Evening star., 1896-03-09
Party Leaders Combining Against
the Ohio Man.
PERILS he MAY ENCOUN TER
Even His Attitude as Protectionist
May Be AssaiIed.
HIS SOUTHERN SUPPORT

Although the friends Of Mr.. Mckinley
claim a substantial lead for him in the
presidential contest, his opponents regard
him as being in a good deal of peril. His
very strength at present, they think, will
prove to be an element OF weakness. He
has long line to protect, and there is full
three months time in which it's weak places
may he sounded for and attacked. More
favorite sons may be brought out and other
steps taken before the ST. Louis conven-
ton meets in an effort to keep his vote
down on the opening ballots to as low a
figure possible.
AS the hope Of the opposition seems to
lest laIg gely on combinations, it is fortunate
for the opposition that it possesses so much
talent for that kind of maneuvering. The
leading managers of the party are anti
Mckinley. Mr.. Quay Mr.. Platt, Mr.. Clark
son. Mr.. FeSsenden, Mr.. Chandler, Mr..
New and Mr. Kellogg are men of reputa-
ton in the matter of handling delegates at
conventions. They are not in agreement,
it is true as to the candidate. but they are
United in opposition to the Ohio aspirant.
Their first object is to beat him, and If that
can Re assured they will then confer as TO
the next step. They are divided at pres
ent between Mr.. Reed and Mr. Allison.
To Attack the Southern Line.
The first attack will be on the Mckinley
southern line. That is thought to be weak
There may not however, be good ground
for this belief 1t may be founded only on
the behavior Of certain southern delegates
in past national conventions. 1t has been
promised that the south at ST. Louis this
year will not be the south that was repre-
sented at Chicago in 1883 or at Minneapo-
lis in 1892 Men of more substance are to
appear as delegates, and of the class not to
be manipulated by any flush manager
who may come along with his fascinations
in action. If this promise is kept and Mr.
Mckinleys support in that section comes
from such sources he ought not to have
any more trouble holding his southern than
his northern lire. Still his opponents .hink
he will be weak there, and they are preplr-
ing fer vigorous assault on him.
Not on One Issue Alone.
The anti-McKinley people insist, too. that
matters are materially broadening. The
campaign. they declare, will not be fought
on the one issue for which Mr. Mckinley
is thought to stand so conspicuously. The
tariff. they say, is important. but not all
important. The money question will be
UP. and foreign policy under discussion.
Now. they ask. where does Mr.. Mckinley
stand on the money question? And what
has he to say about foreign affairs? Does
he take precedence of anybody on either
of those two important subjects? Both Of
The tariff plank alone will not constitute
that instrument. So, as the anti-Mckinley
people reason, the man best qualified to
lead the party this year is not the man
who stands for one thing but the man
whose record and convictions bring him the
closest in touch with popular sentiment
and party professions on all the things
that will enter into the campaign.
Questioned as PrOtectiOnist.
The fight is getting so warm, indeed, Mr..
Mckinley is arraigned even as a protec-
zionist. 1t is charged that several of the
schedules of the Mckinley bill-the wool
schedule among the number-failed in ap-
plication to yield returns that have been
promised when the bill was before Con-
gress, and that the reciprocity features of
the bill-now so much lauded-were not only
not of Mr. McKinley's devising, but We're
actually resisted by him when first pre-
sented; that it required all of Mr.. Blaine's 8
pc wer to secure their Incorporation into
the bill. In fact it is now declared that
the Mckinley bill as it passed the House
in the Fifty-frst Congress was as defec-
tive a measure as was the Wilson bill in
the last Congress before Mr.. German took
it in hand and changed the whole aspect
of it.
Still, the fact remains that Mr.. Mckinley
is in the lead, and unless he is headed off
is going to st. Louis with a very strong
following