The Monitor-register., 1896-05-15
A 1T BE MCKINLEY :

business affairs, whose fault is it?
Who debased our currency, and from
whence was the influence that prompted
1t? And who has made more clear cash
out Of the country's misfortues in trying
to maiRtain its credit than the Wall
street bankersP The bond sales have
afforded them the opportunity of making
millions of profit, with no permanent
relief, the gold drain from the treasury
continuing with a steady regularity that
shows how futile is such an effort to
maintain the gold reserve. Stop this
endless chain business by giving us a
tariff that will protect own industries
and keep the balance of trade on this side
of the ocean, and at the same time give
us a money system that will be sound
both in principal and value and suff-
GENTLY flexible to meet the necessities of
trade, and not simply a market for the
product of any particular section of the
country or any class of business interests.
At the time of the passage of the tariff
act. known as the Mckinley tariff, the
Republicans generally, and particularly
OF the Eastern and Middle States, were
strong advocates Of high duties, declar-
ing that the n thing the country needed
for an era of prosperity was a tariff high
enough to protect our Industrial interests.
When this tariff law was succeeded by
what is known as the Wilson-Gorman
act, which greatly loweredduties, be side
putting many articles on the free list, all
remember what a howl went mp from the
manufacturing interests. and the dire
calamity that was predicted and which
has been NOR than verified in the great
depression that has followed, affecting
every business enterprise. until idleness,
want and poverty have become familiar
spectres in every community. Why ?
Because the lowering of tariff duties has
brought the cheap labor of Europe into
competition with our well-paid labor and
flooded the country with foreign goods.
compelling Our own mills to remain die
and our workmen to beg for bread. In
the midst of this dire calamity every one
almost instinctively located the difficulty
In the lowering of tariff daties, but
looked hopefully forward to the time
when the party advocating protection
could be restored to power in order to
remedy the trouble. That time is now at
hand.
Now, however, q sudden change has
occurred, and these stalw art protection
lists tell us it is not the tariff that is in
issue, but sound money; that it is a
question whether the country needs high
but that it does need sound money.
Granted, but what has brought about
sadden change in opinion Mr..
Thomas G.. Plat, of New York, is the
apostle and mouth.piece of these
political economists, and he takes great
pains to have himself frequently inter-
viewed, In order to give currency to these
He says, "We do not want
q radical tariff in any direction" a posi-
ton that many have long maintained;
but who does not remember how such
opinions were discounted and those who
had the temerity to advance them when
Mr.. Platt and others of his ilk were
shouting for protection to American
were boldly termed free trad
ers ? OF course, times have changed, and
political issues change with them; but
these sudden transitions always cause a
shock and suggest an inquiry as to the
cause. In this instance it is the over
whelming popular choice for Major
for the Presidency rather than
the dictation of his nomination from Wall
street or by the political bosses of the
Platt and Quay stripe, who stand ready
to trade on either the tariff or money
issues in order that they may be the
mower behind the throne.
Again, Mr. rIasE says shat "If the
are successful two great
questions involving the earning capacity
Of every Citizen will have to be settled.
II we are to settle them without unset
cling ourselves we must settle them for
1t least a generation to come, and to be
10 settled they mast be settled wisely,
temperately and conservatively. They
are the tariff question and the currency
True, but Mr.. Platt neglects
tell us how they are to be settled for a
generation. If we remember rightly the
parties have been trying to settle
,he tariff question for the last fifty years,
Ind who believes that it is settled yet ?
DR., who believes that it ever will be set
led 80 long as it is made a party shibbo-
eth and banded about as a rallying cry
or party triumph? And If this be true
II the tariff, will the currency question
are any better if subjected to the vicissi-
udes Of party politics for it's perma-
No one honestly so believes,
md while Mr.. Platt may utter sound
because of his business inter-
and sagacity as a business man, yet
ew will fail to recognize the partisan
however masked in the garb of
statesman.
These two great questions belong rather
o the domain of business than to the
calm of politics, and they will never be
ettled right until they are settled outside
he lines of party politics. The vital
I~uestien really is, Have we statesmen
ag enough TO SO handle these questions ?
nd il SO, in which party are they to be
ound ? This is the real question be be
at St. Louis and Chicago, M on
which the people will pass Judgment at
he polls in November.
AS the New York Tribune declares,
dajor Mckinley is to the people San ideal
andiGate because he represents to them
q it's most concrete form and expression
political idea in which they thoroughly
nd profoundly believe. They want to
ay by his nomination and election that q
,reat mistake was made in 1892, when
policy of Protection to American In
Iustry was reversed and the tariff with
which his name is inseparably connected
vas repealed. That is the meaning OF
he overwhelming tide of Republican
eminent which has been setting so
urely in the direction of his nomination
or many months, and has now appar-
ntly made it inevitable"
1
Rich Discoveries of Gold
Cripple Creek. Colo, and elsewhere,
a.t - kba 1rodnrfion FIR Il