The sun., 1897-04-16
Republican Relations to Currency
Reform"

The usefulness to Bryanism which BRYAN
newspapers see in the baseless Mugwump
charge that last years Republican cam.
paign covered pledge to their hobby of
currency reform" the substitution of bank
notes for Government notes, is shown by
the way in which the journalistic Popo-
Gratis have taken up the howl. So raving
Populist as the indianapolis Sentinel, for
example, twits the Administration with
treachery to the imaginary agreement that
this currency reform should become lead
ing subject for Republican action after the
Inauguration of MCKINLEY. We also find in
the hokesmithian organ, the atlanta Jour
nal this complaint reiterated with men.
dacity as direct and square-cut as any that
has appeared in the Erening Post:
Both the Republican and the Democratic party
promised the country financial relief; the Republi.
by Intelligent revision OF the currency under
the existing gold standard. the Democrats by the
revolution of the free and unlimited coinage OF silver
at l8tol.'
Coupled with the false assertion that cur.
rency reform was leading thought and a
specific promise Of the struggle against re-
pudiation, there is the equally unjustifiable
charge that the notion of protection had
been suppressed from it. and that the new
protective tariff bill stands for bad faith with
the Democrats. who patriotically turned
to MCKINLEY's standard from BRYAN's.
The Republican campaign extended from
June 10 to Nov. .. Its orators were count
ed by many thousands and talked at high
pressure from end to end. The first and
the most distinguished of them to raise his
voice wa, the Hon. WILLIAM MCKINLEY
of Ohio; and from that moment until the
night before election he remained the most
conspicuous and authoritative advocate of
Republican success. Probably any healthy
recollection familiar with the arguments
uttered with authority in behalf of the Nc
Kinley canvass, knows the absurdity of
the pretence that currency reform cut any
figure in it. But By way Of freshening the
impressions made during that period, and of
exposing the grosc and disturbing deception
that is now attempted. we have examined
the Canton series Of speeches, and have
taken from them the most salient references
to the three subiectB of the tariff, none.
tary standard, and currency reform, and,
adding one or two uttc.ances of note de-
livered by others, we submit the result with
view 10 INSTRUCTION on the currency re-
form rumpus already referred to.
The first words which reached the public
ear from the lips of Governor MCKINLEY as
a candidate for President were addressed
to a little Milhollanditc party which, on
June 49, stopped at Canton to congratulate
him on his nomination at st. Louis the day
before. The campaign for sound money,
for law, order, and honor, was informally
begun by its candidate thus:
Hearken to the voice of the people. and the people
viii win for triumph for that great and master.
full principle which, in all the years OF the past. has
given us plenty and prosperity"
1t Is unnecessary to say that the master
full principle expected to incite majority
of the public to the support of it on cleo
tion day was protection. Major MoKIN-
LEY's few remarks to the neighbors who
called later in the evening in recogni-
tion of the event so particularly momen-
tous In Canton expressed sentiments of
friendship only
The first of the long and memorable series
of pilgrimages to MCkINLEY's home, to.
gether constituting perhaps the most nota.
BILE demonstration of Republican feeling in
the campaign, and revealing MCKINLEY
himself as among the first of orators and
spokesmen of party principles, was made
up of some Niles men. and appeared on
June 20. The keynote of the campaign as
MCKINLEY saw it then was this:
"we want policy giving to every American work
man American wages, the policy that will bring back
TO that period OF prosperity and plenty that
Joyed for more than thirty years"
To band of tinmakers later ON the same
evening he said:
Nobody can misunderstand the meaning OF these
demonstrations. They that In the mind Of every
American workman is the thought that this great
American doctrine OF protection is associated with
wages and work. That policy is tho bulwsrk OF our
Industrial Independence and financial honor"
No new issue was mentioned in the re.
marks to two delegations from Wheeling