Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1912-11-04
i I; the psuic d 1878.

tute ruined by the tart6 situation ana
the panic, Democracy turned to free
F1isver IN III bid for popularity end sup
pert. But .here II found itsrlf 1t cross
purposes With IT. chief In the White
House. Cleveland sought TO make the
country Z gold standard country. Be-
fore this happened he became involved
in . controversy with England over
the Venezuelan boundary dispute. and
read the law ON the Monroe Doctrine
to England with such directness and
determination that Britain decided to
accept his contentious. Some Of the
Republicans hailed this a. q 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 po-
litical checkerboard looking to q re-
nomination and recollection. But the
country was too absorbed over its in
ternal affairs to let outside matters
divert its mind.
Repeal Of Purchasing Law.
4 The repeal Of the Sherman silver
purchasing law and the Democratic
split over the money question, coupled
with the panic. the tariff, and the bond
issues. led the Republicans to believe
they could. as they boosted. nominate
q rag baby for president in 1896 and
win at the polls" The two real can
didates for the Republican nomination
were William Mckinley and Thomas
B. Reed. The opposition to Mckinley
sought to break down the backbone Of
his strength by bringing out favorite
sons everywhere. Iowa brought out
Senator Allison, and they tried to bring
out Senator Cullom in Illinois. First
the Mckinley managers sought to
sidetrack the Cullom boom by offering
him good position under Mckinley.
Cullom himself says he could have had
anything he wanted in return for a
promise Of support, and when he de-
clined to give that promise, the Nc
Kinley managers decided to carry the
state for their candidate, Cailom boom
or no Cullom boom, and they succeed
ed.
The Mckinley managerc-with Mark
Hanna as their chief-decided to
"straddle" the money question. They
held an early state convention in Ohio
for the purpose OF adopting a plat
form which should serve as a guide in
other states. The money plank was a
complete example Of concealing
thought with language. Both silver
and gold men read in it full indorse-
ment OF their varying views.
Hanna managed things with great sue
cess in the way of lining up the dele
gates. and went to the convention pre-
pared to win.
The Money Question.
The one problem now confronting
the Republicans was the attitude they
should take on the money question.
Some say Hanna wanted a sound mon
ey plank. but he held out against It
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 II he did not let them have
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. simply using international BIZ
metalism" as a ladder by which the
Silver Republicans might climb upon
the platform, and to catch voters who
leaned toward free silver. Twenty-Five
Republican state conventions had de-
clared for free silver.
Inc Democrats were a badly split
party when they arrived at Chicago.
The silver wing was so violently op-
posed to Mr.. Cleveland that they de-
feated resolution indorsing their own
administration, something perhaps I'M
exampled In party politics in the
United States. They rode roughshod
over the Cleveland adherents, and
when 1t came to voting for q party
nominee. the Cleveland supporters
were silent. In the Republican con-
vention the silverites who could not
favor the platform, walked out, some
Of them with tears streaming down
their cheeks; but the anti-Free Silver
Democrats sat tight until after The
convention. Bryan's "crown of tho,ns
and cross of gold" speech swept him
up the political ladder from a con-
resting delegate to the nominee of the
convention, after one Of the me st
dramatic scenes in the history of DO
lidcal gatherings.
Ing oiISer RepuDllcanS ratified the
action of the Democratic convention.
the Populists put up Bryan and Wat
son. and the bulk Of the Prohibition
vote went for free silver. Later tn.
Gold Democrats met and gave the
Cleveland administration the indorse-
ment 1t had been denied by the regular
Democratic convention, and nominated
Palmer and Buckner on a Gold Demo-
craft platform.
After the conventions were over the
Republicans found that they had se-i-
GUS business on hand, for Bryan and
free silver. 1t seemed, had at one TINA
carried more voters away from the
Republican party than the Republican
leaders could hope to get in recruits
from the Democracy. Bryan went to
New York. and initiating Lincoln, read
a carefully prepared speech Of ac-
ceptance. rather than to take any
chance Of sacrificing his thoughts for
oratorical efforts.
Bryan Was Poor.
When the canvass began in earnest.
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