Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-15
VIM. Mckinley, Jr.

that what is most apparently his desire Is
most apt to be what he doesn't want. Diff
ferent men get different impressions as to
his attitude, and each is very positive that
his impression is the right one. Mr..
Hanna smiles, while the corridor lead
ers quarrel among themselves to what
he wants. What he really wants is just
that-that there should be a difference Of
opinion as to what his attitude is
Abner Mckinley, the majors brother. in
responding to a toast Saturday, said SIM
ply: Our policy is silence" Then he took
his seat amid a burst of applause. This is
true. but they have another policy, which
Is TO set other people talking, and thus to
conceal their own thoughts among the con-
fusion OF tongues.
Mckinley and Hanna Differ.
Mr.. Hanna and Maj. Mckinley both
gold men. They differ in this only that
Hanna rather favors a frank avowal in the
platform, while Mckinley is more disposed
to temporiZe with the hope of conciliating.
They concur, however, in the opinion that
the settlement of the declaration on the
financial question should at least be left
to the convention, and that their personal
preference should, meanwhile be left a
matter of doubt.
The platform question has come down to
about this: Mr.. Hanna has a plank de-
ciaring against the free coinage of silver
and in favor of the present gold standard"
He puts his thumb over the gold" so that
it reads TIE present Standard" and asks
how that will do. Then he takes his thumb
off, that it reads present gold stand
ard and asks how that will read AS 20
which he favors, there is room left for Diff
ference of opinion. The meaning of it is
that he does not want Mckinley to be held
responsible for debating the platform.
The fact is that Mr. Hanna cannot en-
tirely control the matter. His disposition
is tC yield to the clamor for the use of the
word gold" The convention is so decided
on the question that the matter of McKin-
ley or anti-Mckinley Is not directly in
yolved in it, though the anti-McKinleyites
are availing themselves of the conflict of
opinion to annoy their opponents. BY unit
ing in demand for the use of the word
gold the anti-Mckinley people have an
Issue to fight for, though their candida tes
are all defeated and perhaps to an oppor-
tunity to claim that their fight was not
fr,Iitless.
No one claims that there is any differ
ence in meaning between the expression
present gold standard" and present
standard
New Workers Friendly to Mckinley.
Depew, Warner, Miller, McCook and other
New York men, who are at heart friendly
to Mckinley and want to make the way as
easy possible for him, say that declar-
alton in favor Of the present standard in
connection with an avowal of antagonism
to the free coinage Of silver at any ratio
is entirely satisfactory.
AS far as the opposition to Mckinley Is
concerned, the issue is entirely one Of plat
form. The talk of Platt's effort to beat
Mckinley shows a misapprehension of the
situation. 1t has been a good many weeks
since either Mr.. Platt, Mr.. Quay or Mr..
Lodge has had any idea of beating Nc
Kinley for the nomination.
The nomination is no longer at issue.
The presentation of the names Of other
candidates has become merely an incident.
The pictures Of Reed. of Allison. Of Morton
and of quay are posted about as conspicu-
ously as are those Of the Ohio candidate,
but the placards announce. not We're for
Reed" or Were for Quay" but I'VE are
(Conttnuad on Ninth Pagel