Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-07-02
Meklpley speaks in ponh,fal rerm..

mchiDiey SPEAKS III boupttui Ierins.
Tuesday the committee appointed |
for the purpose by the Republican Ma
tional Convention called upon Major
Mckinley at his home in Canton, Ohio,
and formally notified him that he had
been nominated as the candidate Of the
Republican party for President of the
United States. He had to make some
sort of reply, but after reading his
response, the people of the country are
to-day as ignorant OF his real views
upon the absorbing question Of ma
tionai finance as they have been ever
since his candidacy for the nomination
began. True TO his Ohio political in
stincts, he avoids a direct declaration,
and in meaningless generalities dis
poses of the great issue that absorbs
the deepest interest Of the people.
Naturally, Mckinley puts the tariff
to the front, and following the hint
conveyed in his party's platform, re-
fers to it before touching upon the
money question. He says:
| Great are the issues involved In the
coming election, and eager and earnest
the people for their right determina.
tion. Our domestic trade must be won
back, and our idle working people en-
ployed in gainful occupations at Amer
| ican wages. Our home market must
be restored to its proud rank of first in
the world. and our foreign trade, go
precipitately cut off by adverse ma
tional legislation, reopened on fair
and equitable terms for our surplus
agricultural and manufacturing pro.
| ducts. Protection and reciprocity,
twin measures of true American
policy, should again demand the earnest
encouragement Of the government at
Washington.
This is McKinleyism, pure and
simple, and will be accepted for what
it is worth-nothing more and nothing
less. Having thus declared himself
positively for protection, Mckinley
next touches gingerly upon the finan-
cial issue, in the following ambiguous
terms:
The money Of the United Statos, and
every kind or form of it, whether OF
paper, silver or gold, must be as good
as ths best in the world. 1t must not
| onlg 10 Iuifcbt dt 1lS luii thCb NdlNt al
home, but ii must be counted at par
in any and every commercial centre Of
the globe. The sagacious and far.s
ing policy Of the great men who
founded our government. the teachings
and acts of the wsest financiers at
every stage in our history, the stead
fast faith and splendid achievements
OF the great party to which We belong,
and the genius and integrity of our
people have always uemauaed this. and
will ever maintain it. The dollar paid
to the farmer, the wage Garner and the
, pensioner must continue forever equal
in purchasing and debt paying power
to the dollar paid to any government
creditor.
Not word in favor OF maintaining
tho gold standard; not word against
the free coinage of silver. His remarks
are double -tongued deliverance, which
/ silverites may construe in their favor,
) while the supporters of the gold stand
, ard may argue that they constitute 6
declaration Oh the side of honest money.
He holds "the bow of promise TO ths
ear" of both factions, but to which ht
, will "break it to the hope" is mattol
! for the future to determine.
The only hopeful declaration in tn,
r address is that which says the Repuh
. lican platform "has received my careful
. consideration and has my unqualified
: approval" 4" The general tenor Of tht
o remarks is disappointing. Even tha
2 high apostle Of protection, the Phia
: delphia Ledger, while approving Nc
Kinley's tariff sentiments, feels con
/. strained to add: 'But all this wouIt
Q be of no avail TO restore industria
prosperity if our currency should b.
debased or even threatened with de
basement. That is the reason for ask
ing Major Mckinley to define NOR
explicitly his opinion on the coinag
! and currency questions, to the end tina
. whom he shall be elected the nation an
II the world at large shall know that
u need have no fear Of monetary revo
u luton in the United States. " ....
!, But Mckinley is not likely to de
i fine more explicitly" his financis
VI views-at least until after the election
The nomination of a man like Nc
d kinley on a platform demanding
J. maintenance of the existing gold stand
c. ard, is having the effect of encourag
!. ing the siverites to support til
N candidate, on the ground thf
ir after election the platform may /
70 utterly disregsrded. The San Frar
al cisco Chronicle, Republican pape
ty but an advocate of free silver coinag,
NJ oppanI. for uiIvnr er,ro,t Eo. MK;,t /,