Evening star., 1912-11-04
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS.
XXW-THE FIGHT OF NINETY-S SIX.
By Frederic J. Haskin.

The events of the great political battle
of 1896 whose outcome for time seemed
more uncertain than any fight since the
four-cornered campaign of 1860, are OF
Suoh recent occurrence as to live in the
memory of most people. 1t witnessed the
breaking down OF more of the old party
! lines than any other fight since the be-
ginning of the civil war. In that respect
| it transcribed even the mugwump CAM
paign of 1884 and the liberal republican
schism OF 1879. 1t is comparable only to
the present campaign in the breaking OF
party ties. ,~..... .....-.......
Clevelands start for his second term in
office was not promising. The storm
| clouds of a panic We're on the horizon be-
fore lie was elected, and caused the Har-
rison administration to order the prepa-
ration of plates for the issuance of bonds
to keep up the Treasury reserve. BY the
time Cleveland was inaugurated hard
tines had arrived, and before the Will
son tariff bill was written they We're
pressing down upon the nation. But the
Cleveland administration was blamed for
it. just as Van Buren, was blamed for the
panic Of 1887, and just as the republicans
were made responsible for the panic of
1873.
With its hopes for the immediate flu
ture ruined by the tariff situation and
the panic, democracy turned to free ST.
Yer In it's bid for popularity and support
But here it found itself at cross purposes
with its chief in the White House. Cleve-
land sought to make the country a god
standard country. Before this happened
he became involved in a controversy with
England over the Venezuelan boundary
dispute, and read the law on the Monroe
tn land wit
and determination that Britain decided to
accept his contention Some of the re-
publicans hailed this as bid for a third
term. Senator Depew went SO far as to
give out an interview saying that 1t was
beyond all question the Presidents first
move on the political checkerboard look
ing to a denomination and reelection
But the country was too absorbed over
it's Internal affairs to let outside matters
divert it's mind.
The repeal of the Sherman silver pur-
chasing law and the democratic split
over the mon-
Many Questions Arose ey que ton.
to Worry Cleveland. tuaprsu tpo nan,c the
tariff and the bond issues, led the repub-
licans to believe they could, as they
boasted, nominate a rag baby for Presi-
dent in 1895 and win at the polls TIE
two real candidates for the republican
nomination were William Mckinley and
Thomas B. Reed The opposition to Nc
Kinley sought to break down the back
bone Of his strength by bringing out
favorite sons everywhere Iowa brought
out Senator A lison, and they tried to
bing out Senator Cullom in illinois
First the Mckinley managers soug.-t to
sidetrack the Cullom boom by offering
him good position under Mckinley. Cui-
lom himself says he could have had any
thing he wanted in return for a promise
of support and when he declined to give
that promise the Mckinley managers de-
cided to carry the state for their candi-
date, Cullom boom or no Cullom boom,
and they succeeded.
The Mckinley managers-with Mark
Hanna as their chief-decided to "strad-
de- the money question. They held an
early state convention in Ohio for the
purpose of adopting a platform which
should serve as q guide in other states.
The money plank was complete exam
pie of concealing thought with language
Both silver and gold men read in it full
Endorsement of their varying views. Han
ma managed things with great success in
the way of lining up the delegates, and
went to the convention prepared to win.
The one problem now confronting the
republicans was the attitude they should
take on the money question. Some say
Hanna wanted a sound money plank, but
ne HeIu out against IL long enough to
carry out several other objects he had in
view. An eastern committee waited upon
him at his hotel and told him they would
sacrifice Mckinley if he did not let them
nave sound money plank. 1t is said
that Senator Platt. the easy boss of
New York, announced to Hanna that he
had an hour in which to come to terms,
and that Hanna did SO in half an hour.
When the platform finally was adopted
the money plank declared for gold. sim
ply using international bimetalism' as
ladder by which the silver republicans
might climb upon the platform, and to
catch voters who leaned toward free sill
yer. Twenty-Five republican state con-
ventions had declared for free silver
The democrats were a badly split party
when they arrived at Chicago. The silver
wing was
Democrats Refused to so vio-
lently an