Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-04-23
WILMINGTON, rnURsDAr, Irkih sa
Maine Handicaps speakor Reed.

Maine Republicans held their STATE
convention, Thursday, and, as was ex
pected, gave their unanimous and en-
thusiastic endorsement to Thomas
Brackett Reed, Speaker of the Natlona
House of Representatives, for the Re.
publican nomination for President o.
the United States. But they launched
him upon platform exclusively de-
voted to extolling his merits, the
financial section Of which reads rs fol
lows;
He is opposed to the free and un-
limited coinage of silver, except by in
ternational agreement, and, until such
agreement can bb obtained, he believes
the present gold standard should be
maintained. lie has always been un-
compromisinGly for tho maintenance of
the highest national credit hy the ut.
most good faith toward the public cred
itor, not for the creditors sake, but for
the nation's sake, for the sound reason
that the most valuable possession Of
any nation IN time Of war or distress,
next to the courage Of its people, is
an honorable reputation. Whoever
pays with honor borrows with case
Sound finance and certainty at tho
TREASURY and protection for the pro-
ducers will mean prosperity and peace.
No doubt the Maine Republicans
were somewhat embarrassed by the re-
cent positive declaration Of Senator
Chandler of New Hampshire, that
Speaker Reed is a bimetallist. Ana
80, they did not follow the example of
their Massachusetts, brethren by pac-
ing him upon platform unequivocally
fayoring the single gold standard, but
put him Officially upon record az being
opposed to the free coinage Of silver
except by international agreement. -
The same old will o. the wisp, that is
leading 50 many public men who hon,
estiy believe in honest money, into the
quagmire Of deceit and dishonesty that
holds ont the dclusion Of cheap dollars
under tie alluring pretext Of an "in-
tcrnational agreement. "
of course the financial declaration
Of the Maine Republicans is the finan-
cial declaration Of Speaker Reed. His
State would no more misrepresent him
on the money question than Ohio Re-
pubiicans would presume to misrepre-
sent Mckinley in the miserable tinan-
cial "straddle" that the latter sent TO
the country. But Speaker Reed and
his Maine compatriots made mistake.
They should have been positive and IN
equiyocal. Far better would il have
been had they adopted the course of
the New Jersey Republicans, who also
met in State convention Thursday, and
although showing strong inclinations
tor Mckinley, adopted the following as
tho financial plank Of their platform:
Tho standard of value in this country
and in the other principal commercial
nations uf the world is gold. Wgros
and prices have been fixed in accord
ance with this standard, and the vel
rare OF the people demands that If
should DO maintained. We regard tle
agitation Of tho free coinage of silver
~ serious obstacle to our country's 4
prosperity.
Hero is plain, outspolSen docara-
tion IN favor Of the gold standard for
our national currency. Mckinley could
not stand on such platform. Speaker
Reed would also wobblo fearfully upon
it, after the miserable attempt Of his
Maine followers 70 initiate the McKiu-
ley straddle" Of the financial qucs.
tion. Maine has only succeeded, as
far as tho absorbing issue of honest
money u concerned, III handicapping
her fayorito son. -