Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1896-04-09
M.kINLEY AS CANDIDATE.
Corrupt Methods Employed to Put Him
Forward.

M'KINLEY AS CANDIDATE.
Corrupt Methods Employed to Put Him
Forward.
It is not to be wondered at that the
republican opponents of Mr.. Mckinley
are making charges touching the virtue
of the men who are conducting this
campaign. They are saying that rich
manufacturers have been corrupting
the primaries throughout the country,
and that the delegates have been pur-
chased. However that may be, it is
clear that n public man must gain a
reputation that units him for the pres:
dency if he is the servant OF those who
are interested in government only as
it enures to their pecuniary profit.
Whether Mr.. McKinley's strength in
the convention has or has not been pro-
cured by the corrupt use of money.
whether, if it has been, he is or is not
a party to the corruption, he is the
candidate of those who want to divert
the government from its constitutional
function of promoting the general well
fare that it's chief power may be used
for their own selfish purposes. And
it is because Mr.. Mckinley has already
permitted himself to be employed as
the agent of such men, and is pre-
sumably willing to be so employed
again, that the extreme protectionists
show such anxiety to bring about his
nomination that prominent men of
their own party are led to accuse them
of employing corrupt means to accom-
plish their end.
Another aspect of this candidacy is
that Mckinley is not only the chief of
the extreme protectionists, but he has
heretofore been for unsound money,
and is now, if we are to believe the
platform of the Ohio state convention
which nominated him, in favor of BIZ
metallism, either through internation-
al arrangement or, if that cannot be
had, through congressional legislation.
In other words, the protected manufsc-
turers, in order to capture the silver
vote for the restoration of the tariff
law of 1890, are willing to elect as pres
ident man whose views on the cur
rency are unsOund.
1t will be tlificult--we trust, impos-
sible-to elect Mr.. Mckinley president
on the theory that has dominated his
canvass for the nomination. The tariff
is not to be the issue at the coming cleo
ton, nor, if it were, do we believe that
the country would agree to make an
other trial of McKinleyism. The issue
is to be the currency question. Neither
the silver men nor the gold-standard
advocates are likely to support a
double-dealer merely because he is
ready to do the bidding of The men who
are now working for his nomination.
If the republican party has really come
under the control of the beneficiaries
of the tariff OF 1890, and if therefore its
convention nominate Mckinley in
grateful recognition of past tariff IA
vors, and in hope Of like favors to come,
If in order to make the tariff issue
prominent the party is to face both
ways on the currency issue, the lead
ers who are anticipating a triumph at
the coming election are likely to be
grievOusly disappointed; for, no mat
ter what the politicians may think, the
country wants the money issue settled,
and the question that will be put to
candidates in the approaching cam
paign is: where do you stand on the
money question:" To this question
Mr.. Mckinley has not yet made reply
that is satisfactory to the advocates of
sound money; nay, he has more than
once ranged himself on the side of those
who could debase the currency in order
that so cents might be made to pay a
dollar of indebtedness. Although he
would not probably dare renew his adj
vocacy Of such a silver bill as the Sher-
man law, and although he might fear to
stand squarely with Teller, Dubois,
Stewart, and his other silver friends,
Mr.. Mckinley does not favor the single
gold standard, and therefore his cleo
ton to the presidency would be fraught
with danger to the best interests of
bo ,t,.1- In, II-oo1.l.r