Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1895-04-20
HE ou1LooK FOR M.KINLEY.


THE OUTLOOK FOR MKlNLeY.
Prospects Of Projections Champion for
the Presidency.
The notion which the neighbors of
Gov. Mckinley entertain that his visit
to Georgia with that active republican
politician, Mr.. Hanna, is in the interest
of southern support for the presidential
nomination of his party next year is a
very natural one. No one doubts that
Mr.. Mckinley would like the nomina-
ton, or that on all ordinary principles
of representation in politics he is EN-
titled to it. He unquestionably holds
very firmly the ideas that are of more
Importance to n greater number of his
party than any other prominent man
In the party, and he has been very
faithful to those ideas, Protection Tor
projections sake-not to raise revenue,
O simply to encourage infant indus
tries, but to enrich American manu-
factarers who are already rich at the
expense of other Americans, most of
whom are not rich-is Mr.. Mckiuleys
doctrine of what is good for this IL
try. And that idea commands the
earnest support OF a great majority OF
the republicans, and is absolutely the
only doctrine on which the bulk of the
party can fairly be said to be agreed.
Mr., Mckinley has never departed from
it, He has worked early and late and
very hard for it, He has got it EN-
bodied in the statutes of the country
He is by far the most convinced. de-
voted, distinguished and efficient pro-
tectionist of modern times. Why
should he not aspire to be his party's
candidate for the presidency? And
why should his party not take him as
its candidate?
To the last question there are many
answers. In the first place, protection
of the Mckinley sort is not a living is
sue in American politics to-day 1t
was put to sleep" in the prize-ring
phrase. in 1890 and 1892, No sane poll
tician would dare in 1896 to propose it's
resuscitation. The republicans will,
Of course, dcnounce the results OF the
democratic policy, but they will not
dare to propose the substitution OF
their own. And they will not dare to
put in nomination IA man whose can
didacv would be, in effect, a declara-
ton in favor OF the dead tariff OF 1890.
In the next place, candidates are not
generally selected because they repre-
sent the views of the great body of the
party. but are much more apt to be
taken because they do not represent
those ideas, but are more attractive to
the oosely-attached members of the
opposite party. That was the principle
on which Lincoln was substituted for
Seward in 1860, and, in more recent
times. Harrison for Blaine in lSSS. 1t
is the principle on which Mr.. McItin-
lev was set aside in 1892 and will be
again in 1896.
Again, and this is the most impor-
tant point, Mr.. Mckinley is not sound
on iinyncc. 1t is charitable to him to
say that on this question he does not
know his own mind. He has coquetted
shamelcssly with the silvermen and
the populistS. 1t is more than probable
that he will do so some more in the
#1utll. where his party has made many
@disgruceful coalitions in this direction,
1t may he that the republicans may
take a man no more sound than he
Mr.. Reed, for instance, but Mr., Reed
is ii man who knows what honest
money is, If he chooses, he can define
and defend it. lie does not suffer, as
Nr. Mckinley does, from mental in
capacity and obfuscation, He would
probably, in any great emergency, if
he had The responsibility of executive
action, do what was right. At any
rate, he could if he chose. Mr.. McKin-
ley could not, for he could not see what
was right, and he could not under
stand it if some one told him. lie
would simply yield to pressure, and
more readily in the wrong direction
than in the right.
There is another point of interest in
Mr.. McKinlcy's plan of operations. lie
is plainly trying to work up the south
ern delegations. lie may succeed il
that, but it will not help him greatly
There is no record of any candidate fol
the presidency in a republican conven
ton who has won by means of the
southern delegations. Mr.. Sherman
made a vigorous and not a very scrup
ulous effort to capture them in 1850
while he was in the treasury. lie go
the southern vote, but he lost the nom
nation. Mr.. Arthur tried the sam,
/, tactics in 1854. with the same result
Mr.. Blaine worked in the same direc
i, ton in 1883, and failed. Mr.. Harrison
had a strong southern support in 1880
in the convention, but had he not becl
strong enough elsewhere to disregard
that he would very likely have failec
also. The fact is that the south ha
for many years been treated by the re
publicans solely as a field in which t.
raise II crop of delegates. 1t has neve
been seriously contested at the poll
since 1868. The result has been a yer,
shabby and tricky lot of southern re
publican politicians whom no II cal
trust, and whose support is rattle
hurtful than helpful to a candidate
y On the whole, therefore, Mr.. Mckln
= ley's chances for the nomination ar
: not good,-N. Y. Times.
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