St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-04-04
THE "CALLOW VOTE" PLEA NOT
GOOD.

TO us Democrats there is afforded g.
good deal Of amusement in watching
the play Of the adherents of the vari-
Gus and variegated candidates for the
Republican presidential nomination.
The papers are saying such damaging
things Of the candidates they do not
favor, they are so frank and forcefuI
In their arguments against their NOM
nation, and on the other hand, they
are so laborious, so deXtrous so plaus-
Idle in defense Of their own especial
pets, that the show is quite as divert
ing as anything Hoyt has put on the
boards. Except the invulnerable Nor
ton there is not one Of them but has
taken aboard at some period too much
record, and Republicans are scoring
without mercy the errors of Repub-
licans who may have a chance for a
nomination. So far the unfitness of
every one of them has been fully
shown.
Mckinley, as the leading candidate,
is more the object of this thrust and
guard than any of the others; but as
his chance may wane, and any of the
others wax, they will be as sharply at
tackled and defended. He is not re-
garded as sound on the money ques-
ton by his party adversaries. They
are making the demonstration Of it I'M
pleasantly convincing to his support
ers. Mckinley lends the latter no as
sfstance. Recently he blandly waved
away an inquisitive newspaper repre-
sentative, who sought some definite
statement, with reference to his con-
gressional record. Whereupon the
Chicago Tribune, just now experience
Ing one of it's free trade spells, exam
Ines that record. 1t finds him voting
for BANDS free coinage bill in 1877.
In the senate Mr.. Allison changed it
into the silver purchase bill, errone-
ously known as the Bland act. Nc
Kinley voted against a motion to Law
the bill and the senate amendments
on the table and voted for its passage.
When Hayes vetoed it he voted to
pass the bill over the veto.
Whereupon the Pioneer Press. a lat
ter-day convert to McKinleyism,
comes to the defense in a plea of con-
fessiOn and avoidance. 1t is true the
major thus voted. but it was in his
tender youth, before he knew better.
when Murat Halstead was his guide,
philosopher and friend" a mere
youthful indiscretion," amply atoned
for by Consistent record for sound
money ever since" His ''caIlow vote"
for free coinage should not now be
charged up against him. Now. while
we desire McKinley's nomination
quite as ardently as does the Pioneer
Press, though from a vastly different
motive, We do not think it right that
he should have it under any false i'm
pressions. We doubt if the major
himself would. We doubt if he will be
pleased with the apology our contem-
porary offers. But, however "calIow''
he may have been in 1877, he was not
an unsophistocated youth, pinning his
Judgment to Halstead's cratic coat
tails in 1888, when, as chairman of
the Republican national convention
he reported the plank that denounced
President Clevelands administration
for its efforts to demonetize silver
After three more maturing years. in
a speech made at Toledo, in April
1891, this perennially callow candidate
arraigned Mr.. Cleveland for "dishonor-
ing one of our precious metals, one of
our own great products; discrediting
silver and enhancing the price of gold"
He charged him with trying persistently
to stop the coinage of the silver dollar
before his inauguration and during
his term. He was determined to de-
monetize one of the coins of commerce.
limit the volume of money amonc the
people, make money scarce, and
therefore dear" On another ccasion
that year he accused the president of
having struck down silver" We
shall have to enter a demurrer to the
plea of the baby act interposed by our
contemporary in behalf of it's candi-
date; because, on the whole record, 1t
does not constitute either a defense or
an avoidance.