New-York tribune., 1896-04-08
WHY MKINLEY LEADS.

There seems to be a mOmentary lull In Dooms
To disinterested observer it would appear
from a comprehensive view Of the whole situa-
ton. that the preliminary canvass for the Re-
publican Presidential nomination had settled
down to a question of Mckinley and anti-Mc
Kinley That Mckinley Is largely in the lead
is not disputed by the advocates Of other can
didates. And. paradoxcal as 1t may seem, there
IS an apparent agreement among the partisans
Of both sides and supporters Of all the can
didates that this long lead is really to his dis
advantage. The theory is, Of course. that the
effect of it will be TO draw together all the
friends of rival candidates in combination
against the leader. He being out of the way. tile
supporters Of rival candidates naturally assume
that the chances for success would be more
equally divided among the remainder. When
that point is reached each group of partisans
indulge the hope that their favorite will win
In this condition Of affairs great stress is laid
upon historical precedents and analogics The
newspapers are full of illustrations and ex-
amples tending to show that no favorite with a
long lead in the preliminary canvass ever Sc
cured a nomination in the National Convention.
The force of these citations from history Is not
to be denied. But 1t is also to be remembered
Of reasoning which depends upon history re-
peating itself in terms.
The Tribune is not a partisan of any partc-
ular candidate 1t is Of the encouraging
features of the situation that no candidate has
yet been named for President by any consil-
erable group OF Republicans whom The Tribune
could not support with hcar'neSs ana en,huSl-
asm as representative and exponent of Re
publican principles and policy lis oiice III
these preliminary discussions is to assemble al
the facts bearing upon the special qualifications
of candidates. upcn their availability their pop
ularity and the progress which each is making
in his canvass and thereon await the deliberate
judgment Of the representatives OF the party
assembled in National Convention. BY this we
do not by any means wish 1t to be understood
that The Tribune abdcates its proper and lcgiti-
mate function of comparison OF the relative
merits and claims OF candidates. and OF just and
reasonable criticism of the methods employed
by active partsans for whose proceedings.
wise or unwise, the candidates themselves are
not responsible
There is OF course, some reason for the clear
and unmstakable lead which Mckinley Is CON
ceded to have at the present moment in the
contest for the nomination. Now that the
Chandler incident is closed, the Senator's own
State having pronounced adverse judgment upon
insinuations born OF impulse rather than based
on circumstance, it hardly need be said that
this advantage has not been gained by resort to
questionable methods Nor can it be accounted
for by Mr.. McKinley's personal popularity or
his magnetism so called. In this regard 1t
cannot be said that he excels Mr.. Reed or Mr..
Allison or Governor Morton, or any other Of the
candidates, to such an extent as TO explain his
apparent hold upon the people 1t seems to us
TO be more reasonably accounted for; first. by
the fact that he happens TO be connected with
tariff measure under which the country was
prosperous, the repeal of which has brought
distress and misery 10 thousands Of working
men: and second. because he represents in the
concrete the feeling Of hostility to Bosses and
Boss rule-to that system Of party manage
ment which practically creates an Oligarchy. and
leaves out the common citizen and average
voter as a factor in politics.
Ii Is largely by accident that he happens Ia
stand In both these relations But in both he
represents an idea and force in current poll
ties And it is chiefly because Of his represent
ative relation that he Is so strong with the
masses II we rightly interpret public opinion
then, Mckinley Is the leading candidate Of The
Republican masses because his name stands
! first. for what they want for their own material
intercsts-a wholesome change in the tariff
and, second, for what they want from a more
sentimental point Of view-the privilege Of hav
ing something to say themselves in the selection
Of rulers without being dictated to by sclf-con
stiiutcd Bosses" He may not be nominated
but all the same he represents these two Ideas
now dominating the mind OF the people. and IN
no other way can his relative lead in the race
| be accounted for.