The Wichita daily eagle., 1896-06-10

Il
| Teller from the Republican party, fol
| they realize that Democratic nomina-
| ton would be no temptation to hin
| as long as he has before him the possi-
bility OF remaining true to his oonv3c-
| tons on silver and at the same time
true to the Republican party.
The certainty of the Chicago conven-
tons declaring for free silver has mod
ifed the demand Of the eastern Repubii-
cans for a gold platform at St. Louis.
| They begin TO realize that the plain.
common people are no more in favor of
a single gold standard than they are
in favor of an eastern man for president.
The people rose and demanded the NOM
| inatton of Mckinley, and the same peo-
| pie are not asking their candidate 10
! declare himself for gold. They have
convictions as 20 the platforms as we'll
| as candidates. They want Mckinley
and protection, but they do not want
Mckinley and gold. The gold men OF
the east are no longer demanding a
| platform like that Of New York. hut are
willing to take one like that Of Illinois
or Indiana, not because they like the
western platforms better. bat because
! the realize that the west viii control
at 81. Louis
The New York Herald. the most ram
pant gold organ in the United Sattes. a
few weeks ago ridicuIed these western
platforms as straddles, but il now
claims that they are. in fact. as good
gold platforms as that of New York
or any adopted in New England. In
figuring out the control of the gold men
at ST. Louis the Herald puts down Iii
nois, Indiana. Kansas Missouri. and all
the wesern states except those that
have declared in favor of the free coin
age of silver at the ratio of Is to 1.
A New England congressman saws
that the first thing the New England
people want Is a protective tariff Be
yond that they are not demanding
anything of the Republican party. but
he says it would be dangerous. even TO
New England. 10 make the money
question the leading issue on a gold
platform. He claims that three-fourths
Of the people of New England are
against a gold standard He repre-
senJs one Of the largest factory towns
in New England, and SAYS that not on
ly the workmen and farmers are op-
posed to&e single gold standard but 50
are the manufactures and business
men.
| In my state who would not declare
against a gold standard. if it were not
for the bankers who hold their paper"
said he. "Aii manufacturers are heavy
borrowers, even In the most prosper
Gus times, and the bankers hold a club
over them, threatening TO throw out
their paper unles, they allow it TO be
understood that they are IN favor OF
gold But this bulldozing is begin
ming TO lose its force IN my state, and
do not believe that the Republicans
could carry Massachusetts or New
Hampshire or Connecticut on a single
gold standard platform, except for the
universal desire TO have a protective
tariff. They will vote for Mckinley
on any platform because they know that
he represents protection, and their conf
dence IN him would lead them to ignore
the platform But IL IS the rankest
folly to talk about New England want
ing gold platform. The mass of the
people do not want such a platform.
and in any year but this such a plat
form would be most dangerous TO Re
publican success in New England
One of the New England senators,
who went home a. few weeks ago to
preside over his state convention, and
was the author of the platform, was
asked when he returned why that plat
form had not been more outspoken.
1t deplored the silver agitation as hurt
full to business and hostile to all tsiff
legislation. The extreme gold men look
ed upon that as a nakes71ift but the SEN
ator said that he had found an unmis-
taxable sentiment in favor Of bimet-
allism, and any declaration antagonistic
to bimetallism would have been repudi-
ated by the convention and by the Re
puhlicans of his state. This senator
and his platform represent the average
sentiment among the Republicans in
Washington now. They want, first, a
protective atriff and a platform that
will not place any other question above
the tariff. They believe that a free sill
yer platform at Chicago should be met
with a protective and bimetallic plat
form at st. Louis, and the eastern men
concede that the financial plank viii
be more like that of Illinois and Indi-
ana than like that of New York.