The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1896-06-11
Contest Over Temporary Chairman.

There Is something OF a contest over
the selection of temporary chairman.
The Mckinley men have decided upon
G. w. Fairbanks of Indiana, but many
members Of the national committee are
urging Samuel Fessenden of Connecti-
cut. The friends of the latter say that
he is well acquainted with Republicans
everywhere, and has been. attending
national conventions so long that he
knows everybody of prominence and is
also familiar with the management of
large conventions. But Fessenden will
not De satisfactory to the Mckinley
leaders, and if the national committee
should name him, it might precipitate a
contest III the convention 1t is possible,
however. that everything will be ad-
justed in committee.
The trouble about the colored dele.
gates seems to be settled Chairman
Carter has received numerous telegram.
from all over the country calling for the
removal Of the convention if the coiored
men do not receive fair treatment.
Straddle Seems Unpopular.
\ careful analysis of the situation as
to the financial plank of the platform.
seems to indicate that a straddle will
not be popular 1t has resulted in a
study of the loss and gain The belief
of many leading Republicans is that in
case of a straddle in the platform here,
and free coinage plank at Chicago,
the gold standard Democrats would put
up candidate and carry some Of the
Eastern states. 4 straddle TO hold the
silver states, the leaders now here say,
would lose New York. New Jersey and
Connecticut, in case a gold Democrat
was in the field. The silver men de.
clare that no straddle the Republicans
could aropt would hold Colorado and
such states against the combination Of
Democrats and Republicans upon free
silver platform The figuring is being
done on the basis Of the electoral college
and it is declared that the only logical
and candid way will be 10 condemn free
coinage and declare in unmistakable
terms for the present standard The
phraseology of the declaration is under
consideration by many of the leaders,
and many suggestions are now being
made, but the indications are that
straddle Is to be avoided when the plat
form is finally drawn
The Opinion OF Kerens.
The following was given ont by
Richard c. Kerens, member of the
national committee from Missouri More
importance attaches to it than to the
various proposed blanks that have been
p5oRSjees p Raea RI RRifS9yt Of Nh Ksrsns vsl,
Mr.. Kerens would not have IL unuer. |
stood that the proposed plank had the
sanction of Mr., Mckinley, and gave no
to that effect;
1--WE believe that our money should
not be inferior to the money of the most
enlightened nations of the earth. and
are una.terably opposed to every scheme
that threatens to debase or depreciate
our present monetary standard. We
favor the reasonable use of silver as cur.
rency. but such use should be to the ex-
tent only and under such well defined
regulations that its parity with GOLD as
currency can be easily and efficiently
maintained. AS consistent bimetallists
we are opposed to the independent free
coinage Of silver at ratio of l6 to l. as
q measure fraught with certain disaster
to all commercial interests, destructive
to the interests of the wage earners, and
in the absence of international agree
ments sure to lead to silver monometal-
lism."