Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-04-16
The Mckinley Candidacy.


Weekly, dated March %, is printed a
lengthy editorial giving in detail, and
with forcible exemplification, reasons
why Ex-Governor Mckinley should
not be made the Republican nominee
for president. The article is so bold,
so incisive, so evidently honest in in
tent, that it will be of especial inter
est to the people of Columbus and OF
Ohio, who know the ex-governor
best.
Persons familiar with Ex-Governor
Mckinley, and who separate them
selves from all sense of hero-worship
or sentimentality will find little in it
which they will wish to controvert.
Their strongest impression will be
one of wonder that the writer in
Harper'8 Weekly was able so skill
fully to select the most vulnerable
points in the Mckinley armor of Ma
poleonic irreproachabilitY But
while the article is sufficiently ex-
plicit to furnish food for serious
thought, it might have been more
complete and comprehensive had the
writer had at his command facts
which are well known in Ohio.
The article in question says Nc
Kinley was not the real author of the
tariff act which bears his name; that
is common and undisputed know
ledge. 1t says he was first elected
governor of Ohio because OF sympa-
thy arising from his defeat for re-
election to congress. 1t properly
might have added that for the four
years following McXinley's first in
auguration as governor OF this state
there was an administration chiefly
characterized by weakness, indeclslCn
and neglect. Under his wise and
farseeing financial policy" the State
of Ohio escaped bankrutcy by bor-
rowing half million dollars; under
his careful selection of appointees
there were scandals in half the public
institutions Of the state, and there
probably was extravaganza in all OF
them. He was a destructionist in the
affairs of Ohio and destructlonist
in the affairs of the Republican party,
because he wanted to be a construc'
zionist for William Mckinley.
From the day he was nominated
for governor the first time, Major
Mckinley was a candidate for the
presidency. His best friends speak
ing confidentially, admit that he is a
politician pure and simple, whose
every act and every word is carefully
weighed with respect to its influence
upon his own political future. There
fore, Ohio had governor defacto
but none at all in practice, because
his time was devoted to canvass
for the presidency and all state affairs
were made utterly subservient there
to. He knew nothing about state
affairs when he was elected and ht
did not take the trouble to learn any
thing about them which was no
thrust upon him.
Harper's Weekly says that Majol
Mckinley did the bidding Of mer
having personal interests to serve
when he was congressman. 1t nigh
have added that he did exactly thu
same thing as governor. At the die
tation of men who are now conduct
ing his campaign for the presidency
he prevented the enactment OF le9ls
lation which would have provided in
creased revenue for the state while
at the same time he acquiesced in, i
he did not favor, the temporar!
makeshift of borrowing money tt
| meet running expenses. If he did 81
much for them then, what will h'
not do as president? The article IL
question says he has no opinion o.
any kind about anything save thu
tariff, or if he has they are not &C
companied,by the courage necessar!
to express them. That is notorious
He would not even talk to newspa
per interviewers about the Armenian
atrocities or the Cuban question.
Major McKinley's political man
ager denies the charge that money il
being contributed by the wealthy
manufacturing interests toward the
expenses of his present campaign
But member of the state committee
when Mckinley made his first cam
paign for governor is authority for
the statement that 100000 was then
contributed by these same capitalists
to help in McKinley's election. There
is an inference in this that is fair and
cannot be overlooked.
These are not pleasant things to
contemplate, but the people have a
right to know the facts, ugly though
they be and we have performed the
duty of newspaper to the public in
relating them.