The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1897-07-30
M'KINLEY OF YORE.
HIS RECORD AS AN ADVOCATE
OF SILVER.
Senator Stewart of Nevada Shows I'm
the Good Side of the Chief Executives
Life-Admirers Don't Like It-Goldo-
Gratis Badly Chagrincd.

,
Life-Admirers Don't Like It-Goido-
Gratis Badly Chagrincd.
During the debate On the tariff bill
in the senate a number of senators
were criticised by Senator Hoar. of
massachusetts,, for supporting Mr..
Bryan at the late election who had once
voted Tor free wool. Mr.. Stewart,
among others, defended the position of
Mr.. Bryan, and said: Mr.. Presidents:
L think that the criticism which has
been made on Mr.. Bryan is very un-
just. | can give an illustration of it's
injustice. When the Bland act was I'M
der consideration, in 1878, in the house
OF representatives in it's original form,
1t was a free-coinage act pure and sim
PIE, ana 1t passed the house by an
overwhelming majority, without any
Quall1lcatlon, before the Allison mend
ment was attached to it. Mr.. x
ley voted for free coinage nure and
simple by the United States alone,
independent of other nations, without
any qualification whatever. After the
Bland act came to the senate and was
amended, he voted for it as amended,
lhen 1t was vetoed, and he voted to
pass the Bland-Allison act over the veto
OF the President. He voted for if IN
every vote. During that contest he
voted with the most radical silver men.
Further, since 1890 he made a speech
at Toledo, Ohio, which I have now be-
tore me, in which he denounced Pres
ldent Cleveland for discriminating be-
tween the two metals. He denounced
President Cleveland's policy. In the
Republican convention of 1888, the last
Republican convention I ever attended,
l was upon the committee on resol1-
tons. Mr.. Mckinley was chairman of
that committee. After a whole nights
discussion we adopted unanimously an
amendmen which I drew and Dro-
posed, Mr.. Mckinley voting for it. the
amendment declaring that the Republi-
can party is in favor of the use of both
gold and silver as money, and con-
dennis the action of the Clevelandite
administration for it's efforts to emon-
etlze silver. He stood on that plank.
Then when the St. Louis
met and he became a candidate he ac-
copied the nomination on a very differ
ent platform, one declaring that tho
Republican party will adhere to the
present gold standard Until we can get
an international agreement. Upon the
theory OF the senator from Massachu-
sets, if Mr.. Mckinley follows the log
ic OF his former position, he would sign
a free-colnage bill, and he would aid
IN its passage SO far as giving it his
general approval. He would be as good
a tree-coinage man as he was in 1878.
n as good a free-coinage man as I
am. He was as radical in his votes
and actions then as l am to-day or
my friend from Missouri or anvbodv
else. II that is the principle, if free
coinage once it is fr%ee-coinage always,
IT it is impossible to be a backslider
from that doctrine, her it may be i'm
possible that there shall be backsliders
from extreme free-trade doctrine.
There are many men of extreme free
trade notions, and they may believe it
yet, but they have been forced to mod
lily their opinions, because we are
obliged to have a tariff to put the prod
ucts OF our labor in a condition to COM
pete with foreign articles"
Mr.. Allen-Will the senator hermit
me to ask him if it is a fact that the
recent President of the United States
advocated and voted for the passage of
the Sherman act?
Mr.. Stewart-He did: and he after-
wards referred to and boasted of it in
a speech.
Mr.. Teller-He voted for the Sher-
man law.
Mr.. Teller-The Sherman law Of
1890?
Mr.. stewart-yes; he voted for the
Sherman law and the Bland-Allison
act.
Mr.. Allen-As l recollect from read
ing his speech, he advocated
the passage of that act in the other
branch Of congress.
Mr.. Stewart-He advocated the pas
sage of the act in congress. and he
spoke of it and denounced Mr.. C]eve-
land when he was President for the no.
sition he occupied on the money uues-
ton, as late as 1891 or 1892. I read
a great deal Of his speech the other
day, and if any one doubts my state
ment I can bring it in and read it
again, to show how very denunciatorv
Mr.. Mckinley was of Mr.. Cleveland's
gold policy. Now it is claimed nv orr