The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-07-09
SATURDAY. JULY 8. 1892.
THE REPUBLICAN, PLATFORM

1t was in ingenious brain that con.
trived the republican platform, and the
platform itself is a queer piece of work
1t is insincere; it is meant to be evasive'
To find out exactly what it means II
must be read between the lines. Its
putative author is Mckinley. yet nowhere
in it is the Mckinley tariff mentioned
The omission is no accident. Mckinley
knew what he was about. lie knew his
bill had been condemned by the Ameri-
can people by a majority of a million OF
votes. He knew it had been denounced
by eminent men Of his party as "a viola
ton of the pledges made by the republi-
can party in 1883. So he made the plat
form approve protection and reciprocity
without committing the republican party
to details. Therefore it appears between
the lines that republicans are afraid to
indorse the Mckinley tariff by name
But it is so framed that it may be con-
strued either as an Endorsement or not
as may best serve the party in this or
that locality.
1t asserts that the prices of manu-
featured articles Of general consumption
have been reduced under the operations
of the tariff of 1890" What deception
Are manufacturers making or losing
money under the Mckinley tariff! If
they are losing why are they all opposed
to its repeal: Not one asks for its re-
peal. They are making money and are
perfectly satisfied with Mr.. Mckinley's
tariff. The assertion in the platform
that the tariff has lowered the price of
articles of general consumption is a plat
form lie. If it had stated that the tariff
had, by keeping out foreign goods, en-
abled our home manufacturers to palm
off shoddy goods upon the American
people at less prices it would have hit
the nail on the head. First-class articles
are higher than ever. Shoddy material
is lower. for manufacturers are using
l~54,OOO,OOO pounds annually in their
products.
The silver plank means anything or
nothing, according to the construction
which may be put upon it by the inter
prefer. 1t takes no definite position
with regard to silver coinage. 1t says
the American people favor bi-metallism.
1t doesn't say whether the republican
party favors it or not. 1t says "the re-
publican party demands the use OF both
gold and silver as standard money with
such restrictions and under such pro-
visions to be determined by legislation
as will secure the maintenance of the
parity of values of the two metals" 1t
doesn't say what those restrictions and
provisions shall be. 1t doesn't say
whether the ratio shall remain as it is'
lG to |, or whether it shall be 25of silver
to | of gold. 1t must be determined by
legislation-gold-bug legislation-map-
ped out by an international gold-bug
monetary conference. We all know
what that means-the degradation OF
silver and a gold standard.
In the goody-goody, Sunday school
talk found in the plank about a free bal
lot and a fair count there is a whole
chapter between the lines in favor of a
force bill under which the republican
party can name the returning boards
for every state in the union and thus
count itself in power for all time to
come. 1t means a repetition of the frauds
by which the electoral votes OF South
Carolina and Louisiana and Florida we're
stolen for Hayes in 1876. and by which
Montana was stolen and New Hampshire
was wrestled from the democrats and by
which the Reed congress turned demo
Gratis out of their seats and gave them tt
republicans who we're beaten by large
majorities. Harrison and Mckinley and
the whole gang OF state ~stealers want {
force bill.
Between the lines Of the reciprocity
plank we read that the republican party
favors untaxing the people OF a few
southern countries while taxing the peo
pie OF our own. Ia the demand fol