aining to the Reduction of Taxes--Speeches at Cleveland, Toledo,
Cincinnati and Elsewhere--McKinley's Election by Over 21,000
Plurality.

In the progress of the canvass of 1891 it was apparent that the
farmers of Ohio would not agree to free coinage of silver, and
divided as usual between the two great parties. In the heat of
this contest I wrote to the "Cyclone" the following letter:

"Mansfield, O., July 7, 1891.
"Editors 'Cyclone,' Washington C. H.

"My Dear Sirs:--In answer to your letter of the 6th, I can only
say that my views on the question of the free coinage of silver
are fully stated in the speech I made at the last session of the
Senate, a copy of which I send you, and I can add nothing new to it.

"I can appreciate the earnest demand of the producers of silver
bullion, that the United States should pay $1.29 an ounce for silver
bullion which in the markets of the world has been for a series of
years worth only about one dollar an ounce--sometimes a little
more, sometimes a little less, but I cannot appreciate why any
farmer or other producer should desire that the government should
pay for any article more than its market value. The government
should purchase the articles it needs, like all other purchasers,
at the market price. The distinction sought to be made in favor
of silver is without just foundation. The government now buys in
the open market more than the entire domestic production of silver
bullion, because it needs it for coinage and as the basis of treasury
notes. I gladly contributed my full share to this measure, and
would do anything in my power to advance the market value of silver
to its legal ratio to gold, but this can only be done in concert
with other commercial nations. The attempt to do it by the United
States alone would only demonstrate our weakness.

"To the extent that the enormous demand made by the existing law
advances the price of silver, the producer receives the benefit,
and to-day the production of silver is probably the most profitable
industry in the United States. To ask more seems to me unreasonable,
and, if yielded to, will bring all our money to the single silver
standard alone, demonetize gold and detach the United States from
the standards of the great commercial nations of the world. The
unreasonable demand for the free coinage of silver has nothing to
do with the reasonable demand for the increase of the volume of
money required by the increase of