Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-29
THE ISSUE DEFINED.

New York proposes to dominate the
republican national convention. Mr.. De-
pew, who has been travelling over
the Southern Pacific road in company
with Cornelius Vanderbilt, gives us a
pretty accurate idea of the position of
affairs as respects the forthcoming St.
Louis convention. At Los Angeles, on
Friday, he said:
ut is generally conceded that on the
first ballot at the republican national
convention Mckinley will receive more
votes than any other candidate, This,
however, singles him out as the one man
dangerous to all others, and as often
happens in numerous national conyen-
tions, numerous combinations Will doubt
less be made to counteract the influence
of his candidacy on wavering delega-
lions. This is where the real work comes
in, to divert attention from one who Is
ahead to others whose chances at first
are secondary.
IF Mr. Mckinley could secure the
nomination on the first ballot that would
settle the whole trouble, but I am conf
dent that he will not have the votes nee
essary to get 1t at that stage, and he will
be forced in the end to abandon the field
Every indication favors the presump-
ton that Mr.. Morton will profit from
this failure on the first ballot of Mr.. Nc
date will come from New York At
those critical points in conventions it al
ways happens that the preference from
delegations from doubtful states is CIV
EN- special consideration. New York
gave Cleveland plurality of 100000 and
Morton plurality of 1875, 900. This shows
the ehangeable nature OF the vote in the
Empire State. 1t will be considered at
st. Louis and the republicans of New
York have no fears regarding the result"
Mr.. Morton will be put forward as the
clear advocate of the single gold stand
ard, and the friends of Mr. Mckinley
must meet the issue. THE New York re-
publican convention, which placed Nor
ton in nomination last week, made a
clear cut declaration on the money ques-
ton. There was no qualification or subter-
fuge about it. 1t was as follows:
1.-The agitation for the free coinage of
silver at the ratio of 16 to 1 seriously dis-i
turbs all industrial interests. and calls
for a clear statement of the republican
party's attitude upon this question, to
the end that the trade of this country, at
home and abroad. may again be placed
upon q sound and stable foundation. We
recognize In the movement for the free
coinage of silver an attempt to degrade
the long established standard of our
monetary system and hence blow to
the public and private credit. at once
costly to the national government and
harmful to our domestic and foreign
commerce. Until there is a prospect of
tnterna tionai agreement as to silver COIN
age, and while gold remains the stand
ard of the United States and Of the civ
ilized world the republican party of New
York declares itself In favor OF the firm
and honorable maintenance of that
standard"
it will be observed that this declara-
tion is in marked contrast with the Ian
guage of the Ohio convention, which
placed Mckinley in nomination. That
convention declared In favor of tgold,
silver and paper with which to measure
our exchange" aud demanded the use
Of both gold and silver as standard
money either by international agreement