Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-02-05
REPUBLICANS AND SILVER.
They Know That the Public Is Against
Them and They Want To Dodge.

They Know That the Public Is Against
Them and They Want To Dodge.
1t has been pretty generally believ-
ed. for some time that the Republican
party is at sea with regard to the sill,
yer question. The St. Louis platform
was disgraceful straddle, and it is a
well-known fact that many an honest
Republican supported Mckinley in
the belief that he was for free coinage.
Otherwise Mckinley could have never
been elected. But recent events have
served to bring matters pretty nearly
to q focus. Iu recent letter, William
E. Curtis, one Of the most penetrating
Republican correspondents in the
country, gives an interesting statement
of the situation from his standpoint.
His letter is in part as follows:
After the presidents speech at the
manufacturers banquet last night,
there will he no excuse for question
ing his position and his policy Oh the
currency question. But they are not
popular with either the leaders or the
rank and file of his party in congress.
His rank and determined declarations
do not meet with approval. Senator
Aldrich, of Rhode Island, said "They
are good principles, but bad politics" "
Aud he will meet with stubborn re.
sistance from the most influential men
in congress if he adheres to this de-
termination to force the financial issue
into the next congressional campaign.
While MIR. Aldrch agrees with the
presidents opinion that the credit OF
the government must be maintained,
and that any doubt as to the manten-
ance of the gold standard is likely to
injure it, he expresses the views OF
most of his colleagues at both ends OF
the Capitol when he says that it is un-
wise and impolitic to raise the issue,
and that to force legislation at the
present session will be fatal to the
success of the Republican party and
give the Democrats control of both
houses of congress. In other words,
they say that legislation for the re-
form of the currency is impossible in
the present congress, and that any at
tempt to secure it now will make ii
impossible in the next congress by
giving the silver men a majority ;
therefore to carry out the plans of the
president now will be to defeat his
purposes.
President McKinley's attitude on
the currency is compared to President
Cleveland's record on the tariff. He
forced the issue in congress against
the judgment of the leaders Of his
party, and not only invited defeat, but
divided and destroyed the organiza-
ton. Four years ago Mr.. Cleveland
declared, as Mr.. Mckinley declares to-
day, in favor of an alignment on GER
tain issues, and he proposed to fight it
out ut the congressional elections. The
people decided against him, they say,
the Democrats lost both houses of con-
gress and nearly every candidate who
stood by the president was sacrificed.
They sarcastically compare President
Mckinley with Artemus Ward, who
was willing to send all his first wife's
relations to the war, and say that he
has nothing at stake at the election,
while they have their political futures
to consider. Senators Quay, Allison
and several other influential men on
the Republican side of the senate
Speaker Reed, Mr.. Dalzell, Mr.. Payne,
of New York Mr.. Cannon and Mr..
Hopkins, of Illinois; Mr.. Henderson,
of Iowa, and other recognized leaders
in the house, are not willing 10 take
the risk Of the contest. They argue
that the struggle should be postponed
until the Republicans are able to ac-
complish something, which is iInpossi.
BILE now with the Populists in control
of the senate. In the meantime the
country is getting along very well
with the present system, the industries
are recovering their prosperity and
foreign commerce was never so great
in volume or profits.
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