The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-05-21
HONEST MONEY PARAMOUNT.
Ex-senator Platt Discusses Mckinley
and Declares That Only an Honest
Money Man Can Win.

Platt's Interview in New York Papers.
My opposition TO Governor Mckinley
proceeds almost entirely from my belief
that he will get the Republican party in
turmoil and trouble. He is not a we'll
balanced man of affairs, as Governor
Morton is. He is not great man. as
Mr.. Reed is. He Is not a trained ana
educated public man, as Senator Allison
is. He is not an astute political leader,
as Senator Quay is. He is simply a
clever gentleman. much too amiable and
much too impressionable to be safely
intrusted with great executive office.
whose quest fer homer happens to have
the accidental advantage OF the associa-
ton OF his name with the last Repub-
lican protective tariff.
Mr.. Mckinley. as | think the Tribune
recently remarked. had really less to do
with that industrial law than had either
Governor Dingley or Senator Aldrich,
but simply because Of his position as
chairman Of the ways and means COM
mittee OF the Fifty-first congress il has
borne his name. and there seems to be
a good many people who labor under the
impression that he wrote It line for line.
and that the theory that it embodes
originated in his colossal intellect.
would not deny him one jot or title OF
the credit that really belongs to him.
but il is. most unhandsome to defraud
others Of the credit that belongs to them.
When national conventions get down
soberly to the work OF choosing a candi-
date they are not apt to overlook the
fact that in the four months campaign
that is to follow his personality and his
record will be subjected to the search
light of hostile criticism. Nor do they
forget that there are two qualities
resolution and conservatism-which the
people always require in their chief
magistrate. Now, II we Republicans
are successful in the next campaign, as
seems probable today. there are two
great questions, in which are involved
the earning capacity OF every citizen,
that we shall have TO settle. II we are
to settle them without unsettling our
selves We must settle them for at least
a generation to come, and to be so set
tied they must be settled wisely, tenn
perately, conservatively. They are the
tariff question and the currency question
The American people have shown that
they don't want a radical tariff in any
direction. What they do want is pro-
tective tariff, so devised as to make up
by taxes on foreign articles that COM
pete with our own for the difference be-
tween the price Of labor here and abroad
Mr.. Mckinley represents the most radi-
cal and extreme view Of protection. We
must not only draw a bill that can be
put through a Republican congress, but
we must draw one that will not be open
to serious criticism as class legislation
l foresee the greatest dangers to the
Republican party as the result Of ex-
treme tariff legislation. In the first
place, long before the bill has become a
law the country will be flooded with for
eign goods which must be sold and con-
sumed before domestic producers will feel
the effects Of the new law. Business will
not revive on the instant that a Repub-
llcan president is elected. and during that
period when the new bill is under discus
sion and until the immense flood Of for
eign goods has disappeared into consurp-
ton, we shall have TO defend our meas
ure. 1t should be, therefore, a safe,
healthy and rational bill
Fully as important as the tariff bill,