Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-06-28
A DECIDED SLUMP.
TAs Death knen to McKinIey's Presidea-
tial Aspirations.

Tas Death kneu to McKtnleyAs Presidea-
tial Aspirations.
Reports from Ohio indicate q ruin
Gus slump in Mckinley stock Prior
to the holding of the republican state
convention his chances for nomina-
ton to the presidency in 1896 were
looked upon by his immediate follow
ers as amounting to certainty. The
faithful of the Buckeye state were
pluming themselves upon the crafty
ing outlook and were already figuring
upon such a division of the losves and
fishes as would insure their comfort
through one national administration,
provided the popular electorate ratified
the selection of the highest priest of
protection by the convention. In their
supreme confidence they characterized
the booms of Reed and Harrison as
mere artificial creations in which was
wanting the essential element of pub
lie approval
Since the convention there has been
significant and startling change of
front. The straddle on the silver ques>
ton was so awkwardly executed that
the party was split by sympathetic &C
ton. The Columbus Journal, an old
influential party organ, which is the
political gospel of thousands of the re-
publicans in the state, had hoisted the
standard of Mckinley for president in
1896 at the head of its editorial col
umns, in season and out of season pro
claiming its allegiance to his candi-
dacy. immediately following the
catch-vote convention the legend dis
appeared and the Journal briefly con-
fessed change of heart toward the
one-rut, one-speech politician who has
been kept to the front by monopolistiC
wealth and influence. 1t was a virtual
removal of the keystone from the arch
doomed to destruction.
The Akron Beacon, another party
organ of the stalwart type, went
farther than the Columbus Journal.
| It took accurate measurement of the
governor and went at him as a man
| unworthy of the position which he
holds as well as that to which he as
| pires- It depounced his state admin
istration as extravagant, corrupt, sub
versive of the peoples interests and
controlled by the very influences tC
which Mckinley has given his services
ever since they selected him to exact
| tribute from the unprotected masses
to swell the Golfers and augment the
power of the favored few. The Bea
con did not assault the little major
in haf-hearted way, but used both
hands in cutting him up to peak; and
the attitude which it has assumed has
caused many other republican paper:
of the state to line up in support o.
its position.
By its cowardly play of policy the
convention in which the governor par
ticipated sounded the death kne1 K
his presidential aspiration. He car
never command solid Ohio delegs
ton in a national convention; and tn,
same causes which have brought hin
into disrepute at home will fatally i'm
pair his chances in other sections. II
the heartless language of the poliNca
heeler and handler, Gov. Mckinley i
"a dead cock in the pit" What mus
be particularly CALLING to the Ma
poleonic" statesman is the claim tina
it was Foraker who digged the pi
into which the governor fell as if =
liked it. 1t is openly declared that tn
fiery Cincinnatian had that silve
plank framed for Mckinley to slip on
and not even the enmity of Foraks
could desire the governor to com
down with a duller thud than he die
Detroit Free Press