Speeches of Benjamin Harrison, Twenty-third President of the United StatesHarrison, Benjamin
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Speeches of Benjamin Harrison, Twenty-third President of the United States
Harrison, Benjamin
Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901; Speeches, addresses, etc., American; United States -- Politics and government
Canton, the home of Hon. William McKinley, Jr., gave the President
a most cordial and clamorous greeting. The G. A. R. and other
organizations were out in full force. Among the leading citizens who
welcomed the Chief Executive were: W. K. Miller, W. L. Alexander, Judge
J. P. Fawcett, J. M. Campbell, Judge J. W. Underhill, Andrew D. Braden,
Col. J. E. Dougherty, Col. J. J. Clark, N. Holloway, and Capt. C. T.
Oldfield.
Major McKinley introduced the President, who addressed the large
assemblage, saying:
_My Fellow-citizens_--The inconvenience which you suffer to-day,
and under which I labor in attempting to speak to you, comes from the
fact that there are more of you here than can come within the range
of my voice, but not more, I assure you, my fellow-citizens, than I
can take and do take most hospitably in my regard. [Cheers.] It gives
me great pleasure to stand here in the prosperous and growing city
of Canton. I am glad to be at the home of one with whom I have been
associated in Congressional duties for a number of years, and who in
all personal relations with me, as I believe in all personal relations
with you, his neighbors, has won my regard, as I am sure he has won
yours [cheers]; and without any regard to what may be thought of the
McKinley bill, I am sure here to-day you are all the good neighbors
and friends of William McKinley. [Cheers.] Kind-hearted and generous
as he seems to me, I am sure he has not failed in these social
relations, whatever judgment you may have of his political opinions,
in making the masses of the people proud of him as their distinguished
friend. [Cheers.]
You have here to-day the representatives of men from the shops,
from the railroads, from the stores, from the offices of your city.
You are living together in those helpful and interchanging relations
which make American life pleasant and which make American cities
prosperous. The foundation of our society is in the motto that every
man shall have such wages as will enable him to live decently and
comfortably, and rear his children as helpful and safe and useful
American citizens. [Cheers.] We all desire, I am sure--every kindly
heart--that all the relations between employers and workmen shall be
friendly and kind. I wish everywhere the associations were closer and
employers more thoughtful of those who work for them. I am sure there
is one thing in which we all agree, whatever our views may be on the
tariff or finance, and that is, there is no prosperity that in the
wide, liberal sense does not embrace within it every deserving and
industrious man and woman in the community. [Cheers.] We are here all
responsible citizens, and we should all be free from anything that
detracts from our liberties and independence, or that retards the
development of our intelligence, morality, and patriotism.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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