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He believed in the expenditure of money for art, for picture galleries, for anything that would elevate the thought. It was not a waste. But he could not help thinking that that picture gallery ought to be the people's picture gallery. For it was paid for by the people's money, by money taxed from the people just as much as if the city had taxed it. Managing to get control of franchises, Mr. Widener had gotten from the city the power to levy upon the people who must ride an indirect tax; levying such tax, he accumulated a fortune out of which he had created a princely picture gallery. But the city should never have given away that power to tax, it should have kept that power to itself, and if it had, the picture gallery that is now the property of one citizen might have been the property of all. And in getting it they would have been no more burdened, no more heavily taxed than they have been to create the gallery which is not theirs.

THE PLATFORM

Col. J. S. Felters, of Illinois, read the platform as recommened by the Platform Committee, which, with the addition of the 7th article, was adopted. It is as follows:

The People's party of the United States, assembled in National Convention, this 10th day of May, 1900, affirming our unshaken belief in the cardinal tenets of the People's party as set forth in the Omaha platform, and pledging ourselves anew to continued advocacy of those grand principles of human liberty until right shall triumph over might, love over greed, do adopt and proclaim this declaration of faith:

First. We demand the initiative and referendum and the imperative mandate of such changes of existing fundamental and statute law as will enable the people in their sovereign capacity to propose and compel the enactment of such laws as they desire; to reject such as they deem injurious to their interests, and to recall unfaithful public servants.

Second. We demand the public ownership and operation of those means of communication, transportation and production which

the people may elect, such as railroads, telegraphs and telephone lines, coal mines, etc.

Third. The land, including all natural sources of wealth, is a heritage of the people, and should not be monopolized for speculative purpose, and alien ownership of land should be prohibited. All land now held by railroads and other corporations in excess of their actual needs, and all lands now owned by aliens should be reclaimed by the government and held for actual settlers only.

Fourth. A scientific and absolute paper money, based upon the entire wealth and population of the nation not redeemable in any specific commodity, but made a full legal tender for all debts, and receivable for all taxes and public dues, and issued by the government only, without the intervention of banks, and in sufficient quantity to meet the demands of commerce, is the best currency that can be devised; but until such a financial system is secured, which we shall press for adoption, we favor the free and unlimited coinage of both silver and gold at the legal ratio of 16 to 1.

Fifth. We demand the levy and collection of a graduated tax on incomes and inheritances, and a constitutional amendment to secure the same if necessary.

Sixth. We demand the election of President, Vice-President, Federal Judges and United States Senators, by direct vote of the people.

Seventh. We are opposed to trusts, and declare the contention between the old parties on the monopoly question is a sham battle, and that no solution of this mighty problem is possible without the adoption of the principles of public ownership of public utilities.

The convention adjourned sine die. And therewith passed into history what was probably the last national convention the People's Party will ever hold; for, by the rules of party organization adopted, the convention system was abolished and the system of making nominations by direct vote of the people, under the rules of the initiative and referendum, declared inaugurated in its stead.

CHAPTER XV.

Life and Public Services of William McKinley
Republican Candidate for President
Nominated June 21, 1900.

Career in War and Peace, as Soldier, Lawyer, Congressman,
Governor and President-His Commanding Influence in
Tariff and Financial Legislation-His Adminis-
tration a Notable One.

WILLE

ILLIAM MCKINLEY was born at Niles, O., January 29, 1843, and is therefore just past 57 years of age. He is now in the prime of vigorous manhood, and his powers of endurance are not excelled by any American of his age. The best evidence of this is the many campaigns which he has made during his public life in behalf of the Republican party. He has proved his ability and endurance by the number and perfection of the speeches which he has delivered.

His education, for reasons that could not be surmounted, was limited to the public schools of Ohio and to a brief academic course in Allegheny College. He taught school in the country and accumulated the small means necessary to defray the expenses of that sort of an education. This is the kind of schooling that has produced many of the most eminent Americans in public and private life.

HIS WAR SERVICES

McKinley entered the Union Army in June, 1861, enlisting in the Twenty-third Ohio Infantry when a little more than 17 years of age. This was a noted regiment. Among its earlier field officers may be mentioned General W. S. Rosecrans, General Scammon, General Stanley Matthews, General Rutherford B. Hayes, General Comley, and many other conspicuous men.

He served during the entire war, rising from the position of a private to the rank of major. He was a soldier on the front line, served in battles, marches, bivouacs and campaigns, and received the official commendation of his superior officers on very many

occasions.

He returned to Ohio with a record of which any young man might well be proud, and to which the old soldiers of the country will point with great enthusiasm. There are in the United States at this time more than a million soldiers of the late war who served on the Union side still living and voting, and they have sons and their relatives, all of whom, taken in the aggregate, become a power in a presidential election.

His military career, while he was not in high command, is full of heroic incidents, which are proven not only by contemporaneous publications in the newspapers, but by official reports of his superior officers. He was not only a gallant and splendid soldier, full of endurance and personal energy, but he was the calm, judicious staff officer who won the commendations of his superiors by exhibition of good judgment and wise administrative capacity.

CHOOSING HIS EMPLOYMENT FOR LIFE

Returning from the war, he found it necessary to choose his employment for life, and without further schooling he entered earnestly upon the study of law in the office of Judge Poland, and was a careful, faithful, industrious and competent student. He entered the Albany Law School and graduated from that institution with high honors. He then began the practice of law in Canton with the same enthusiasm and devotion to duty which he had always manifested. As a practitioner at the bar he at once exhibited superior qualities, careful, studious and faithful. He was elected Prosecuting Attorney of his county and distinguished himself by his learning, fidelity and efficiency in the discharge of his duties to the public and his clients.

He was elected a member of the Forty-fifth Congress Congress, and served in that Congress and the Forty-sixth, Forty

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