The record-union., 1896-06-15
PLATFORM BEING PREPARED.
HANNA IS EMBODYING IN 1T SUG-
GESTIONS OF BUSINESS MEN.
1t Will Declare for Protection and the
Existing Standard, and Con-
denim Free Silver.

ST. LOUIS, June 14.-This has not
been a day of rest for Mr.. Hanna and
his associates who are managing the
campaign of Major Mckinley. More
effective work in the matter of con-
structing a platform has been accom-
rlished to-day than in any twenty
four hours up to date. Mr.. Hanna,
since coming to st. Louis, has received
letters and kilograms from all parts of
the country from representative busi-
ness men, giving him, frequently In de-
tail, their ideas as to what the flnan-
cial plank should be and how it should
be expressed. These have been collated
and arranged. The various platforms
adopted by Republican State Conven-
tons have also been carefully anal
yzed and utilized. Since the arrival of
prominent leaders Mr.. Hanna has
availed himself of the opportunity of
personal converse with them on this
important subject
The result of all this has been that
early to-day Mr.. Hanna prepared a
rough draft of the platform, which he
has submitted to almost every promi-
nent Republican in ST. Louis except
the free silver men and Mr.. Platt and
in his fight against Mckinley. This
platform, SO far as the financial plank
is concerned, is a combination of the
sentiment expressed in the platforms
Of the New York and Indiana State
Conventions, but so framed as to omit
the words gold standard" 1t will de-
clare for the existing standard and
strongly condemn the free coinage of
ell io1 ,>1o L. h
ceded Gf Mr.. Hanna's programme goes
through by strong and vigorous dec
laration for a protective tariff and re-
ciprocity, coupled with a brief his
tory Of tariff legislation and the disas-
trous effect of the Wilson bill, with its
attending depletion of the revenue and
it's constantly growing deficit.
Mr.. Fairbanks of Indiana. who will
be the temporary Chairman of the con-
vention, was with Mr.. Hanna the great
er part of the day and among his Wis
itors were Mr.. Depew and Mr.. Bliss of
New York, Mr.. Quay of Pennsylvania,
Mr.. Lodge of Massachusetts and very
many others. OF all the prominent lead
ers in ST. Louis Mr.. Platt alone was
conspicuous by his absence but it is
understood that he was made cogni-
Zant of the purpose of the proposed
financial plank by others who discussed
it with Mr.. Hanna
While it is true that many of the
Eastern delegates preferred a declara-
ton outright for gold, not one criti-
cised the proposition submitted to them
as being a "straddle," or considered it
other than as a gold standard platform
automatically expressed.
One well-known New Yorker, who is
identified with the moneyed interests of
that city, stated to Mr. Hanna that the
plank was strong, even if it did omit
the word gold He argued that to
use the words "gold standard" would
be misleading to the people at large.
They might imagine it to be some
thing capable of a construction other
than that which they themselves place
on it. To declare for the present STAN
dard was, he continued, so plain a pre-
Sentation of the case that no one could
misunderstood what the Republican
party intended to do If it should come
into power. 1t is also understood that
Chauncey Depew indorsed the plank as
submitted by Mr. Hanna as being very
strong and thoroughly satisfactory to
the East.
Mr.. Platt still insists that the word
| gold" must appear in the financial
plank of the platform. Nothing else
| he says, will satisfy the East.
"Will the East not be satisfied with a
| declaration to maintain the present
standard and against free coinage OF
silver at any ratio?" Mr. Platt was
asked.
| THAT is not strong enough" respon-
| ded Mr.. Platt. "We must have gold
gold in the platform. There must be nc