Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-08-27
VIEWS ON THE LETTER
McKinley's Acceptance Inspires Va
.rying Sentiments.
NATURAL DIFFERENCE OF OPINION
Interviews With Leaders of the
Several Parties.
DEMOCRATIC CRITICISM


| among the politicians at the various head
| quarters today. AS might be expected, it
was received with complacent approval by
| the republicans and by expressions of crit-
| c;sm by the democrats and their allies the
silver men and the populists.
| Representative Babcock, chairman of the
| republican congI essional committee, said:
Major McKinley'S letter of acceptance is
| the cles rest presentation of the pending z
Issues that has been made by any public
man since the Inauguration Of the present
campaign. and proves the republican candi-
date to be a master of political science. His
| letter must commend itself to the good
sense of all men who abhor cant and DEM
agogiSm In the treatment of great prob
| lens of government on which depend the
bl lsiness prosperity of the country and the
welfare of millions of Industrious people.
1t is a document that inspires contideace
carries conviction with 1t in every para
graph and gives assurance to the country
that if Major Mckinley is selected the ma
tional government Will be in safe hands
| 1t means that with a restoration of the le
publican party to power our financial credit
Will be maintained, our industries again
placed upon firm foundation and pros
perity Will again take the place Of want
and idleness. 1t stamps Mckinley as the
| leading statesman of the day, and in nay
opinion assures his election beyond any rea-
SoEable doubt
Secretary Mercer.
Secretary Mercer of the republican con-
gressional committee said "Major McKin-
ley has written magnificent letter 1t ex
presses the political situation exactly. In
1t he sounds the keynotes of the cam
paign and every line is an unanswerable
argument in favor of his election. 1t is
full of Americanism, patriotism, states
manship and horse sense, and gives assur-
ances that if he is elected the affairs Of
| this nation will not be in the hands of a
tyro. His advice is wisdom and to heed
it is the duty Of every citizen who has at
heart the welfare of this republic. He
gives the tariff question the position it de-
serves, for If we settle that right, which
Is along republican lines, we will not have
much trouble with the money question.
The people need employment and that cir
culates money. The republican party knows
now to furnish the employment and does
II. It Is a party always able and willing
to protect both labor and the dollar, and
that means business. Plenty of business
means prospeTity.'
Representative Richardson.
Representative Richardson of Tennessee
was the leading democrat at democratic
headquarters to comment on the letter. He
vas In Congress with Major Mckinley, and
is well acquainted with the republican
nominee. He said:
Il have read with care the letter of ac-
ceptance of Mr.. Mckinley, and, while 1
haven't the time to make anything like a
full review of it, there are few thoughts 6
that occur to me- The letter was devoid
OF single new argument or idea on the
money question: and his pet hobby is the
tariff question. His effort to make the
tariff issue one of the leading questions of
the campaign is almost ridiculous. His dis
cusslon of the money issue makes no new
contrlputon TO the arguments which the
gold standard monometallsts have been
giving for several years past He does NOT
even clothe old ideas in new or original
garments. He says that the effect of The
free coinage of silver would not make
labor easier, the hours of labor shorter. or
The pay better. 1t would not make farming
less laborious more protitabe II woulS
not start a factory or make a demand for
an additional days labor 1t would crea1e
no new occupations, etc. These are mere
assertions, based upon no argument what
ever.
He repeats the stale statement uni
Versally made by the gold monometalIic
advocates, that bimetallism is a thing to
be desired, If We can Just get somebodv
else help us get it. 1t must be humiliati ting
to his friends who have listened to him
heretofore on the floor of Congress in his
earnest earnest advocacy of protection for pro-
tectlon's sake, when his grandest climax
was America for Americans This was his
leading contention when advocating the
Mckinley tariff BILL in the Fffty-third Con-
ri.
cans, but exactly the opposite. that is
Great Britain and her policies for America
and Americans A--'e' 'ea
In reading the letter we cannot fail to
De impressed with the earnestness of bis
appeal to the intelligence conscience .pd
PATRIOTISM Of the people, irrespectiye of
party, Tor support. 1t is supposed that this
Is meant 10 reach all who believe in gold
nonometalllsm, and particularly those
OF the present democratic administrarinn
who are of that way of thinking.
>. he wishes their support but If they give
1t to him he doesn't fail to tell them tbeT
must take him with the whole platforn,
which he stands upon, and that Includes ali
there Is of Mckinley protectionism Tbev
must take him with the charge in his let
ter that all the troubles and disasters of
1S93-9i were caused by the election of tbis
administration. He says that it was sud
den and startling change within a period of
eight months, from December, 1892, to Au-
gust, 1893, and that within the neriod of
enc year the high plain of prosperity reach.
ed under the Mckinley law and protection
was succeeded by disappointment and dis
aster, and that all was chargeab!e to this
administration. Do our administrator
friends indorse that? He says he stands
upon the platform adopted at ST. Louis. one
plank of that platform says: This admnis
tration has ruthlessly sacrificed indispensa-
Bile revenue, entailed an unceasing deticit
eked out ordinary current expenses with
borrowed money, piled up the public debt
by $262, ,0OOtWO in time of peace forced an
adverse balance Of trade, kept perpetual
menace hanging over the redemption fund.
pawned American credit to alien syndicates
and reversed all the measures and results
of successful republican rule BY its policy
1t has precipitated panic, blighted industry
and trade with prolonged depression, closed
factories reduced work and wages halted
enterprise and crippled American produc-
ton. &c 1t has been record of unparal-
leled incapacity, dishonor and disaster
'They must indorse that, as Mr.. McKin-
ley says In his letter that it is true and
that he stands on it. Now, if they can take
that dose they can have 1t. We wonder
if our friends indorse that. They must do
so if they support Mckinley or contribute
to the defeat of Bryan.
He says protection has lost none of its
virtues or Importance Do they indorse
that? He says our farmers have been
Furt by the changes in our tariff legisla-
tion as severely as our laborers and manu-
facturers, badly Il ey have suffered
Do they indorse that? de declares for the
protection of sugar. Do they indorse that I?
He declares fer the most ample protec-
ticn to our wool and woolen interests.
Do they indorse that? He says the repub-
lican party can be relied upon tn correct