiltes. ( Applnuse.) To be sure our inourniaj; bretlireu of tlie deraocracy are constantly telling about the country going to a smash and ruin. They have been telling you about the farm mortgages tbac are enting tip the western people. But tlie census, that teil tale of truth, is now throwlng light on the matter, and what does it show? It shows that In Kansas, which our democratie bretlireu have claimed isbankrupt, (ContlDuod on Recomí Page.) ALIEN'S ACCEPTANCE. (Continued from First rage.) that only 2,500 uiortgages were foreclosed during the last current year.and foreclosed for only $2,000,000. The trouble with Kansas is this: there is scarccly a county that has not been niortgaged to builü railroads. And this is the heavy debt that presses down on the people of Kansas to-dtiy. Tliey have built railroads all over the state, and it. costs money to bnild railroads. They are now paylng for thcm. Tlie poople of Michigan were saved from the same bottomless gulf in 1867, when in the supreine court of this state. Ctilef Justice Cooley 'rendering the decisión, declared that the people could not vote aid to build railroads. And had it not been for this, we would have bcenwhere Kansas is to-day. The repubücan party which you represent, gentleman of this district, is committed unalterably to that system of legislation that has borne such rlch fruits in the United States. The tariff is not a queetion of schedule; it Is a question ol business principie. It 3 not a question 01 whether cotton yarn shnll have a taril] of go mucli or so little upon it, bilt it is a question of protection as against free trade. And the two great partios are arraying themselves to-day more than ever upon this question at this point. The Democratie party, with such leaders as Edward Atkinsou and Henry George and the otlier scholars who gravitate to it, are all pronouncing themselves for free trade. The repubücan party with such men as Harrison, and Blaine and Iieed and the representatives in cougress behind them are declaring for protection. (Applause.) And the questiou that is to be fought out in this congressional district tliis fall is whether tiie people of this district wil! stand by their brethren in other status in returning tocongress men who believe as they do upon this vitally important question. That legislation that would tax the bread that goes into the mechanie's mouth, without at the same time protect ing him in bis mechanism against the competltion of men under another flag, would be iniquitous. (Applause.) Anc so tlie repubücan party declares that the mechanic, who is making the machine for the farmer, while he is so making it, sliall not be compelled to work In coinpetition with men under other flags and under other systems of government. (Applause.) All these conspire to combine to keep them down, society, government, traditions, everything keeps the laboring man of Kmope down, while he is a labor] ing man. In this country, society, traditions, laws, public sentiment, everything is trying touplift tiie laboring man, that he may indeed be what every man should be, and what he is in fact, a factor in our government, that is to be considered always and everywhere. (Applause.) Last week there were sold in the United States of farm products exclusive of cattle, slieep and bogs, seven million dollars' worth of stuff. And last week there were butchered 225,000 hogs, 115,000 only liaving been killed the corresponding week of last year. This representad over oue million dollar? to the farmers of this country on their farms Tlie cattle market in Chicago sold one million dollars' worth of cattle last week All these things are and have been, anc under the McKinley bill will continue to be protected, as they should be. And the farmers of this country are reaping the benefit of it. Hut my democratie frlcnd wül 8ty when he is upon the stump, "IIow far are you going to carry this?" I am going to carry it until we have laws in the shape of duties that will first protect all established intereste, and encourage and build up all new oms necded to d the business of this country. I am in favor of protection until what is calle( rough or unskllled labor shall have the price advanced, until the unskillec laborer can have more of the comforts o life, and devote more money and time to his own education and that of his children. (Loud applause.) I am In favor of protection until everything that is brought into this market from abroac that is impure, unhealthful, or drugged shall be scanned and inspectcd bcfore the people buy it. (Applauae.) But, say some of my democratie friends, is not this an injustice to ttie foreigner? Ts this not selfishness? Well perhaps it U. But It is the policy that will be and should be, inaintaiued under existlng conditions. I am in favor of reciprocity. (Applause.) I am in favor ol meeting, at least half way, every nation who desires an nterchange of commerce with us. (Applause.) But until the governments of Europe edúcate the masses of their people, until they abolish their abominable caste and class, and caste and class privileges, until they abolish their immense standing armies, which are so many standing menaces to the peace of the world, and allow the millions of tlielr soldiery to be absorbed Into the ranks of the people, then, and not until then, shall 1 be lu favor of discusslng the matter of allowing their artbans to compete with ours in our own home market. (Appluuse.) The republican party goea before the people this fall, pointing with pride toan unsuliied past, and proinising and setting forth what it intends to do in the future And the people will believe it because it has kept its promise3. It has not done all it intends to do. It intends to prevent such scènes as were witne9sed at the election in Arkansas yesterday. (Applause.) There was an election there yesterday. The republican party intends that the right of sull'rage shall be as free and unobstructed south of the Potomac rlver as northofit. (Applause.) It intends thut every voter all over this country huil have a free opportunity to vote, and that his vote shall be counted as cast. For myself, I would rather that every vote cast should be democratie than that the free exercise of the right of suffrage should be obstructed. The republican party proposes to pass an election bill- not a forcé bill, as our democratie friends are so fond of calling it. It is not deslgned that the shadow of a bayonet shall be over any ballot box anywhere in the United States. (Applause.) But, where it is de8lred, it Is proposed that the U. S. officials should be present at the election, see how it lsconducted and be prepared to report thereon. The speaker theu eloquently and feelingly returned thanks for the honor confeired upon him in his renomination, and after a little alluslon to the pres of the city, and the statement that he was paired with a jood Michigan Democrat - Representativo Whitinjí - ho skillfully and ileasantly brmight his remarks to a close. Look at tli9. On Saturday Sept. 13tti, Uilbert Bliss will give you the cholee of any L:idies or Geuts Watch in his store, it New York cost.