Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-11-12
THE TROUBLE is COMING.

fact that the leading national bankers OF
the country were rushing into print with
their opinions as to the policy the Nc
Kinley administration should pursue in
regard to the financial question. The
other day while in New York Mr.. Hanna
said to the New York Sun and to the
New York Evening Post, that "the farm
ers and laborers in the western cities"
who were for Bryan at the opening Of the
campaign were brought back to the sup
port of the republican ticket "by explain
ing to them that we stood on the st.
Louis platform, which advocates bimetal-
ism under an international agreement,
and that we are not gold monometal-
lists"
This plain and unmistakable declara-
ton by Mr.. Hanna, who ought to know
whereof he speaks, that the successful
party in the recent contest is not for gold
recommendation and that 1t attained sue
cess at the polls by assuring the farm
ers and laborers of the west that 1t was
truly a bmetallic party and meant what
it said in it's platform with reference to
using the power of the party to bring
about international bmetallism appears
not to have set we'll with the Evening
Post.
The Post is for the single gold standard.
1t stands with National Banker Walsh, of
Chicago, and all the other leading nation
al bankers, who want the greenbacks,
treasury notes and silver certificates re-
tired and gold only to be allowed to re-
tain the quality of legal tender.
Incensed at Mr. Hanna's remarks the
Post says:
"Now the St Louis platform was
drawn before the Bryan platform, and
it is a safe assumption that if 1t had been
drawn after the Bryan platform this pas
ge would have been omitted or mate
rally altered"
Clearly the New York tory newspaper
means that If the democratic platform
had been made in advance of the repub-
lican platform the latter would not have
thrown out the International agreement
sop to the western voter
In that event, according to Mr.. Hanna,
Bryan would have been elected, because,
says Mr. Hanna, "the laborers and farm
ers" of the west were for Bryan until they
were assured that the republican party
would use the power of the party If
placed In office to secure International BIZ
metallism.
Again the Post says:
Nothing has done more to bring us to
our present pass than the persistent
maintenance of the belief that there Is
going to be an international conference,
al which European nations will agree
with us to esta blish and maintain dou-
BILE standard There is not the slightest
reason to expect any such thing"
In few words the Post disposes Of the
international agreement" part of the
ST. Louis platform 1t says: There is
not the slightest reason to expect any
such thing"
Here the Post convicts Mr. Hanna of
using deception in securing for the sup
port of Mr.. Mckinley the western labor
and farmer vote on the assurance that
if elected Mr.. Mckinley would bring
about international bimetallism" a
thing the Post says "There is not the
slightest reason to expect"
Already there is a "muddle." The
Post admits the existence Of a "muddle"
and that way out of the "muddle" must
| be found. 1t suggests the following as
| the only way out:
"The only way out of this muddle. and
| the only way to prevent a temperance
| of Organism four years hence, Is to stop
such talk, to say we are a monometallic
nation with a gold standard, and that
| we 90 not care VINO KNOWS II, anu that
| we only use silver for small change"
| When it is remembered that the Post
| has always posed as the personal organ
of Cleveland no one will be surprised at
| the idea it entertains about how to get
around platform pledges In face of
Hanna's declaration that the western vot-
ers were induced to support Mckinley by
direct assurance that the republican par
ty did not stand for gold monometallism
the Post announces that Mr.. Mckinley
should repudiate that kind OF talk and
proclaim open and above board that this
is a gold monometalic country and only
proposes to use silver as change.
Such a course by Mr.. Mckinley would
be entirely in keeping with the course
pursued by Cleveland after his election in
1892 upon a platform declaring for the
use of both gold and silver as standard
money and the coinage of both metals
without discrimination against either or
charge for mintage.
The laborers and farmers of the west
were assured by those who were. labor
ing for the election of Cleveland in 1885,
that If elected he would favor the free
coinage of gold and silver, and would
| bring ii about and maintain the parity OF
| the two coins either by international
agreement or by safeguards In legisla-
ton. After his election the same mud
die" arose that has arisen now in the
camp of the successful party, and Cleve-
land, to get out of the "muddle," did
just what the Post his personal organ,
now advises Mckinley to do He walked
out of it by repudiating the promises
made the western 'laborers and farm
ers." Everybody knows the result.
His administration has been a misera-
| BILE, pitiable failure. 1t must ever stand
as 81 blotch on the political history of this
| country and he will retire from office
without supporters, and the supporter
| of a political party that Is the laughing
stock of the world, and not voting
strength enough to carry single county
| in the United States.
Mr.. Mckinley stands today where
Cleveland stood four years ago. He has
the choice of standing by the pledges
which Hanna says secured his election
or turning himself as Cleveland did
over to the money power of this country