The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-08-30

good, not to New York alone, but to other
cities as well, if it discovers how building in
spection may be made more efficient and how
likewise its responsibilities may be rendered
more binding.
1T certainly might have been expected that
on so conspicuous an occasion as that on
which he made the opening speech of his cam
paign, Major Mckinley would have been glad
to avail himself of SO good an opportunity to
defend and champion the scheme of protec-
tion which is embodied in the tariff law with
which his name is associated. The convention
which nominated him as the Republican can
didate for the Governorship of Ohio did so ex-
pressly to make the Mckinley tariff the main
issue in the campaign, and it placed him on a
platform which, in that respect, gives no un-
certain sound, but is unmistakablv clear and
pronounced. The ex-charman of the Ways
and Means Committee of the Fifty-irst Con-
gress, and the putative father of the present
tariff, has always been credited with possess
ing the courage of his convictions. Yet at his
great meeting at Niles he seemed desirous of
avoiding the main issue, and instead of dwell
ing on the provisions of the Mckinley act and
showing their benefcent effect on the prosper
ity of the country, he addressed himself at
great length to the silver coinage question,
on which his party is 'very mixed" and in
regard to which the Ohio Republican platform
is exceedingly dubious.
1t must have sounded strangely to the voters
OF Ohio, who had come together to listen to
the author of the highest tariff act the country
has ever known, to hear him relegate that
act to secondary and subordinate position,
and give To the silver question the foremost
place. 1t Is well known that the Republican
party Is not agreed upon this question. Its
leaders in the West, like Senators Teller Wal
colt, Jones, Stanford, and others, contend for
the free coinage Of silver; while its leaders in
the East oppose that policy. The utmost the
Ohio Republican convention felt free to do
was to pledge the party to the present law.
The Ohio Democratic convention, with a blind
purpose of bettering the financial condition of
the people by making money more abundant
and taking up catch phrase, adopted.
against the vote of nearly one-half its mem
bers, free-coinage plank. Looked at thus
from the standpoint of both parties. it is abb
surd to say that the silver question is lead
ing issue. But Mr.. Mckinley made it so. He
1N-SAN SaS soAAI SiOuLu, Ou WHICH he
was thought to feel secure, for the silver con-
troversy, on which his footing is very uncer-
tain.
For it is demonstrable fact that Mr.. Nc
Kinley is not sure of his ground on the silver
question. In his Niles speech Mr.. MCKINLEY
said: "The danger of free and unlimited
coinage has been pointed out over and over
again DV laa0jnD stataemap of hotb
No one has spoken with greater ability on the
Democratic side than ex-President Cleveland
His letter written but few months ago
taken in connection With his former utterances
upon this subject, shows that nothing could be
more disastrous to the business interests of
the country and the best welfare of all the
people than the free and unlimited coinage of
silver" But six months before that is. on
February IL. 1891, at Toledo, Ohio, Mr.. Nc
Kinleyin in public address said sDuring all of
Cleyeland's years at the head of the Govern
ment he was dishonoring one of our precious
metals, one of our own great products-enhsnc
ing the price of gold and discrediting silver.
lie endeaVored before his Inauguration to stop
the coinage of silver dollars and afterward
persistently used his power to that end He
was determined to contract the circulating
neulum anu ucLnOneuZe one OF the coins of
commerce, limit the volume of money among
the people, make money scarce and therefore
dear"
Six months ago Mr.. Cleyeand's "former
utterances upon the subject" were severely
commented upon by Mr.. Mckinley. Now he
is of opinion that those utterances were made
with the greatest ability. Evidently Mr. Nc
Kinley is all at sea on the question. He has
two voices and can speak insincerely on both
sides. He has no conviction on the subject,
and yet he treats it as if it were a leading
issue. Does Mr.. Mckinley wish to shirk the
tariff controversy in giving this silver ques-
tion the predominance he has accorded to it
1t is not at all probable though his first
speech might seem to justify that conclusion.
Let us hope that ii will not be long before
Major Mckinley win be found discarding all
side issues like the free coinage of silver and
deyoting his ability to the defense of the tariff
which is known by his name and which is
undoubtedly the leading issue in the present
campaign.