New-York tribune., 1896-05-14
THE PETICENCE OF SELF-RESPECT.

THE RETICENCE or SELFRESPECT
So far as the leading candidates for the Re-
publican nomination for President are con-
ccrncd. The Tribune, as 1t has already said and
repeated many times. could support any one OF
them with cordalty and enthusiasm. During
the preliminary canvass now almost ended 1t
has contentcl itself with chronicling the news
and observing benevolent neutrality. having
no preference that il could not yield with perfect
good-nature TO the will of the majority, and
certainly no ground whatever for hostility TO
any individual candidate. We are, of course.
not una ware that in the progress Of the canvass
the steadily growing strength Of the Mckinley
candidacy which could not be concealed or ig-
norcd without dishonest garbling of wcllattcst-
ed facts. has been Il constantly increasing source
of annoyance TO the earnest and sincere, though
sometimes oversensitve, friends Of other can
ddateS Naturally enough, the impression,
which has now grown into a conviction, that
Mckinley would be the Republican candidate
has drawn upol him the combined opposition
and concentrated fire of the Democratic and
Mugwump press. In this state of affairs The
Tribunes comments upon current political
events have doubtless had to some OF its read
ers the appearance OF partSanshp for Mckin-
lev notwithstanding its repeated disclaimers.
But we are confident that such critics, if any
there be- upon rejecting that The Tribune has
never uttered a word Of diSparagcment of the
recognized leading candidates S-Reed, Allison or
Harrison-and that its apparent championship
of Mckinley solely due to the fact that as
the popular candidate he was the only one I'M
der fire from the opposition, will approve its
course and Justify its action
The preliminary canvass appears now TO be
practically over Simply as an honest chronicer
of. and commentator upon. current political
events. The Tribune cannot do otherwise than
declare that in lis belief. as manifeStly in the
belief of an overwhelming ma jorty Of the
American people of all parties Mr. Mckinley
will be the next Republican candidate for Pres
idcnt of the United States. And, however Re
publicans may differ to his relative merits
and qualifications, as compared with the other
distinguished statesmen who have been most
prominently named 1t Is a source Of gratlfica-
ton 10 all who have an intelligent cOmprchen-
sion Of the functions and scope Of popular in
situtions, as well as Of the dangers that beset
them, that in his selection as the candidate no
one man or one set Of men has been potential but
the great body Of voters, free and untrammcllcd,
have said their say, had their way and made
their choice. Nor have they done it blindly and
unthinkingly in unrcasOnlng worship Of per
sOnal idol or Of man who has charmed them
by his magnetism or won them by the faScna
tions of eloquence or the gifts Of oratory. He Is
10 them an ideal candidate because he repre-
sents TO them in its most concrete form and e2
preston Il political idea in which they thor
oughly and profoundly believe. They want to
say by his nomination and election that great
mistake was made in 1892, when the policy Of
Protection to American Industry was reversed
and the tariff with which his name Is insepa-
rably connected was repealed That is the
meaning of the overwhelming tide Of Repub
lcan sentiment which has been setting so surely
In the direction of his nomination for many
months. and has now apparently made it nevi-
table.
Nor will the great body Of voters who have
so Enthusiastically made their preference known
be diverted from their purpose or disturbed In
their convictions of duty to themselves and the
country by any hullabaloo of Democratic and
Mugwump newspapers attacking him with in
sinua tions-and nslnuatons only-as to his
position upon the currency question. Distor-
tions of his public utterances, paradng Of half
sentences and suppresslons of the remainder,
Sil DliuS VI Sutctuts, duu II STdUu uil-TOunu
Dervish dance over his sef-posed and self
respecting reticence under the concentrated bonn
bardment Of a mischief making. scandal -monger-
ing and indecent press will not move them.
They know that they can trust the Republican
party on the money question above all Others by
reason Of its record that they can trust its can
ddate as well, and that without any doubt or
dstrlst, they can wait for the National Con-
vcntion 10 adopt an Outspoken gold-standard
platform and put an outspokcn gold-standard
candidate upon it. They will stand by their
candidate because they believe in his absolute
soundness on both the tariff and finance And
they will not be disturbed at his refusal to be
catechised by his opponents on either Of them,
or on schedules or details, or on the A. T. A., or
on Woman Suffrage, or on Venezuela. Hawaii
or Cuba Meanwhile let all Republicans derive
innocent amusement from the antics Of the Dem
ocrats and Mugwumps; who are dancing round
Mckinley and bombarding all his friends with
ridiculous cOnundrums. They are only amusing
and utterly harmless. Mr.. Mckinley Is entitled
to the rights Of private citizen. And he Is not
In contempt Of the American People II he re-
spectfully declines to be catechsed and cross
examined by the paltry pettifoggers who repre-