The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1896-07-24
Keen VO,,v Ilcnds.

K,nley and Mckinleyisn.
I Because the convention has made
!, party test of an idea that is not il
!. cluded In Democratic principles the
/, hasten to the support of all the thing
that are positively and absolutel
excluded from the Democratic philos
ophy Because the convention OK
Inhibited revolutionary tendencies, a
they believe, they scramble to tn
support and perpetuation of the YER
things, the whole system OF protec
tionism, paternalism, favoritism ant
subsidy, which, according to their owl
preaching and warnings for the pas
30 years, would surely provoke revolu
ton.
The argument is that it is a "choic'
OF evils" that the currency is thu
supreme ISSUE" that they must vote
for one thing they believe to be wrong
to prevent another which they excited
~ think to be greater wrong. Such
argument is as sure to be disappoint
ing in It's results rs 1t is fallacious
in ethics. Let us apply common
sense to il
Doesn't it signify something when
we see so large "A proportion of Repub
lican free coinage men all over the
country lining up to the support of
Mckinley with the declaration that he
is good enough silver nan" for
them? They know as well as We do
that the Republican plat form is ex-
plicit in taking just the right ground
on this subject. They know that Me-
kinney is an honorable man, who
would if elected seek in good faith to
carry out the promises of the plat
form. But they see in the political con-
ditiohs about as much hope for free sill
Yer from him as from Bryan. And so
can any man who will view the subject
cool headedly in the view OF ex
perience.
Suppose Mckinley to be elected.
The senate in all human probability
would remian, as it is now, at the
mercy of the squad of free silver men
who hold the balance of power be
tween the parties and on the tariff
question. They refused in the present
to permit the passage of any
tariff measure whatever, even to sup
ply the temporary deficiency in the
revenue, unless accompanied with IA
provision for free silver. They were able |
to command the situation absoiute- |
". SO they were in 1880, when bar
gain had to be made with them. in |
the shape of the Sherman act, u get I
through the Mckinley bill. 1t is not I
1t all unlikely, from the way silver
sentiment is flaming up in every part
If the country, that the majority OF
he popular branch of congress, now
10 strongly against them, will be with
he silver men. But ever il it is not,
here is hardly chance for doubt,
With the representation from all the
Rocky mountain states--now in
reased by Utah-that the silver men
will be able to dictate terms in the
enate, and when tariff bill comes
rom the Houses, they will stick on a
rec coinage amendment, and at the
cry least they will be able to compel
ONE sort of compromise satisfactory =,
o the silver interest.
What are Mckinley and the Repuli ,
an leaders going to dc in such di /
,mma? We saw what they did in s
800, and what reason is there to expect |
ny less nows /
If tariff increase free. silver bill !
ame to Mckinley under such circum- I
.ances, is there an intelligent man i
] all America that believes he would i
sto it? [
His alternative would be to repu. q
late one part or another of his party C
atform. To veto such a bill would {
? to repudiate the tariff promise of b
lie party, in which McKinley's sin v
crest beliefs and his whole record in a
lblic life and all the influences and d
,ligations of the campaign would Ii
, bound up. To sign it would be f,
lily to repudiate the sound money o
'omise, which he and his party b
sociates have all along been protest Q
G is of far less Importance than the b
riff. He could without dishonor,
ID there is every reason to believe ST
at he would, adopt this poor logic of ii
choice of evils and sign the bill. b.
course it is only justice to him al
believe that he would gladly, If he Il
uld, avoid the dilemma, but the con fl
tions involving it are beyond his SC
ntrol. fo
Besides, he could have the considera s,
IN to support such action that free G
yer would be the highest kind of ra
that it's operation would sc
just what is predicted and desired M
I'm high tariff and that in logic, as &C
its practical relations to business
d its bearing upon Europe and the
It of the world, it is part of the y.
ne system of economies. -
Where then would be the Democrat ",
% had helped the thing along with II
J vote. who had sold his birthright sh
mess of pottage and then had Sc
( the nottapeS nv