The San Francisco call., 1896-06-11
THE ST. LOUIS PLATFORM.
VIEWS OF LEADING REPUBLICAN,
JOURNALS AS TO THE FINANCIAL
PLANK TO BE ADOPTED.
Faint-Hearted Men to the Rear.

Faint-Hearted Men to the Rear.
Omaha Bee.
1t is simultaneously announced from Wash-
lngton and St. Louis that the plauorm upon
which William Mckinley expects to present
himself for the suffrage OF the people VIII pe
compromise, or, in other words, strauuie On
the money question. We do not pelleVe that
any man or set of men has any right to COM
NIT either William Mckinley or the Repup1-
can party in advance of the National Conven-
ton to a straddle or juggle on the silver ques-
ton. Mr.. Mckinley spoke for nlmseh "heh
he declared at the Marquette Club banquet at
Chlcago that he would stand squarely on Tue
platform that should be framed at 81. Louis
HIS own views on the question were c!earIy aI' e1
pressed by him four years ago IN MS speeen
made at Lincoln, in this State, When, IN reply
10 the question, "What about s1lYerE' ne III
terrupted his speech TO respond:
I'll tell, you, my friend, what 1 think about
SILVER, and its what the Republican party thInAs
about it. | believe and the Republican party
THINKS, that every dollar, be IL goiu, snNe1 M VI
paper, should be the equal OF the other. Lhe
farmer and the Iaborer more than anybody else
want an honest dollar. When the iarpler sens q
buShel OF wheat ne must use fuil Dusnei, i anu
when he gets his pay he demands iul ooiiar
worth 100 cents
The farmer who wanted full dollar worth
100 cents in 1892 wants the same kin9 OF a
dollar in 1896. He will not be satlsneo WIN
any tWo-faced expression on tnls suDJect.
Neither viii the farmer who clamors 1or 10 10
L Tree coinage regardless OF the action OF otHer
nations. II is arrant nonsense TO eApect 10
draw votes from the free coinage RANKS ny
promises OF International agreement, either at
the old ratio or at some new ratio.
The free sllyerite whatever ms pontlcs may may
nave Deen Will stand out tor 10 70 lesHuLess
OF other nations or nothing. ON tne otner
hand, all voters who believe IN honesty ana
full value money demand an explcit, une-
qulvocal declaration against Tree anu unillh- ii
tied silver coinage and the menace OF d silver
standard.
gained by straddle hundreds OF thousanos
of votes will be assured for Mckinley and the
Republican ticket by fearless ana uHcomnro-
missing stand for sound money.
1t must be borne in mind that very large
percentage of the independent vote, the Yote
that has turned the balance IN oeDataDle
States in previous elections, Will be galneo or
lost on the money plank. This is esPeclaliy
true OF the German, scandinavian anu oIaIlG
population, who are almost to man lor sounQ
money and against free silver coinage.
Mr.. GroSVenor asks: Where Will tneSe VoteS
go to since it is foreordained that potn Demo
Gratis and PopulistS will indorse the silver qe-
luslon? Suppose they take 10 Inc WOoos'
That would mean loss of hundreds OF thou-
sands of votes in States where every Yote is
needed. This, however, is cowardIy view
The Republican party boasts that II mas never
so in the year 1896 and protraet the agony
born OF uncertainty as to the future pollcy OF
The assertion that the battle must be fought
on the protective tariff alone is absurd.
General Pope, when he had his headquarters
in the saddle, once decided TO tight decisive
battle at Warrenton, Va, but Lee ana stone
wall Jackson turned his flank and forced him
to fight at Manassas. In the impending cam
paign Mckinley will stand for protection ana
the fighting will be forced on the lines OF free
coinage whether the Republican generals
choose that battle-ground or not.
If the faint-hearted men who are trying to
dodge the main issue OF the impending CAM
paign by subtertuge and compromise would
retire TO the rear and let the fighting men oc-
cupy the front ranks the battle of 1896 viii
register the most signal victory the Republi-
can marty has won