The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-09

one Of those brave. COURAGEOUS men who tpcak the
%entiment OF his party and does not cover them up.
We know Just what he means. Irepcdt Ms inno,inge
awe do not intend to stop until We have stricken
the last vestige OF your war measures from tho statute
book"
Having thus declared that he had done no
garbling, and having thus repeated his orig
inul statement ms to what Mr.. BLACKBURN
said, Major MCKINLEY proceeded without
interruption to the end OF his speech for
Federal interference and force. When he
had finished, Mr.. DLACKBURN called Mr..
SPRINGER TO the chair and took the floor.
Then ensued this extraordinary exposure Of
Major McKGNLEY's conduct:
N BLACKBURN Mr.. SPRINGER in the chalrl rose.
"Mr. McRtsLRY-1 desire
BLAcKBuRS-1 decline to yield II I have the
floor.
Tho Chuirmnn-The gentleman from Kentucky
lMr. BLACKBrRNl has the floor.
Mi BLAcKDURS-I follow the worthy example Of
the gentleman from ohio. ! decline to yield. l had
hoped that when n member OF Congress undertakes
to quote from the Record words that lie alleges have
been uttered by q colleague on the floor, lie would
show u degree Of Intelligence and n degree OF fairness
sufficient to prevent the garbling OF an ornclal utter.
nnce, tits, sir, a pitiablc Instance either of the weak.
ness OF the man or the weakness OF the cause, or the
combined weakness OF both. that prompts any man
TO gnrble and misquote the uttcranccs Of another.
The gentleman who has last occupied the floor told
this committee that I had declarcd-nnd he pretended
to read from the Official Record. speaking for the party
20 which I belong and Of which | am the humblest
mouthpiece that we never Intended TO stop until we
had stricken from the statute book the last OF the war
measures. Mr.. Chairman, that utterance was not
warranted; that utterance was not true. and tho
Record shows It, But worse than TINT, from the chair
I asked the gentleman to do mo the justice to read the
whole sentence. not the speech.
"Mr MCIiINLEY-I ask tho Gentleman
"Mr. BLAcKRuRS-I decline to yield the floor. with
all Difference to the gentleman. I Will appak for M I.
self. as he refused to speak for me when was gagged.
/ asked him to read the sentence which he garhlcd.
He declined. l sent to my desk AMI took an official
copy of that speech which he pretended to quote
from; underlined ana UNDERSIGNED the remainder Of
the sentence. l wrote a marginal note on tho page
expressed in those very words: Why be so unfair as
to garblc n sentence In this fashion p lie took that,
when sent to him by a page. pitched It on his desk.
and refused to give mo the opportunity to be- heard
from the Record Now. I will read the sentence which
the gentleman declined to do mo tho Justice before
the House and the country to read:
1--WE do not intend to stop until we have stricken
the last vcstiRe OF your war measures from the statute
book. tchich Ike These
(which. like these election laws-
Were born Of The passions Incident TO ctun strife
and looked
"AlOne-
"'Io the abrfdgment OF the liberty Of the cftt:en.'"
That part Of the sentence which Major |
MCKINLEY had deliberately suppressed and
oo NSiibtihNtIg W pIOlIlCt illeT lie |
urgent personal appeal of tho gentleman
wronged by the misquotation, changes the
whole meaning which MCKINLEY had en-
deavored to fasten upon B~LACKBURN's re-
mark. From n revolutionary declaration
it became the mere statement of a legiti-
mate intention, which has since been carried
out. The Federal election laws have been
stricken from the statutes. We do not hear
of anybody to-day demanding their repnact-
ment. Even Major MCKINLEY is possibly sat
isfied to let matters stand as they are. But at
that time the caustic words of the Ken
tuckian were hardly needed to complete the
shocking exposure OF Major MCKINLEY's
methods Of political controversy. Tho in
cident left him in a most huniliating po-
sition. On that day and subsequently,
when he returned to the effort to Justify
himself in the eyes of the House, he STAN
mered a few words of explanation that did
not explain, and then fell back defiantly
Upon this absurd proposition:
lido not think that the remaining clause. which
the gentleman from Kentucky reads. changes at all
the part Tread: hut 1 leave that question to the com
mittee and to the Judgment OF the country"
This was the first occasion on which Major
MCKINLEY exhibited himself to his associ-
ates in Congress otherwise than rs the
maker of perfunctory motions. or as the de-
claimer of carefully studied periods. 1t was
not an suspicious revelation of his more in
innate qualities. 1t cannot be said that the
incident of 1875
gave to either the Republicans or the
Democrats of the House a favorable impress
sion of the Ohio s~tatesman's candor, cour-
tesy, or intellectual resources.
Ten years later the accidental circum-
stance that the Hon. WILLIAM MCKINLEY
had run for Speaker against the Hon.
BRACKET REED, and had been de-
by REED, placed MCKINLEY u. the
head of the Committee Oh Ways and
Means. a Republican tariff bill, in framing
which others bore a more important part than
thus came, according to custom, to
be ticketed with his name. Still labelled
the name Of MCKINLEY, the Republi-
can tariff bill Of 1890 became Il law, prin-
cipally through the efforts and influence
Of Speaker REED. The name sticks, and it
that name, and scarcely anything else,
which convention after convention of fran
tically enthusiastic Republicans is booming
along oward st. Louis. The man is LITTLE
understood by the country. The nomina- !
ton will be the nomination OF a name.
One Stuffed Prophet Is enough for ut least
l hundred years.
Men Enough Now for the Navy.