Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1898-11-03
ERRORS AND FACTS.
Makes some Statements
Which Are Intended to
MfsReud.

President McKinIey's visit to the
west was not undertaken without ex-
pectation of political results. 1t has
helped out the exchequer of the Omaha
exposition. 1t has afforded an oppor-
tunity to thousands of his fellow-citi-
zens of different shades of political
opinion to attest their respect for the
high and exalted Office of president of
the United States and to display their
esteem for the personal character and
private life of William Mckinley.
1t will hardly be claimed by Mr.. Nc
Kinley himself that the purpose of his
visit was entirely for recreation or for
information. There was considerable
element of political motive in his trip.
His party managers informed him be-
fore he started concerning the doubt
full outlook for republican success in
the congressional elections. He was
enlightened regarding the desperate
straits of the party in considerable
number of the districts in the eastern
states. The invitation to visit the
Omaha fair conceded with the oppor-
tunity to help his party's fortunes by
stirring up enthusiasm for republican
nominees in number of the congress
sional districts in states west of the Al
leghanies. The lengthening of his
itinerary and the number of car-plat-
form speeches he made in traversing
Illinois, Indiana and Iowa establish the
correctness of this view.
While the president carefully avoided
ha
two parties, he lost no occasion to extol
the conduct of affairs during his in
cumbency and inferentially to ascribe
to his party the conditions growing out
Of the war and the existing state of
trade and finance.
1t is questionable whether Mr.. Nc
Kinley has not done more harm to his
party's prospects than good. He has
made statements of fact whose accuracy
is challenged. He has uttered remarks
of doubtful foundation.
For instance, he intimated in his
Omaha speech that it was unpatriotic
to try to disturb the glorious results Of
the war by carping criticism and fault
finding-evidentIy questioning the mo-
tives and wisdom of those who have
denounced the criminal blunders of the
war Office and its understrappers.
In his Merchants exchange speech
here he said that the job was now
hunting the man instead of the reverse
condition that prevailed ere he took
the helm. He omitted to elaborate
this phrase by explaining how it is that
in the number of places the job is Of
70 = he NUh force
to leave it by going on strike.
Mr. Mckinley did not tell that the
profits accruing to the corporations
taken into partnership by the govern
ment when it put Dingleyism in the
statutes had not been shared with the
labor employed by these corporations
as was promised by Mr.. Mckinley and
his claquers in the campaign two years
ago.
Another utterance of Mr.. Mckinley
during his recent tour was: For the
first time in the countIy's history the
government is floating a three per
cent. loan, every dollar of which was
sold at par. The bonds are at pre-
MUM of five cents on the dollar and
all this profit has gone to the people"
The force of these statements is re-
dictionary when we remember the ia
miliar charge made by republicans
that the Cleveland bond sale was at
par and to a syndicate that reaped
profit from the rise.
Mr.. Mckinley pursued the subject
by saying: "The loan was popular
one and it has been a source of much
satisfaction that the people with their
surplus savings were able to buy the
bonds" This allegation is at variance
with the testimony the present sec
rotary of the treasury recently of
fered IN court at Washington. He said
that sin the applications for these
bonds were so many forged and fraudu
lent names that many entire lots were
rejected;" and that he believed many
of the applications to be straw" sub
scriptions made in the interest of spec
ulators. 1t is also at variance with the
statement of the comptroller of the
currency that already three-fourths of
these popular bonds are owned by the
leading national banks, which secured
them apparently through numerous
6ecoy subscriptions for small amounts.
SIHceElty anu IdiIHcss "ouiu seeIA 10
demand that the president in future
speeches should revise his recent re-
marks on the bond and tariff issues in
accordance with the facts. But prac-
teal politics and the jeopardy of the
republican party require that he shall
continue to utter half truths and prop
agate whole errors.-St. Louis Repub-
lie.
Sunorfnrixv