The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-10-28
McKinIey,s Great FUNK.

The refusal on the part of Mai. Nc
Kinley, through his campaign man
ayers, to meet Gov. Campbell in series
of joint debates surprises no one. In
deed the strangest part of such refusal
is the fact that it is generally accepted,
even by the republican press, as a mat
ter of course The truth is that, while
Mckinley is solemnly regarded by those
who make up his following, as the re-
pository of all that is known or know
able of the tariff, even the more obtuse
must recognize that he has long ago
exhausted his stock of arguments. The
speech he makes to-day is the speech
he made in opening his campaign, and
that is practically the same speech he
has been repeating ever since his en-
trance into public life. More than
that, there is hardly so-called argu-
ment in that speech that had not been
set up and knocked down years before
Mckinley was heard of. 1t is true he
has made a complete change in his ut
terances and ideas on the silver ques-
ton in the past few years, but that only
serves to emphasize, through contrast,
what has been said.
The story is told that at one of his
'smonstrous' meetings when he came
to that point where he solemnly says:
This system of protection is not so
much for the present as the future, not
for this generation so much as for pos
terity,'' grizz1ed old mechanic sang
out: 'Pll bet ten to one that when
posterity gets here you'll be saying the
same things"
Ex-Gov. Beaver, of Pennsylvania,
tells a story illustrative of the same
thing. He and Mckinley made a
number of speeches in an Ohio cam
paign-at least Beaver had made a
number while Mckinley had made one
number of times-and they went to
Canton for the final windup. On their
arrival there it was found that McKin-
ley's speech had been printed and scat
tered broadcast in the city and through
out Stark county. Beaver thought it
reasonable to suppose that all who
cared to know what Mckinley had to
say had read it and he was. puzzled to
know what Mckinley would do. He
was amazed when the doughty major,
on being set on end, began with the
same sentence. repeated the same effort
and ended with the identical words that
/
every man in his audience for at least a
week.
However, the fact that Mckinley is
possessed of a single set of phrases which
he repeats, parrot-like, on all occasions,
is too well known to need further Illus
tration. The miserable trick of street
fakir to draw crowd that he indulged
| in at Piqua and called it making tin was
break In the monotony that only
shows how ridiculous he is when he
trusts himself at something new.
All his lines of defense and points Of
attack are well known to the valiant
and brilliant captain of our forces. He
has no reserves and his only safety
lies in avoiding contact. Whether he
recognizes this himself or not is doubt
full, for it very often happens that after
one has stuck to absurdities for long
time he finally comes to firm belief
that 1t is all sound sense and power
among the people. But if Mckinley
does not comprehend the situation it Ii
plain that his manager does. Chairman
Hahn gives as one of his pretexts fol
declining Chairman Meals challenge
for series of joint discussions between
the candidates the information thai
Mckinley is drawing vast crowds an6
that he does not care to have "Gov
Campbell share the benefits Thai
the chief reason for refusing the chal
lenge is the fear that Gov. Campbell
might ''share the benefits is mo-
strange; it is the confession of it which
causes mild surprise. When AFRO
canoe is gone there is little left to the
republicans in the way of campaign
/ 1thunder.-Plain Dealer.