Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-07-23
M'K1NLEY OF YORE.
MIS- RECORD AS AN ADVOCATE
OF SILVER.
Senator Stewart of Nevada Shows Up
the Coed Side of the Chief Executives
Life-Admirers Don't Like lt-Goido-
Gratis Badly Chagrined.

During the debate on the tariff bill
in the senate number of senators
were criticised by Senator Hoar, OF
Massachusetts, for supporting Mr..
Bryan at the late election who had once
voted for free wool. Mr.. Stewart,
among others, defended the position of
Mr.. Bryan, and said 'Mr. President:
I think that the criticism which has
been made on Mr.. Bryan is very I'M
just. can give an illustration of its
injustice. When the Bland act was I'M
der consideration, in 1878, in the house
of representatives in it's original form,
it was free-coinage act pure and sim
pie, and it passed the house by an
overwhelming majority, without any
qualification, before the Allison amend
ment was attached to it. Mr.. McKin-
ley voted for free coinage pure and
simple by the United States alone,
Independent Of other nations, without
any qualification whatever. After the
amended, he voted for it as amended.
Then it was vetoed, and he voted to
pass the Bland-Allison act over the veto
of the President He voted for it on
every vote. During that contest he
voted with the most radical silver men.
Further, since 1890 he made a speech
at Toledo, Ohio, which have now be-
fore me, in which he denounced Pres
ident Cleveland for discriminating be-
tween the two metals. He denounced
President Cleveland's policy. In the
Republican convention of 1888, the last
Republican convention l ever attended,
l was upon the committee on resolu-
lions. Mr.. Mckinley was chairman of
that committee. After a whole night s
discussion we adopted unanimously an
amendment which l drew and pro-
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 its efforts to demon
etize silver. He stood on that plank.
Then when the st. Louis convention
met and he became candidate he &C
cepted the nomination on very differ
ent platform, one declaring that the
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-coinage bill, and he would aid
in its passage so far as giving it his
general approval. He would be as good
a free-coinage man as he was in 1878,
and as good free-coinage man as
| am. He was as radical in his votes
and actions then as l am to-day or
my friend from Missouri or anybody
else. If that is the principle, if free
coinage once it is free-coinage always,
| II 1t is impossible to be backslider
| from that doctrine, then 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
! ify their opinions, because we are
obliged to have tariff to put the prod
ucts of our labor in condition to COM
pete with foreign articles"
| Mr.. Allen-Will the senator permit
me to ask him If it is 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 boosted 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 strongly
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.. Cleve-
land when he was President for the po-
sition he occupied on the money ques-
ton, as late as 1891 or 1892. l read
great deal of his speech the other
day, and if any one doubts my state
ment 1 can bring it in and read 1t
again, to show how very denunciatory
Mr.. Mckinley was of Mr. Cleveland
gold policy. Now it Is claimed by our
Republican friends that he is par ex-
cellence. These changes do occur. So
far as Mr.. Bryan is concerned, he made
speeches on the tariff when he was in
the other house. But his party de-
clared that the silver question, the
money question was paramount. He
was, however, in favor of a tariff
which did not discriminate. He &C.
copied the platform Of his party and
went before the country, and If any
man can find in his speeches anywhere
one sentence in conflict with the prin-
ciples laid down in the Chicago plat