Evening star., 1896-08-07
McKINLEYS ACCEPTANCE
His Forthcoming Letter Will Treat Of the
Tariff in Large Degree.
The Definite Policy Of the Republic
cans IL They Shall Again Come
Into Power.

The Stars information from Cleveland
that while the financial que sion will receive
due consideration, the tariff will also cut
a prominent figure in Mr.. McKinley's forth.
coming letter of acceptance, is welcome
news to many influential republicans here
Why not? they ask. How could he fail to
give 1t prominence either with consistenc.
or with safety? The party is committed to
protection of the revenue-producing va.
riety. and Mr.. Mckinley is its candidate
largely because of his eminent services in
giving that policy expression.
To Meet the Money Question.
But, more than this These republicans
are beginning to think 1t necessary to meet
the money question with something def
mite. 1t will not do. they believe, to call
the silver movement a craze and assume
that 1t will die out. Neither will ii do sim
ply to say that the silver contention does
not bear the test of a thorough examina-
ton as a remedy for hard times. That po-
sition is purely negative. What is neces-
sary Is something positive. These republi-
cans feel that the party must be able to
show not only that the democratic -populisi
policy will not work, but that their policy
the republican policy-will work.
A Definite Policy.
Now what is their policy? And what
reasons do they offer in support OF it? The
questions almost answer themselves. Their
policy is protection, not prohibitory, but
high enough to hold the home markets for
home products, and low enough to produce
ample revenue. This policy, the republi-
cans insist, has always worked WELL and
to the advantage of the country. They like
wise insist that had it never been inter
fered with, the country would never have
fallen upon its present embarrassments
When there was an ample revenue for tho
support Of the government, and the treas
TRY had a surplus to show, there was no
the gold reserve. Restore that condition OF
affairs, and a long step will have been
taken toward relieving the pressure until
the government can use its offices about
opening the mints to silver by international
agreement.
What Republican Success Will Mean.
Stated in this way. the republican posi-
ton becomes well understood. A reply is
likewise made to the very wide inquiry as
to what republican success in November
will mean. Both populists and silver demo-
Gratis are pressing the point. They are in
sisting that the success of the republicans
will simply insure a continuation of the
present policy OF the government and hence
a continuation Of the hard times. AS they
put 1t, the government is operating on the
gold standard now, and everything is
plncneu. mat, they assert, accounts for
the pinch. There must be a change and
they propose free silver.
Return to Satisfactory Conditions.
AS these republicans now contend, there
must be a reply to this. The silver argu-
ment. they. admit, has a certain persuasive
ness on its face, and men who have felt
the pinch are eager for a remedy. The
proper reply, they argue, is to point to
the time when there was no pinch, and
propose a return to conditions which were
SO satisfactory to all. A statement as to
the full measure of what a new tariff law
should be need not be advancad-could not
with clearness be advanced. 1t will be suf-
ficient to say and TO promise that the re-
turn of the republican party to power will
mean not only a defeat of the free silver
attempt to debase The credit and to add to
the distress of the nation, which is a mega
tive advantage, but will mean an increase
in the governments revenue, a starting up
of all the hives Of industry, and conse-
quently general change and betterment
of the times. And that will answer the
question OF the coalition opposition They
not only discard the silver remedy for hard
times on the ground that it will only make
times harder, but they propose a remedy
OF their own for the cure of hard times in
the shape of a tariff which will produce
ample revenue, ard protect home indus
tries.