Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-20
M R. PL LATT'S ATTACK
The President Interested in the New York
Boss Course
What is Expected of Senator Quay
When He Returns From
Ohio.

President Cleveland is greatly interested
in the attack that is being made on Major
Mckinley by Tlatt. According to the opin-
ion of most observant public men, the
tendency of this attack is to make Clcve-
land candidate for the democratic nomin-
alton. Mr.. Cleveland would like to COM
bine free trade with the gold standard as
an issue in the campaign, and the attack
of Mr.. Platt OH Major Mckinley is said TO
inspire him with the idea that the god
men in New York may be made SO suS-
picious of the Ohio man that many Of their
votes might be combined with those of the
mugwumEs and free traders, SO as to carry
the state If he (Clevcland) were the demo-
cratic candidate.
Wants the Nomination Under Certain
Conditions.
Tie leading democrats are satisfied that
Cleveland wants the nomination under GER
tam conditions: 1t is pretty certain too,
that he thinks he secs in Platt's attack on
Mckinley the prospect of the desired CON-
ditions developing. There is no man more
distasteful to the free traders than Is Nc
kinley. Cleveland's friends calculate that
even the silver men who are also free
traders would support Cleveland as against
Mckinley. They therefore view with great
satisfaction the attempt Of Mr.. Platt 10
discredit the Ohio candidate among the
New York financers. This course of Mr.
Platt's is regarded as directly in the inter-
est of Mr.. Clevciands candidacy, a
menace to the republican national ticket in
New York state. Whether Mr.. Cleveland
has any information to Mr. Platt'S
plans, or whether he merely draws infer
ences from surface indications, is rot
known; but every utterance of the New
York boss designed to cast doubt upon the
soundness of Mckinley's financial views is
regarded as in the interest of Mr.. Cleve-
land.
If the gold men could control the demo-
cratic national convention and nominate
Cleveland the idea Of the campaign would
he to attack Mckinley on finance in New
York and the rest CT the eastern business
centers, and to attempt to hold the demo-
Gratis together by dcnouncing McKinleyism
in the south. What grounds there may be
fer the theory that Platt would lend him
self. directly or Indirectly, to a fight
against Mckinley in New York after the
nomination no ore is prepared 20 say, but
the Cleveland people evidently feel thar
Platt is burning his bridges as he goes.
Mr. PIntts Course Puzzling.
None of the politicians in Washington
doubt for minute thatfMr. Platt realizes
as we'll as do other people, that McKinley's
nomination IS practically assured, and his
attack is looked upon, therefore, as equiva-
lent to an attack on the republican nomi-
nee. Looked upon in this light Mr. Platt's
course is puzzling to the Republicans unless
it means that his antasanism is SO grea:
that he would be willing to sacrifice his
party, as far as 1t lies in his power, in
order to strike blow at Mckinley He has
gone far beyond anything that Quay would
sanction, and the result is a break between
them. Mckiniey's friends say that there
is no pc pcssibility Of Platts being invited TO
Canton, and that if he seeks a conference
with Mckinley it will not lead 10 the max
ing of any terms. They have no fear they
say, OF anything ne can do, before or after
the nomination at St. Louis.
VI hat is Expected From Quay.
1t is said that Senator Quay, having disap-
proved of Mr.. Patt's plans as likely to be
injurious to the republican party, proposes
to attempt to counteract what the New
Yorker has said about McKinley's financial
position 1t is expected that on his return
from Canton Mr.. Quay will make a formal
announcement that there is no ground at
all to criticisc Mckin!ey's position on the
financial question and that there is no rea-
son in the demand for explicit declara-
ton on the subject. This announcement on
the part of Mr.. Quay VIII be expected to.
be followed at the proper time by the de-
clared candidacy Of Gov. Hastings for the
vice presidency.