The Van Buren press., 1897-02-27
Mckinley Closes the Door.
t. t.Louis Post Dispatch.

From the ST. Louis Post Dispatch
If the semi official announcement
given out from Canton that Col. j. j.
McCook, of New York, is to be
attorney. general in the new cabinet
turns out to be true, President elect
Mckinley has closed the door upon any
lingering hope that may have been
entertained that his administration
would not be under the control of the
trusts and combines whose money
nominated and elected him.
1t is difficult to describe in temperate
language the scandal and menace of
such an appointment. With the
possible exception of John F. Parsons,
the attorney of the sugar trust, Col.
McCook stands foremost among the
lawyers who have placed all their great
abilities and legal learning at the
service of the law breaking and law
defying trusts-and who have done it
for hire. He has been and is now a
trust and corporation attorney par
excellence and nothing else. He has
no reputation in any other department
of legal work. And if he has studied
corporation law for any other purpose
than TO tind breaches in it through
which the giant trusts that center in
New York could drive their coaches
and four. the country is unaware of it.
His whole work has been to enable
moneyed law breakers to escape the
consequences of their law breaking,
and all the reputation he has as d
lawyer is based upon his success in
doing this.
But even this is not the worst scandal
OF his appointment. Col. McCook was
not mentioned for attorney general
until two weeks ago, when Secretary
Searles of the sugar trust went to
Canton on his mysterious visit. -
When Mr.. Searles arrived in Washing
ton day or two afterwards, the alleged
mystery of his visit to Mckinley
was solved by his own statement. Ee
admitted that his chief object in going
TO Canton was to help the friends of
Col. McCook TO obtain for him place
in the cabinet.
This damning fact was made public
simultaneously with the disclosures
regarding the lawless character of the
sugar trust that were made before the
Lexow Investigating Committee in New
York. In fact, Mr.. Searles ignored the
committee & subpoena TO appear before
il as witness, in order that he might
make his visit TO Mckinley in Col. Nc
Cook behalf.
President elect Mckinley cannot be
unaware OF these facts. He knows
that Mr.. Searles has stated that his
visit to Canton was to ask for McCook s
appointment. He knows that Mr..
Searles has within a week made
admissions on the witness stand which
stamp the trust he represents rs law
less combination in restraint of trade
and as "A scheme by which the people OF
the United States have been robbed Of
millions of dollars for the benefit of a
greedy few. He knows that the
publication Of the fact that repre-
sentative of this rapacious trust dared
10 suggest 10 the President elect the
appointment OF trust attorney as
attorney general both startled and
shocked the country. Yet he now
permits the semi official announcement
TO go forth that he has decided Il
appoint this trust attorney to the plac,
asked for him.
This is even worse than Cleveland
appointment Of Olney. Olney was 4
corporation attorney pure aud simple
but his appointment was not osten
tatiously aud inpndently demanded 10y
| the trusts which are most under the bar
of public condemnation. IL could b,
plausibly claimed that his appointment
wns due 10 Cleveland 3 persona
choice, and WAS not the payment Of
campaign debt. There is no room fo
any such pretense In the naming o
! McCook. he is appointed because tht
trusts, who fought behind Mark Hanni
aud who furnished him with the none,
| for the most corrupt campaign III,
country has known. have demanded i
as payment for services rendered.
/ ln making this appointment, Me
/ Ninley has closed the door upon tn
l people 8 hope. lie has publicly put oi
/ the collar Of the trusts. And he ha
opened wide the door for grea
' Lupuiur victory in 1900,