St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1896-04-25
READY TO sTRADDLE.

READY TO sTRADDLE.
sIcKinley's Attitude on the Currency
Issue.
When Gov. Foraker spoke to the Ohio
republican convention on taking tho
chair it was noticeable that he said
nothing about Maj. McKinley's views
as to silver. On the contrary, he said
everybody knew that the supreme issue
is whether this country is to be ruled
by democracy or republicanism. This
Is no issue at all until it is determined
what democracy and republicanis1n
are to stand for this year. Gov. For.
aker said further that republicans had
/ no differences of opinion upon national
1 questions or policies, though he knew
the most important measures before
congress have been killed by repnb-
/ lican votes, and that the leading repub-
| lican paper Of Ohio had called in vain
on Mckinley, Reed, Allison, Morton and
| others to define their position on the
currency question.
All this indicated disposition to
straddle the most important issue
of the day. This promise ID in the main
borne out by the money plank of the
platform. 1t reads as follows:
'We contend for honest money: for
currency of gold. silver and paper with
which to measure our exchange that
| shall be as sound as the government and
/ as untarnished as Its honor; and to that
/ end we favor bimetallism,s and demand
the use of both gold and silver as standard
money, either in accordance with ratio to
be faxed by International agreement, IL
| that can be obtained, or under such re-
I strictions and such provisions to be de.
! termined by legislation as will secure the
maintenance of the PARTIES OF values OF
the two metals, SO that the purchasing a9d
tsdebt-paying power>of the dollar shall be at
all times equal"
This plank is said to have been writ.
ten by Mckinley himself. 1t contains
some of the language Of the Minneapolis
platform of 1892, and something that
was not in that platform. 1t is rendered
more incnksrenu and evasiye by the
matter added. The rhetorical fourisIr
that the money of gold, silver and paper
shall be as sound as the government
and as untarnished as its honor" is not
very impressive when we recollect what
bad money republicans have thrust
Upon us in times past, and reflect that
they might get into power again. IL
the resolution is properly transmitted
it declares for "a currency of gold, sill
yer and paper with which to measure
cur exchange" which is not materially
different from arrant nonsense, but iS
e1nineatly McKinleyesque,
The resolution adopted at Minneap0~
lis in 1892 was written in part by Jones,
Of Nevada, and contains the Juggling
word "bimetallism, to which silverftes
give a meaning altogether different
from that which was given 1t by its
inventors and by soundmoney meu
generally. Still, it might have answered
silver men have interpreted it as mean
ing free coinage, and have declared THAI
hereafter they will insist upon adefinite
expression for or against the free and
unlimited coinage of silver at the ratio
of sixteen to one. The siiverises say
properly that this is the real Issue be-
fore the country, and they ask for 6
deliverance on this point. Instead OF
making it clearer than that Of 1aos,
Mai. Mckinley has made it agtIsrs more
rhetorical, more unlike the utteranee oG
real advocate of honest money.
Mckinley is stradale himself. He
has been on every side of the silver
question except that Of an unbending
and uncompromising foe OF the degra~
dation of our currency. He cannot be
trusted to veto sixteen-to-one free
coinage bill, and such man is unfit for
the presidency. To this personal strad-
die he has now added o platform strad-
die. Mai. Mckinley is the expectancy
and rose of the straddlers and the trim
mers who call themselves bimetallists
without defining what they mean by
the term. Courier-Journal
what Says Mr.. Mckinley?
Senator Chandler's uttErances re-
gpecting the campaign methods being
used on behalf Of Mr.. Mckinley come
with peculiar force. The blow thus
struck at the Ohio mans candidacy
| ID aimed, not by q democrat, but by
republican, and it is struck straight
from the shoulder. Without attempt
ing to- extenuate the abuses which are
charged up against him, it is alleged
by Senator Chandler that Mr.. Mekin-
ley's supporters are carrying on their
campaign by begging money from
i the manufacturers of the west and the
cast and everywhere else, to be expend.
| ed in manipulating state conventions.
If Mr.. McKinley's advisers are wise
they will counsel him not to UNDER
estimate the gravity and weight OF.
these charges. Had they come from a
democratic source it would have been
| different. The people might have set
them down as the emanation OF par
tisan hatred. But they come from o
republican of long standing and high
political position. They arc spoken
with the force Of conviction and with
out qualification. Mr.. Mckinley has
/ nothing TO do, il he would save him
self from the effects Of a serious blow,
but to come out with a fair statements
defining just what basis Of truth there
is in Senator Chandler's charges, and
i furnishing cogent proofs to back up
his denial.-C Chicago Record und).
Il sEq
The Reciprocity incident.
Senator Cullom, In his letter againss
Mckinley, recalls on episode in the
framing Of the tariff bill bearing the
: latter's name which many republic
ans appear to have forgotten. His
4 r sfysf n 4. "A