The Portland daily press., 1896-06-19

Democrat or Republican word that
! reflected in the slightest degree upon his
good name. Everybody has agreed that
he was pure man, On honorable man,
man upon whom the fierce light of
publicity had beaten for many years with
out disclosing any moral blemishes.
Friend and foo alike admit
that William McKinley's personal
character is irreproachable. He is
also an able man. A man who
held seat in Congress fro N an impor
tant district in ono of the most populous
and Intelligent States in the Union
| for many years. who has
Means committee, and by virtue of that
Office leader of his party on the floor of
the House, man who has been hnnorcd
by the highest Office in the gift of tho
people of his native State must necessa-
rily be man of exceptional
ability. Small men occasionally
rise to the surface and acquire promi-
nenee entirely disproportlonal to their
merits and abilities, but their promi-
hence is only temporary. They are soon
submerged William Mckinley has been
in public life since he was SO years of
age, and he has constantly risen in the
estimation of bis State and the nation.
No man except one of more than ordl-
nary ability would ba able to point to
such arecord.
| What does he stand for? In Republican
conventions tho platform is made before
the candidate is nominated. Thus the
candidate is informed previous to his
cd to support and the policies to advo-
cate, and his acceptance of the nomina-
| tion is tantamount to solemn promise
to stand by those principles and policies.
It would be useless to deny that there
has been among many Eastern Republic
cars fear that Mr.. Mckinley was not SO
strong and incorporating friend of
the gold standard as they believed was
needed in the present crisis, and their
preferences for other candidates were due
partly to this fear Mr.. McKin-
ley might have removed it with a word,
and the fact that he neglected or refused
SO to do strengthened the feeling. But
thar point are now removed by the action
of the convention and Mr. Mckinley s
acceptance. He is pledged by
the platform to preserve and
maintain the gold standard inviolate,
until there is al agreement with foreign
nations for larger use of silver. His
position on tina curranoy question is now
clear. Henceforth no must he an un-
compromising friend of the gold stand
ard, bound by the most solemn promise,
q promise mads before the whole people,
to maintain and defend that stan dard
from all attacks. whether coming from
inside or outside his own party.
By his own record, which is
without flaw in this re-
spect, and by the platform as we'll,
hs is pledged to the protection of Ameri-
can labor and American industry, and
as far forth as be is able he will aid in
the restoration Of tariff that will pre-
serve the home market to our own citi-
zens. che question of thu preservation
of the gold standard and the question of
protection for American industry and
the leading issues of the campaign, and
on these. two great issues Mr. Mckinley is
placed in line with the Eastern Repuhli-
cans. and is committed to sustain their
doctrines and demands. If the East has
not got the candidate of its first choice.
it has got candidate who identifies
himself with all the principles and doc
trines it has contended for. IL has Ger.
tainly won a substantial triumph,