The herald., 1896-04-27
LET M'KINLRY SPEAK OUT LIKE CARLISLE

Major Mckinley has been 4 very lib
eral sort of q person on the financial
question. In the generosity Of his soul
he has consorted with both the gold
and silver standard people. and the
cause Of each class has received from
him a gentle boost. But lately he has
buried his ideas-if he really has any
on the money question In glittering and
meaningless language. His expressions
have been Of the kind that might mean
anything anywhere. It has been impos-
sible to obtain from him a clear-cut and
unmistakable explanation of his posi-
tion on the subject Of a monetary stan
dard. His attitude or rather his lack Of
attitude is very well-sixed up in the fol.
lowing from the Galveston News: The
News says:
THE Chicago Times Herald Is forced
to admit that the political enemies of
Mr.. Mckinley have discovered In his
record solitary speech apparently In
favor Of two Standards but contends
that q man IL never to be Judged by
what he said on q single circumscribed
occasion on q subject frequently dis
cussed, nor by a single speech taken ex-
ciusively In connection with past condi-
tions of the subject matter The Times
other speech Of the Ohio favorite in which
he said to the Philadelphians: My fell
low citizens. there is one thing which
this country cannot afford to trifie with,
and that is its currency, its measure of
value, the money which passes among
the people in return for their labor and
the products of their toll or of their land.
Ihere is no contrivance so successful in
cheating labor and the poor people of the
country as unstable, worthless and easily
counterfeited currency In the same
speech the Buckeye orator, on the pro-
posal that we should go back to state
banks. said: 1t is infinitely more harm
ful than the irredeemable greenback in
unlimited volume He added: IT
would be thousand times more hurtful,
more destructive to business and trade
than the free and unlimited coinage of
silver, bad as that would be- Speak
ing OF the advocates of payment of the
bonds in greenbacks, Major Mckinley
said: Routed from the position by the
sober sense Of the country, they became
the advocates of the free and unlimited
coinage of dollar worth 100 cents There
Is no doubt that some of his express
sions have been against the free coinage
OF silver. On the other hand, as the
Times Herald is forced at the outset
to admit, some of his declarations have
been In favor of two standards. Right
crafty candidates, he has talked both
ways, and on occasion has refused to
talk plainly and clearly either way. But
why should Mr.. Mckinley leave the peo-
pie to worry over his inconsistent rec
ord and his cautiously guarded sentences
to ascertain his views on the money
question? He is not dead. He is not
dumb. His right hand is not paralyzed.
Pencils and paper are cheap. Reporters
are thick as hops. The hum Of the busy
printing press is heard in the land. He
can tell in dozen plain words where
he stands today on the money question.
That is what the people want to know,
and why, in the name of common fair
ness and common sense should they not
be informed? He has talked both ways
in the past. He now refuses to talk
plainly either way. Has the statesman
ship OF the nation come down to such
methodsaas this? Does success in Amer
ican politics depend upon records that
read all ways, upon phrases bearing
cautiously concealed meaning, upon the
latitudinous generalities of the dema-
gogue, upon silence and concealment?
Why does not Mr.. Mckinley speak out
clearly and freely as Mr.. Carlisle has
done?"