Evening star., 1896-03-24
THE CASE OF M'KINLEY
Charges Made by His Opponents and Be
plies of His Friends
The Financial Straddle, the Invasion
of States md the Part He Had I'm
Framing the TariN Bill.

The republicans of New York will in
dorse Gov. Morton tonight, and later in the
week the republicans of Massachusetts, will
indorse Mr.. Reed. Both conventions are
expected to deal clearly with the money
question, and to somewhat the same inn
port, and thus the issue between the Nc
Kinley and the anti-McKinley forces, both
as to candidates and the platform, will pe
Joined.
The case for and against Mr.. Mckinley,
as stated in political circles is something
like this:
The Financial Straddle.
"a The anti-McKinley men charge that
the financial plank Of the Columbus plat
fern is a straddle, and indicates a lack of
courage on the part Of the OHIO candidate.
The Mckinley men reply that the plank
is strictly in line with the Minneapolis plat
fern of 1892. and represents the conserva-
tive republican sentiment of the country.
relation to the situation of today can only
be dealt with authoritatively, SO far as the
party is concerned. by the st. Louis con-
vention. Their favorite, they engage, will
be fully prepared by his record to stand on
the next national party deliverance, what
ever 1t may be.
The Mckinley Tariff Bill.
ne antl-Mchlnley IneH assert tndt
it falsifies the record to place the whole
credit Of the Mckinley bill to the account
of the Ohio candidate; that the bill was
drawn in obedience to a principle to which
every republican subscribed at that time,
and still subscribes, and moreover, tha.
the man whose name the measure was
made to bear had no more TO do with franz
ing it than dozen other eminent republi-
cans in one branch CT the other of Con-
greSS at that time.
The Mckinley men reply to this by de-
claring that their favorite stands for pro-
lection just as Mr.. Lincoln stands for
emancipation and John Sherman for the
resumption of specie payments. Mr.. Lin
coin was not the only republican who IA
vored freeirg the slaves, nor was John
Sherman the only republican who favored
resumfng specie payments. But both were
IL leadership to give active force to those
principles, and hence their fame is identi-
fed with those great performances. Mr..
Mckinley was in leadership when pro-
lection was put into more notable force
than ever before, and hence he stands for
the principle in the minds and hearts of
the people more conspicuously than any
olher man.
The Invasion of States.
CD The anti-McKinlcy men complain of
the invading of the bailiwicks of other can
didates by the Mckinley managers This,
they contend, is not only In bad TASTE but
Is positively unseemly. Mr. Reed, Mr.. Alli-
son. Governor Morton, Mr.. Davis, Mr.
Quay, Mr.. Cullom and Mr.. Henderson
each, it is insisted. should have been free
at home from outside interference.
The Mckinley men deny that they have
carried matters to the point complained Of
They justify what they have done by the
statement that it was forced upon them.
Mckinley sentiment. anxious to express it,
self, existed in every section of the coun-
try, and an unfair advantage was sought
over it by the bringing out of favorite sons,
with no other aim in view but to cripple
Mr. Mckinley. There was but one way to
F.eet this maneuver, and that was to ex-
pose the hollowness Of these candidates..
The desired effect, the Mckinley men
claim, has been produced. The country
they insist. now understands the difference
between the real and the unreal booms
and this. they think, explains the great
strides their favorite has been making re-
Gently.
Popular Wave Claimed.
The friends of Mr.. Mckinley are relying
for success upon the belief that an IRE.
sistible popular wave is bearing their can
didate toward the goal. The gathering OF
this force is the work of no man or Set OF
men, but the outgrowth of condemnation of
the democratic policy, and a desire to re-
turn to the republican policy as interpreted
and as it would be administered by a man
in whom the people believe. Bosses, divis-
iors. combinations and detractions, all
nodded into one agency, cannot, they as
a on nc