The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-08-21
~ PAssINe 81 AfeKINLEE.

progress during the past thirty ysara
Manufacturing industries Increased
enormously and there were vast accum-
ulatIona Of wealth and money. The con-
ditlOns under which the people were liv-
Ing might have continued for an inded-
mite period had the masses not begun to
suspect that they were not getting their
share Of the apparent prosperity.
And when President Cleveland near
the close of his first term Of Office sent
70 congress his famous tariff message, in
which he not only took that position but
made the claim that the people were
paying for all this seeming prosperity
out Of their own pockets It at once at
tracted wide spread attention. 1t was
new idea to the people; most Of whom
had not given much attention 80 ths mat
ter, but not having sufficient time to in-
form themselves thoroughly before cleo
sIon, they concluded it was better TO en-
dure the existing evils if evils they were,
than to fly to others that they knew moth
Ing Of aud so declined TO endorse Mr..
Cleveland at the polls.
IF the Republican party had then been
contented to remain ia its firmly en-
trenched position as the champion Of the
protective tariff law, it might have been
In control Of the government today. But
seemingly acting on the principle that II
. moderate dose Of medicine is good, Il
would be more beneficial TO the patient
70 give the whole bottle, It began the
work OF making an already nigh tariff
still higher. A leader was neeled, and
Major Vim. Mckinley bee me the mig
priest Of the worshippers at the shrine Of
protection The bill which he framed
embodying these views, became y law,
and was followed by the hurting of the
parry from power in the nation
When the result of the election became
known, Major Mckinley was at once de-
clared by his admirers TO be the logical
cand date Of his party for the presidency
in 1915 II the Democrats Of the pres
ent congress had failed to pass a tariff
measure this claim would have had some
force, but if the pending bill should
become a law the people viii not
consent to any more tariff tinkering
for long time The senate bill, bad as
it i said to be by all parties, when in OPP
GRAFTON will afford far test Of the claims
Of both the friends and opponents Of
high protective tariff, and when a decis-
Ion shall be reached It will be 100 late u
The bill as passed gives to the people
free lumber and free wool, and on these
items the test can be made. a large
number OF protec,ionists, perhaps
amounting to 70 Ajoriiy, are willing TO
see the experiment mLde. Practice is so
much n ore satisfactory than theory.
They have seen the practical operations
Of the system Of one set Of theorists, aud
it has been followed by idleness, poverty.
starvation wages, strikes. aud a general
decline in prices. They are ready to
give the other set Of theorists a trial If
they have been wrong they are now
ready to be convinced Major Mckinley
cannot avoid being REGARDED as tue gen
ersl who led the Republican party down
TO defeat He must be regarded "a al
impossibility in the next presidential
Campaign.
The campaign OF 1925 will be fought
on other lines than the tariff The all
absorbing issue will be the currency
question, or more strictly the silver
problem. This Is apparent from the at
tention which this subject is already re-
ceiving, to the exclusion Of all others.
even the tariff The interest Of the Deo-
pie or all parries in the silver problem
grows in intensity daily, while they have
not seemed to care what congress did
with the tariff
The Republican of prominence who
most nearly voices the sentiments Of the
people on silver is Thomas B. Reed Of
Maine. II there be what is termed a
logical candidate he Is the man. If he
resided in Ohio. Indiana or Illinois his
nomination would be almost assured
Locality may defeat him but the nomin-
alton must 60 TO some man holding SINH
lar views on the money question if the
party would win in the next national
election. Mckinley is in every way UNI
available.