Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1896-03-26
READY TO sTRAooLE.
.Mekinley's Attitude on the Carreocy
Issue.


Issue.
When Gov. Foraker spoke to the Ohio
republican convention on taking the
chair 1T was noticeable that he said
nothing about Maj. McKinley's views
as to silver. On the contrary, he said
everybody knew that the supreme issue
is whether this country is to be ruled
by democracy or republicanism. This
is no issue at all until it is determined
what democracy and republicanism
are to stand for this year. Gov. For
aker said further that republicans had
no differences of opinion upon national
questions OF policies, though he knew
the most important measures before
congress have been killed by repub-
ncan votes, and that the leading repub-
hcan paper of Ohio had called in vain
on Mckinley. Reed, Allison, Morton and
others to define their position on the
currency question.
All this indicated a disposition to
straddle the most important issue
of the day. This promise is in the main
borne out by the money plank of the
platform. 1t reads as follows:
I'VE contend for honest money: for q
currency of gold. silver and paper with
shall be as sound as the government and
untarnished as its honor; and to that
end we favor bimetallism, and demand
the use Of both gold and silver as standard
money, either in accordance with a ratio to
be fixed by international agreement, II
sthat can be obtained. under such re-
strictions and such provisions to be de-
termined by legislation as VIII secure the
maintenance OF the PARTIES OF values OF
the two metals. so that the purchasing and
debt-paying power of the dollar shall be at
all times equal
This plank is said to have been writ
ten by Mckinley himself. 1t contains
some Of the language of the Minneapolis
platform of 1892, and something that
was not in that platform. 1t is rendered
more incoherent and evasive by the
matter added. The rhetorical flourish
that the money of gold, silver and paper
"shall be as sound as the government
and as untarnished as it's honor" is not
very impressive when we recollect what
bad money republicans have thrust
upon us in times past, and reflect that
they might get into power again If
the resolution is properly transmitted
it declares for "a currency of gold. sill
yer and paper with which to measure
our exchange" which is not materially
different from arrant nonsense, but is
eminently McKinleyesque.
The resolution adopted at Minneapo-
lis in 1892 was written in part by Jones.
of Nevada, and contains the Juggling
word "bimetallism," to which silverites
give a meaning altogether different
from that which was given it by its
inventors and by sound-money men
generally. STILL lit might have answered
we'll enough but for the fact that the
silver men have interpreted it as mean
ing free coinage, and have declared that
hereafter they will insist upon definite
expression for or against the free and
unlimited coinage of silver at the ratio
of sixteen to one. The silverires say
properly that this is the real issue be-
fore the country, and they ask for &
deliverance on this point. Instead of
making it clearer than that of 1892,
Maj. Mckinley has made 1t vaguer. more
rhetorical, more unlike the utterance Of
a real advocate of honest money.
Mckinley is straddle himself. lie
has been on every side of the silver
question except that of an unbending
and uncompromising foe of the degra-
dation of our currency. He cannot be
trusted to veto q siXteen-to-one free
coinage bill, and such a man is unfit for
the presidency. To this personal strad-
die he has now added a platform strad-
&c. Maj. Mckinley is the expectancy
and rose of the straddlers and the trim
mers who call themselves bimetallists
without defining what they mean by
the term.-Louisville Courier-JournaL