Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-07-02
living mckinley sound Money Record.

Win INC molnory VI tno bfoab hbhb
for sound money declaration at tho
st. Louis convention still fresh in the
minds Of the people, the Mckinley
apologists are endeavoring to prove that
Mckinley was from the first in favor
of the platform as 1t was finally adopted.
The correspondent who represented the
Philadelphia Evening Telegraph at the
convention writes:
There is adequate proof OF what Is
here said. Governor Mckinley, Mr..
Hanna and the leaders in his campaign
were committed to gold and needed no
guiding star from the East to keep
them to their duty.
How surprising II is that this "ade-
quate proof was not made manifest
during the convention. II Mckinley,
Hanna, and the other straddlers we're
committed to gold and needed no
guiding star from the East to keep
them to their duty" why did Hanna
SO resolutely resist the demands Of
Platt, Lodge and the other Eastern
leaders that positive endorsement Of
the gold standard 6hould go into the
PLATFORM Why should Hanna per-
sistently refuse to permit the use Of
the words "gold Standard until con-
fronted with the fact that the delega-
tions OF twenty six States had formally
resolved to insist upon it, and he
realized that he would be beaten upon
the floor Of the conventionH Only then
did be give in, evidently fearing that
an open defeat on the money question
might endanger the nomination of
Mckinley.
II Mckinley and Hanna were then in
favor of upholding the gold standard
in the platform. why did not Hanna
say so, instead of fighting stubbornly
until defeat stared him in the face? 1t
is said that even Mr.. Hanna now joins
in the assertion that he and Mckinley
were in favor Of gold declaration
from the first. The Washington cor
respondent Of the Baltimore Sun takes
up this declaration ny Hanna. and dis
poses of 1T in the following thorough
manner:
If Mr. Hanna is correctly quoted
and there seems no reason to doubt IL
his assurance is enough to take the
breath away. If Mr.. Mckinley and
Mr.. Hanna were always 10 favor OF
such financial plank as was finally
adopted, why did they not put II in
the Ohio platform, over which they
had absolute controls The Ohio finan-
cial resolution was straddle because
it was equirocal and could be con-
strued in two ways. Furthermore, II
would be useless for Mr.. Hanna to
deny-for there are too many witnesses
to it-thst for several days he hemmed
and hawed and hesitated about putting
in the word "gold." In addition tc
this, Mr.. Mckinley is on record as
saying publicly-not once, but twice
and thrice-that be had nothing to dc
with the platform; il was for the con.
yention to make the platform and fol
him to stand upon it.
Whatever record Mckinley has made
on the financial question is all on the
side Of free silver. Mr.. Hanna hat
aIwaya been considered as leaning ir
the same direction. Mr.. Foraker, the
chairman of the committee on resolu
tions, who reported the gold plank tC
inc convention, mas Always Deen Dl
metallist When elected by the Re
publican Legislature OF Ohio as United
States Senator to succeed Mr.. Brice
in his speech OF acknowledgment, HI
proclaimed himself silver man. A
, the time this created sensation boil
in Ohio and in Washington. Neithe
Mr. Mckinley nor Mr.. Hanna, nor Mr.
Foraker have changed their minds ol
this subject.
1t is idle to deny the fact that th
word gold" went into the Republican
platform against the wishes Of Nc
, Kinley and Hanna, and only in conse
: quence Of the stubborn fight made b
the Eastern delegates. We may expec
3 next to see the Mckinley organs en-
. deavoring to prove that Mckinley
t votes and speeches in Congress were i
favor Of upholding the gold standard
t instead of encouraging the free coinag
of silver. .....