Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1898-05-19
The Political Crisis.

Necessity OI recognizing HO"s "HaL the
whole country Will recognize six
months from now-that the Spanish
war will complete the revolution in
our sectional and geographical politics,
begun when on behalf of the new gen.
GRAFTON at the South, the Democratic
party appealed to the West against the
Force Bill policy of the Harrison Ad-
ministration.
Having witnessed the magnifcently
patriotic and humane response made
to that appeal by the West, Mckinley
is now attempting to initiate the Dem
ocratic policy of the Harrison cam
! paign. He is using all the immense
power given him by the War, to build
up Mckinley machine in the South,
and he is appealing specially to two
classes in the South for support:
() TO the old aristocratic element
among ex-Confederates, represented
by Fitzhugh Lee.
(2) To the Plutocratlc element rep
resented by the Northeastern capital
which has been invested in the banks
and manufacturing industries of such
States as Tennessee, Alabama and
Georgia.
The following from Mr.. McKinley's
St. Louis organ, the Globe Democrat,
suggests what he is now doing for a
second term:
The earnest support which the
South has given to President McKin-
ley, a Republican of Republicans, a
Union Soldier, leader in the protec-
tion theory of the party, has been, and
is, phenomenal. No Republican can
didate tor the presidency ever received
such recognition, such hearty support,
such warm personal sympathy from
the men who wore the gray. as did
William Mckinley in the campaign of
1896. During these eventful days in
which delegations, marching compa-
nies, campaign clubs and other politi-
cal organizations visited Mckinley in
his home in Canton in such large num-
bers, many of these came from the
South, many of them contained men
who served the Confederate cause, and
| thousands of them had never before
cast vote for a Republican candidate
for the presidency. In some instances
entire companies and organizations
visiting the Republican candidate for
the presidency, were made up of men
ho hn fn
and others formed exclusively of men
who had never before voted a Repub-
lican ticket. No Republican candidate
for the presidency ever received such
vote among the ex-Confederates as
did William Mckinley in 1896, and
never before was the cause of protec-
tion, of which he is the special cham
pion, so strong in the south as it is to-
day.
1T is not surprising, therefore. in
view of the cordiality with which Pres
ident Mckinley has been received as a
candidate and as President by the
South, that his response IN the recog-
milton of Southern men for important
duties should be hailed, as it is, with
delight in that section of the reunited
country. Reports from all Southern
States show great satisfaction with the
appointments of Gems. Lee and Wheel
er, and expressions Of hope that other
ex-Confederates will be recognized
among the appointments to be Briga-
dier Generals, should the President
conclude to select men, from civil life,
for that service. The fact that one
half of the men selected from civil life
for the important positions thus far
filled in this line, were ex-Confederate
officers of distinction, shows how thor
oughly old lines are wiped out, and
how complete is the restoration of the
Union In the fullest sense of the term. "
OF course, to Mr.. Mckinley "the
restoration of the Union in the fullest
sense of the term" means his own re-
nomination for the Presidency with a
Southern military, gold-standard chief
tain in the second place on the ticket.
Whether or not the person now in
view is Fitzhugh Lee, or some one
else, there is no question Of the fact.
that the Democratic party, which two
months ago, had the country by a two
thirds majority of the Congressional
districts. is now face to face with a
fundamentally and radically changed
situation.
The Republican administration ex-
poets to use the war to perpetuate PIu-
tocracy. It believes that the people
will consent to anything the trusts and
bond syndicates ask. if it is asked in
the name OF patriotism.
In the name of the same Patriotism,
the Democrats must go on asking the
Plutocracy to pay income-taxes for
war purposes.
If issues are radically forced for a
constitutional amendment. authorizing |
a graduated income-tax; for free coin
age. at sixteen to one; for non-interest /
bearing treasury notes for war pur-
poses, instead of interest bearing