St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-12-04
,rkLNLEY,s OPPORTUNITY.


The mutations of a political career are
seriously eXemplified i'm the anomalous
status of Mai. WILLIAM MCKINLEY.
who a year ago was concededly the fore
most man in his party, and yet to-day
there are none in Washington so poor
as to do him reverence. What has Maj.
MCKINLEY done to forfeit the conf
dence of his party and to be so suddenly
Invested of power and influence? If
merit, ability and conscientious etfOrtin
support of party organization and prln-
ciples counted for anything, Maj. Nc
KINLEY would have been entitled to
the SpeakerShip. As it is, according to
all parliamentary usage and presidents.
the major is entitled to the chairman
ship of the principal committee of the
house. and to be recognized as the lead
er of his party on the floor. But the in
dicatiOnS are that he is to be relegated
instead of exalted. and special effort
will be made by those in control Of the
organization of congress to dwarf him
in public estimation.
When we look back to the position
MCKINLEY occupied year ago and
then at where he stands to-day. there is
a natural disposition on the part of the
outside public to inquire into the secret
cause which brought about this remark
able change. MCKINLEY drafted the
platform upon which the party won its
victory last fall There are no indica-
tons that the party intends to abandon
its position on the tariff and other queS-
tons that were made prominent in the
late campaign. MCKINLEY has been
involved in no scandal. nor has he had
the opportunity to commit grave pOlit-
zeal error by which he would forfeit
the confidence of the Republican masses.
Why the necessity. then, for throwing
him overheard at time when the party
needed the services of its ablest leaders?
There can be but one answer to the
question. Notwithstanding his eX-
treme protection views, Maj. MCKINLEY
is an honest man, who acts upon con-
yiction, and is guided by prin-
ciple. In point of ability and the
higher qualities of craftsmanship
he is head and shoulders above any Re-
publican member of the Fifty-frst con-
gress, and it is due to the very fact that
he possesses these qualities that he is to
be crushed. He isn't the kind of man
to suit the purposes of the QUAYs and
the CANIERONS and the reckless ele-
mentS who control the party organiza-
ton. Speaker REED is of the type that
better suits the purposes OF the schem-
ers who propose to flood congress with
subsidy jobs. REED is smart enough in
his way and in their way-that is, he is
quick-witted, aggressive, and is indiffer-
ent to a guiding principle by which to
shape his conduct. He will be ready
and plant tool in the hands of the
schemers, which MCKINLEY would not
have been. Hence the necessity for
keeping MCKINLEY ourof the speakers
chair. Yet, under ordinary circum-
stances it would have been supposed
that the subsidy schemers would have
been satisfied with MCKINLEY's defeat
in the speakership contest, and would
have been willing to let him enjoy the
distinction of leadership on the floor of
congress. But they are not. Now that
they have him down, it is their serious
purpose to jump on him and rub sand
in his eyes. There is no modification
they are not anxious tOlnflict upon him.
If Mai. MCKINLEY's nerve is COM
mensurate with his brain, this is his
brilliant opportunity to make record
for himself and to make himself a con-
spicuous figure in national affairs. If
he is lacking in pluck aud will quietly
submit to the indignitieS that the REED
following propose to visit upon him,
then ne will pass out of political exist
ence forever, unwept, unhOnored and
unsung. But if he will pull himself to-
gether and 90 into fight with the REED
gang for the supremacy of the house,
he will make reputation that will en-
dure. He may not have the following,
nor the power and influence to over
throw the QUAY-REED combination: yet
if he keeps up the fight in vigorous style
during the Fifty-first congress, refusing
to surrender or compromise, and will
stand at the door of the treasury as
RANDALL and HOLMAN used to do, and
protect it against the Invasion of the
subsidy robbers, he will come out of the
contest good deal bigger man than
when he entered it.