New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-13
JrKINLEY AT THE FRONT.


Governor Mckinley seized the right moment,
the very afternoon the Regulators Conven-
ton adjourned, to make a short speech, which
will ring through the land, and might stand by
itself as the platform Of a National party. Re-
ferrng to the responsibility which came to
patriotic men with the outbreak OF the Civil
War, he said: Then 1t was a contest to save
"the Union. Now II is contest to save spotless
tits credit. Then section was arrayed against
section. Now men Of all sections can unite, and
Twill unite. to rebuke the Reputation OF our
obligations and the debasement Of our cur
"rency" The declarations of thousands Of the
most influential Democrats and Of more than
fifty Democratic journals already. including
those of the largest circulation and influence in
New-York. New-Jersey, Connecticut Pennsyl-
vania. Michigan, Illinois. Minnesota and Ken
lucky. as well as in other Southern and Eastern
States, show that the strong words Of Major
Mckinley are In precise accord with the feeling
of patriotic men throughout the land 1t Is not
a sectional ISSUE for already Democrats OF Cali
fornia and Of South Carolina, Democrats Of
Wisconsin and Of Texas, have avOwed their
purpose to take the shortest and surest mode Of
making the defeat Of the Anarchists over
whelming; just as patriotic Democrats upheld
Lincoln. without regard to their wide differ
ences Of opinion from him on other matters, be-
cause his hand upheld the flag Of the United
States, so patriotic Democrats to-day declare
that no opposition to McKinleys beliefs regard
ing the tariff Restraints them for an instant from
giving him their hearty support, because with
him must now stand or fall the honor Of the
Nation. the safety of property and the sacred
ness Of law.
These patriotic Democrats will not have the
impertinence to ask the Republican candidate
to depart from his own convictions or those Of
his party and we'll they know that he would
not. He represents party that has In the
latest election been sustained by the most over
whelming victories ever seen since the Civil
War, because the people approved those con-
victiOns and wanted them again to prevail in
legislation Had the Democrats framed the
best conceivable platform. and put up the best
conceivable candidate. they we'll know that the
election Of Governor Mckinley would still have
been as certain as any human event can be. 1t
is because this was known that the Anarchists
and revOlutiOnsts determined and We're able to
take desperate course, which would unite
with them the POpulists and silver boilers, and
all the men of communistc tendency they could
draw from the Republican party. In one assault
upon the National honor. The Republican party
alone has power to resist that assault, and In
such a struggle he who will not aid 1t refuses
aid to the Nations honor.
Governor Mckinley takes the right moment
to show. IN short speech, which ought to be
placed continually before every voter. how the
honor of the Nation and the protection Of its
Industries are inseparably joined together. how
the assault upon public honor and prosperity
and the sanctity Of law can only be met by Civ
ing to the Government ample revenue. and to
idle money and idle labor such employment as
will Danish discomfort and restore prosperity.
Thus It Is with irresistible force that he says:
The employment of idle money that we
already have. In gainfu pursuits, will put every
Idle man In the country at work, and when there
is work there are wages. and when there are
work and wages there are consumers. who con-
stitute the best market for the products Of
soil Having destroyed business and confidence
by free-trade policy. 1t is now proposed to
make things still worse by entering upon an
Of deprecated currency.
The Republican answer is that protection and
sound money are each absolutely necessary to
the other:
The currency and credit OF the Government
are good now, and must be kept good forever
Our trouble is not with the character Of the
money that we have. but with the threat to de-
base 1t.
Our difficulty now Is to get that money into
circulation, and invested In productive enter
prises which furnish employment to American
labor. This is impossible with the dstrust that
hangs over the country at the present time and
every effort to make our dollars. or any one Of
them. worth less than 100 cents each only
serves to increase that distrust.
No man who Is not Intentionally dishonest
can find any room In these declarations to ques-
ton the sincerity and strong convictions Of the
Republican candidate, and as he would have
been supported by a great majority had the
tariff only been the issue, no will command a
still larger support because of the dangerous
assault upon the National honor which the Re-
publican policy only can resist with success.
Let Democrats consider well that nothing but
the strong attachment Of the wage-earners for
the protective policy, and their recollection Of
the prosperity It brought and the disaster end
suffering which followed victorious assaults
upon 1t, would make 1t certain that great Cen
trail, and even Eastern, States might not be
swept away by the appeals Of reckless dema-
gogues.