Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-13
WHAT QUAY And PLATT WANT.
Meaning of the Fight That In Being
Made.


ST. LOUIS, Mo-, June 13.-Quay and Platt
are making themselves more interesting
than it was thought would be possible.
Quay, who arrived at half-past yester-
day. was not in town an hour before he
was in conference with the New York
boss" They started every one guessing
and are keeping them guessing. The won
der, Of course, Is what they can expect to
do. In spite Of the fact that Hanna is
directing the proceedings preliminary to the
convention. and has all the delegates he
needs to nominate Mckinley, he and the
rest of the Mckinley people are not in
different to what is going on In the enemy 8
camp. They profess indifference, but the
profession is too obviously not sincere
They know that Platt is making big
bluff'' and they are .bluffing back" The
thing at stake is no longer the presidential
nomination. that is settled.
There are other considerations however
The nomination does not settle the cam
paign. The election is 10 come. There are
many things to be taken into account. Mr..
Mckinley is going to be nominated largely
pend mainly on the last for his election.
The electoral votes Of the south are not
counted on. and many Of those in the
west, 1t Is feared, are doubtful They feel
that in California OF. Oregon the Dakotas,
Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado,
Nevada, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan, Illinois,
Indiana and perhaps even in Ohio, they
have got to make fight for the election.
The political situation is peculiar. No poll
tician, however experienced, has ever be-
fore had to deal with such a situation
There is too much obscurity to warrant
any obvious risks. The vote Of New York
In the election cannot be thrown away.
The full sympathy and assistance of Quay,
Platt. Allison and the rest of the anti
Mckinley forces are needed after the con-
venticn has finished fits work In this lies
the strength of the combine bosses.
To Show Their Power.
The Mckinley people have the conven-
ton. There is no human probability Of
Mckinley's falling of the nomination. Platt
and Quay regarded that as settled long be-
fore the delegates began to assemble in st.
Louis, but they want It made clear that
their defeat is net their annihilation. They
intend to show that they are powerful
even in defeat.
Hanna and Platt sit with nothing but
two doors and a few yards of CARPET he
tween them, watching zach other and plan
ning against each other. Each is acting
utter Indifference or defiance and each is
listening for the call of the other through
the keyhole. The Mckinley people gener-
ally are SO mad witbs Platt that they are
sincere In saying that he may go to a
care.
No doubt McKinleyend Hanna have felt
that way about it, tSc, but now that thew
have won this fights other considerations
appeal to their better Judgment, and there
is s,,n5 no doubt that If it did not Gsstrhem too
much they would Gke~b0 Settle matters
with all clements Of the party
What Platt and dtiay want Is all they
can get. What Hanna Weats is to give
.nTm zen as, as little tue as as possible
is displaying his bowerlnsAway thai Is
decidedly Impressive Tfe Has si,own m NJ f;.,f &
ne. ne can walk roughs keveAz oppostion.
Ihe consideration OF expedsency might
make him more moderate, but he has given
some broad and praek1cal hints that he
does not intend to 81 btla17S "A. ahf hes has
shown that in cosd-blooas0 way Tt can
do little bullying Mmself.
Working Up Byd Blood.
The essential thingsto the combine bosses
getting anything at all Is that they shall
keep all the candidates in the field to the
end or until they naye won their conces-
SONS. That is What for the present is
occupying their attention. They do not
want any withdraw as and a nomination
by acciamation. A fight which will be BIT
to their accomplishing anything, and Platt
Is working up much bad blood as pos
sible.
He was alarmed lest ManIeys confess
non OF Mckinley's rtrength might drive
Reed out of the field before the game had
been played to the end. Now there has
been roundup, and 1t is claimed that
all the candidates will stick.
Quay has refused 10 talk since his ar
rival, except to say that he would not talk
and that anything purporting to be an in
tervieW with him would be fraud. But
the conferences between him and Platt
were to determine whether the Pennsyl-
Vanian intended to have his name present.
ed to the convention. -Platt says that the
talk was eminently satisfactory; that Quay
Is all right and will be voted for in the
convention.
The Allison people are very emphatic in
their declarations that their man will De
presented and voted for. A similar decla-
ration with quite as great emphasis is
made in behalf Of Reed. The kentucky
national committeeman says that Brad
!eys friends In that delegation will vote
for him for one ballot. Platt sums 1t all
up with the declaration that the names Of
Morton, Reed, Allison, Quay and Brad
ley will be presented to the convention
This does not mean for a minute that any
one of them expects to be able to defeat
Mckinley.
Purpose of the Fight.
The purpose Of the fight may be indi-
Gated by the effect It is havirg. The talk
of Morton for Vice President Is reviving
and the Mckinley people are being drawn
inch by inch closer to such gold stand
ard plank Of the east are demanding. The
revival of the talk Of Morton for Vice
President comes from Mckinley quarters
1t is suggested that Morton's going on
the ticket with Mckinley would interpret
even M oderate finan cial plank to mean
gold One CT the strongest supporters of
Mckinley on the national committee said
10 me today that no; promises had been
made to Hobart by the Mckinley man
ayers, and that while sthere was general
friendly feeling toward bis candidacy the
impression was growing that it might
shape up so that Marion or some other Sc
!ected by the New York delegation would
be given the vice presidency.
rms same impression Is alarming some
OF the avowed candidates for that office.
Many Mckinley people with whom have
talked within the past twelve hours admit
that the financial plank Is apt to be much
stronger for gold tran was at first con-
templated by Mckinley. The latest propo-
sltlon is to make a. hat-footed declaration
against the free coinage Of silver at any
ratio whatever, to Gema nd that the present
standard be mafntafAed and then, in a
separate resolution, not a part of the plat
form, to pledge the administration 10 use
every possible effort to secure an inter-
rational agreement for the coinage and use
of silver.
The Mckinley men themselves are not
entirely In harmony on either the money or
the tarin questions. Many Of the support
ers OF the Ohio candidate are as anxious
as are Platt or sReHd that the platform
should declare frankly for sold. Others
want straddle. that will look friendly to
t,nSv, y