Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-18
All the St. Louis Delegates Have
Been Elected.
The M'KINLEY MEN IN A MAJORITY
Only Strategy Can Deprive the
Ohioan Of His Strength.
SHARP POLITICS EXPECTED

The campaign of claims has ended as
far as the St. Louis convention Is con-
cerned. The delegates having been all
elected and Mckinley apparently having
large majority, there is nothing left for the
anti-McKinley people, If they are to keep
up their fight, but to endeavor by sharp
politics to lead Mckinley into an ambush
and to rob him of the strength which II IS
conceded he now possesses.
Platt Is quoted as having said during MS
visit here that he did not intend to do
any more talking. but that he would play
politics from now on. This means, II IL
means anything, that the talking that has
been INDUCED in was in the hope of In
f1uencing primaries and state conventions,
and that these being over the delegates
alone remain to be dealt with. what sort
of politics Mr. Platt is going to play Is not
fully disclosed.
From what his friends say 1t appears that
he has great faith in his method OF attack
on Mckinley's financial attitude. The men
in Congress, even those who are ready to
oppose the Ohio man to the last, do not eX-
press much confidence In this method OF at
tack.
Mckinley Sound on Money.
Probably not one man in Congress, and
certainly none Of experience has the least
doubt that Mckinley is Sound money"
man. Apparently no one except those who
would Ike to embarrass him desire any
further expression from him on the SUBJ
jeect.
Tho attitude of the radical silver men
toward him, If generally understood. would
be assurance enough that they have no
doubt about his being against them. They
count him gold man, just as they do
John Sherman. Among those men VINO
have no political purpose to serve by pre-
tending to a doubt the opinion Is freely ex-
pre- ssed that plain gold STANDARD pat
form Will not be distasteful to Mckinley.
The response to all criticism of his silence
| Is that he is willing to stand on the repub-
lican platform, and that it is not his duty,
but the duty of the national convention 70
| make that platform. There Is no doubt
| about the attitude of the republican party
| on the financial question.
The Financial Plank.
The convention will declare against 10 to
/ silver, and 1t Is only matter of the form
of expression which will be made use OIL
to give emphasis to the declaration. For
Mckinley to make Use of some particular
form in formal declaration at TINS tlne
| woulI. it is said. be like his attempting to
dictate the terms Of the platform. He be-
lieves in sound money There being no
| doubt on that point, it is held that there
| Is not only no reason by he should out
| line a platform, but every good reason
! why h. should leave that to the conVen-
| ton
| He is ready to stand on any platform the
convention Is at all likely to adopt, ana II
| is declared that he will never object to its
being direct and explicit in declaration for
gold standard.
McKinley's Wise Silence.
Representative Walker. chairman Of the
| banking and currency committee Of the
House says he sees no need OF Mckinley
speaking on the financial question now.
"A man." he says. nominated Tor once
can say nothing that will not be tortured
| out of it's true meaning, and anything that
| Mckinley might now say would be SO
| treated. Were he to speak out for sound
money it would be said that he was beg
ging for office. The moment man is prac-
| tically nominated he should stand on his
| record.
| Representative Hill of Connecticut, speak
ing on the same subject, said: THE public
| has now no right to call on Mckinley for
| an expression of his financial views 1t is
| the business of the convention to make the
| platform. and then, If they think he is not
a proper man to stand on that platform
| let them nominate some one else. 1t is
| hard work for man to make a record af-
| ter he has become a candidate. He should
| rather be taken on his previous record or
| dropped altogether, and If called upon to
| advise NAL Mckinley, / would tell him to
Say nothing"
| Cincinnati Has Confidence.
Representative Taft Of Ohio says: mo
| city should be stronger for sound money
| than is Cincinnati, and the voters there
were fully assured Of Mr.. McKinleys posi-
ton. They have doubt Of his entire
| devotion to sound money"
Here and there different view Is ex-
| pressed. Representative Brown Of Ten
| nessee, who is instructed as delegate for
| Mckinley, said in an interview today
| This Is no time for a straddle. Any man
| who seeks nomination should lead and
| not follow. Mckinleys closest friends dc
| not seem to know where he stands, and
! unless he regards the average voter as a
! fool he should clearly state his position on
| the financial question"
A Specific Statement Demanded.
| Gen. Kitchener, who Is a close political
| friend Of General Harrison said this morn
! ing on the same subject that the extracts
| from McKinley's speeches on finance now
being published in the newspapers were Of
| a general nature, and that there is now a
demand for a specific statement from him,
| for the reason that that will be the alb
| sorbing question of the coming campaign.
| LAS Mr. Mckinley has not heretofore put
! himself definitely on record on this ques-
! tion it seems to me that his party and the
| public have the right to know his views
| before they accord him the presidential
nomination. 1 see no good reason why he
| wiz