St. Paul daily globe., 1896-03-28
ADVANCE AND PURCHASING
AGENTS

The Republicans are vastly pleased
with the phrase coined to apply to
Mr.. Mckinley, whom they dubbed
'Prosperity's Advance Agent" They
have always been fond Of attracting
votes by catch-words, in the absence of
more solid argument, and they are
sweeping the prairies and the noun
tains with this substitute for the
earlier attraction of the resemblance
of Mr.. Mckinley to Napoleon. "Pros-
perity's advance agent" strikes tellingly
on the ear But Mr.. Mckinley has been
in the advance agent business before.
When the Republican party committed
its fortunes to him in the congress Of
1890, he proved to be the advance agent
of the most tremendous reverse that
that party had experienced since its
birth. Nor was there any difference Of
opinion as to the cause Of this result.
Republicans agreed with Democrats
that it was the reaction from the Nc
Kinley bill which settled the congress
siOnal and presidential elections of 1892
Mr.. McKinley's performance then led
up to, and was primarily the cause Of
the condition of the country in the last
three years. Was his success in the
advance agent line SO marked that
United States & Co. should care to
employ him further? The only kind of
prosperity that this advance agent can
promise us is one which is founded on
decreasing the rewards of the many to
multiply trusts and millionaires.
There is another side to this agency
business, however, which is quite as
Interesting. While one set Of Repub-
licans are calling Mr.. Mckinley pros
perity's advance agent, another set,
with greater felicity of expression, and
q closer adherence to fact, have named
the manager Of his campaign the "Mc-
Kinley Purchasing Agent" This ap-
pears to be a title won honestly, in
stead Of one bestowed to tickle the pub
lic fancy. We have Republican author
ity for the statement that an immense
sum of money has been raised by pro-
tected interests to buy the nomination
and election Of the man who is identi-
fled, heart and soul, with the
protective scheme Of plumber. Cir
culars sent to manufacturers ex-
pected to contribute have been
published. 1t is quite probable, in
deed, that the poor hack, whoever he
may be, who coined the phrase Pros
perity's Advance Agent" was raid for
his advertising dodge with the funds
collected by "McKinley's Purchasing
Agent"
The coincidence of phrases seems to
tls a happy one. No one in the cam
paign can fire the public heart with
the advance agency idea without sug-
gesting, in the same breath, the pur-
chasing agency side of the concern.
And, in truth, the whole Mckinley
business and the whole Republican
scheme Is an agency" affair. That
party no longer stands for independence
or principle; does not represent them
itself. 1t is only an agent" It's prln-
cipal is the manufacturing industry,
hungry for new subsidies. The Re-
publican party will pay cut the funds
to buy votes, and will act as tax col
1ector to bring in the money where
with it's masters and employers are to
be recompensed. The power behind the
throne, the master hand that directs
every move upon the board, Is the enor-
NOUS aggregation of corporations that
demand more profits by an increase of
protective tariffs. These are the people.
and this the kind of prosperity which
the Republican party serves; and Mr..
Mckinley is the boss of it's agency af-
fairs, and his political managers sit in
the cashiers desk. How do the Ameri-
can people like the agency idea?