Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1897-03-12
PRESIDENT McKINLEY'S INAU-
GURAL.

GURAL.
If Mr.. Mckinley is possessed of fitness
for leadership his inaugural address was
studied effort to hide the fact. de
dealt 10 vague generalities; for OUR ad-
mitted monetary ills he had no remedy to
propose; even his treatment of the tariff
was characterized by marked want OF
explicltness. He spoke as man without
a policv of his own, as man, who, If
possessed of any convictions, subservlent
to the will of others, and who awaited a
cue as to policy from those to whom he
owed his preferment And instructions
as to definite policy OF remedial leglsla
tion not being forthcomlng,-the men
who to all appearances lent their aid to
Mr.. Mckinley in consideration OF his
compliance to their wishes not being able
to agree among themselves as to plan OF
action,-the president was left at sea. "A
fear that he might say something that
would displease the owners of centralized
wealth, as yet unable to agree as to re-
medal legislation, and to whom he owed
his election, seemed TO consLrain him
from making any definite suggestions.
He knew not Just what would be the
plans of monetary reform that the mon
eyed interests would next advocate, for
they had not agreed among themselves
He could not follow their leadership, for
they were not prepared to lead. and, as
for himself, he seemed to fear his own
initiative, seemed to shun the RESPONSE
blity of leadership.
But whether it be that Mr.. Mckinley
waits for the moneyed interests--bent on
forcing contraction and securing fur
cher enhancement oe the dollar but not
quite sure of the most feasible way OF
overcoming opposition and attaining this
end-to agree upon common plan before
announcing any definite policy, or wheth-
er it be that he is lacking in the construc-
tive ability to devise broad system Of
| monetary reform calculated to put our
currency on a sound foundation, the fact
| stands out that his observations on the
| needed reformation Of our monetary sys-
| lem are as colorless and indtiulte as they
could we'll have been made. They could
| not have been more meaningless it he had
taken pains 10 make them so. If Mr..
Mckinley is not wanting in the quality
| of constructive ability, his inaugural
much belled him, for he appeared in it as
man without settled convictions, as a
man of putty, not OF iron.
| Mr.. Mckinley approached the consd-
GRAFTON Of our monetary system with most
uncertain steps. What he is driving at.
| if, indeed, he is driving at anything, he
did not make clear 1--WE are inclined to
the belief that he is not yet ready to drive
1T anything: not that his purpose, and
the purpose of the moneyed cliQues, is
not fixed; not thatthe objective point Of
those who scheme to enrich themselves
| by increasing the tribute they can exact
from the producing classes, through
manipulating our currency, is not clearly
in view; but, because the road by which
to reach this objective point. and that is
not beset with pitfalls, is yet to be found.
How to 60 at the retirement Of our ma
| tional currency and the substitution OF
bank currency, So as not to excite insur-
mountable opposition, is the question. 1t
is the road by which this opposition may
be encircled and avoided that the money
monopolists seek in vain, and, hence,
their uncertainty, as path to be pursued
and details as to policy. Their task is to
get the producing classes, through the
men sent to congress by the votes OF
these classes and delegated to look after
the interests Of the producers OF wealth,
to vote their own mpeverishment, Such
a task can only be successfully carried
through in disguised garb, and how to
disguise the destruction Of our national
currency and the substitution Of bank
currency, so as to make it appear to be in
the interest of the producing classes, is d
problem most difficult to solve.
Mr.. Mckinley does not try to solve it.
He sets out by telling US the government
should continue the supervision of our
currency. Just what he means by this
is made little clearer when he speaks OF
the several forms of our paper money as
offering constant embarrassment to the
government, following this up bv calling
attention to the need of revising our fiscal
system in such a way as to mo longer
impose upon the government the neces'
sity of maintaining 50 large gold re-
serve" On top of this he tells US that nc
effort must be spared to keep all our is
sues of currency at par with gold by pro
vding for redemptions, and as the gov
ernment is going to be relieved OF The
necessity of keeping a gold reserve fo'
such purpose, it must follow that Mr.
Mckinley contemplates the destruction
of our national currency, thus relieving
the treasury of all calls for redemptions
So we gather that when Mr.. Mckinley
says: "Our currency should continue
under the supervision of the government,
he means not that the government shal