The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-11-11

the gold forces in the house and which,
| II passed would have susnehdtd the
Bland-Allison act until the far-awas eye ~
OF an international agreement WITH reSi ~.
to silver. The vote on this measure Was
yeas 81. noes 200. and Mr., Mckinley Was
one OF the 200 Congressional Record,
first session, Forty-ninth congress-, page
3SOO)
This brings us up to the Fifty-h first con-
gress and covers a record Of twelve years.
In that period Mckinley voted seven
times on the silver question, as follows
One time for out-and-out free coinage.
One time against free coinage
Three times for purchase and coinage
according to the Bland act OF 1878
One time against placing silver on an
equality with gold in coinage laws
One time against requiring National
banks to keep their reserve in gold ana
silver
Nor is this all by any means. AS have
said, Mr.. Mckinley was chairman Df the
ways and means committee and titular
leader Of the Fifty-frst congress. In that
capacity he voted with the republican ma
jority first for the Conger silver bill, then
against the senates free silver amend
ments and finally for the conference
measure known as the sherman act lie
WIS one of the advisory committee OF NJ
teen appointed by the republican caucus
to consider the currency question in tnat
congress. but his record in committee Is
buried under the rules OF legislative cour-
tesy. The only light thrown upon his
position is afforded by speech in the
house June "a. 1898, part of which Is worth
quoting here
81 am for the largest use Of silver In the
currency Of the country. / would not dts
= honor it. would give it equal credit aud
honor with gold | would make no d.s-
elimination. l would utilize both metals
3 as money and discredit neither. l want
the double standard"
t In this connection II should be recallef
: that Mckinley berated Cleveland in the
: latter's first term for "dishcnoring /
j YER" and that in 1898 and 1894 he oppos d
q President Clevelands efforts to repeal the
Sherman silver purchase act
Four years ago, as the youngest votei
e will remember, Mckinley insisted on
$ pushing the silver question to the real
5 and forcing the fight on the tariff
Now in 1900 he takes great credit 7
;, himself FOR the passage Of the single golC
n standard act. He says the gold standaf
= must be maintained, even If more leglsla
= ton is needed to tlat end. There
= scarcely any limit to these latter day dec
y larations for the single gold standard
G must be pardonei for this d s2u'sioi
e into the region of dry congressional rec
| ord The facts have cited have this use
It They prove what a reckless point ess III
t guided body our president Is. They sho'
l. how he has trimmed his sails to ever
y passing wind on the measure which IN u
d time WIS considered to be the most i'm
'e portant before the people. They illus
l trate what I have already said-Jhat Nc
! Kinley is not at all a man of principle o
- conviction, but solely an opportunist,
1t led man, a man of the moment. Surely
t. is not too much to inter from such p9r
Id tions of his record as | have quoted tie
= If tomorrow or the day after or the da
after that some shifting wind OF poqula
Of favor were to set in in favor OF the Ire
ID and unlimited coinage of silver, with {
to without the consent Of any other ma iol
FL or of the partial coinage of silver on in
l. or any other terms, William McKinle
lie would be found following that wind WI
rs all his canvas
ly OF course do not myself believe thu
-, any sudden changes are in near prospeo
bt The currency question seems to ha'
30. been relegated by events to the rear. stl
as some cynic has said, the public opinic
"a, OF these United States is like a drunkt
&C. man staggering from curb to curb n
ho body knows what a year may bring fort
We But everybody may be sure of one thing
as namely. that pubic opinion can not shi
- too rapidly for William Mckinley.
:, can keep up with it, because he drags
anchor of conviction. He is every MAJ
ne man, so that he may by luck or cunnl
ne. read the Will of the majority. 1t is
i've prove this that l have quoted his silly
w. record at such length, and / recomme
the reading of it to those deluded vote
md who may happen to think that in yot
ma for Mckinley they are throwing tn II su
rst port on the side of gertrude and fiXity
nd financial affairs. The man stands for no
a. ing IN hnahce, and has stood for nothl
ma since he entered public life
vos McKinley's ambition TO become pre-
re- dent assumed definite form while he v
M governor Of Ohio, an office to which
rbe was inaugurated in 1891 The factii.
led popularity he derived from the so-cal
W. Mckinley bill first suggested the idea, q
!. 4 then--he was an Ohio man. There wa!
ar period. you viii remember, when am
,irk every man conspicuous in the public lie
bili Ohio Inspired to the presidency lia
% and Garfield realized their ambitt
,,es Chase Sherman, Sheridan and o h
90 were not so fortunate, though Sherman
~ least aspiied no less. 1t was even poin
out as significant of the candidacy
~ Giant and Harrison that they We're b
~. in Ohio.
,cb There was, of course reason for Il
~ Ohio for many years held the position {
pivotal Stat. In some degree 1t Sill
e., In years, also, it was an October Stat
80 boiling its State elections thirty days
fore the presidential and thus affordin
e7s clew to the greater event which pol.tici
~ decresi invaluable, The man who CO
-, carry Ohio held trump cards.
n 1t
ew- McKinley's election as governor was
the in no small part to his adrolt handl!n!
~ a President Hayes and the machine
c,I- elected Hayes. No sooner was he Sc.
de. than he began to use the powers
.i7n, privileges OF his Office to pave the wa
's ',a- the White House, He was cand d
,.irg you will remember at Minneapolis in ]
and fer a few moments during the
call he seemed at the very threshold
Nc success Tom Plat had no reason to
fop Harrison, and, besides, then as now