Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 March 1896 — POLITICS OF THE DAY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

POLITICS OF THE DAY

THE M'KINLEY CAMPAIGN. The leading features of McKinley’s plan of campaign have now been quite clearly disclosed. When his managers appealed a few weeks ago to prominent protected manufacturers in Pensylvania for generous contributions of money —to be used, it should be borne in mind, not for the promofion of party success, but for McKinley himself in the canvass of convention delegates—the Ohio man’s agents forgot to reckon with Mr. Quay, who exercised some influence In that State and is also a candidate for the nomination. This explains the somewhat embarrassing exposure of the fact that McKinley’s agents asked these manufacturers for money to be used in holding Southern delegates who were inclined to repudiate early bargains and accept the latest bid. At that time, however, it was supposed by those who were thus approached that McKinley’s agents really intended to use the money in the. South. A few days later it was ascertained, partly through the published complaint of Senator Cullom, that McKinley funds had been used freely and effectively in Illinois, and now the friends of other candidates are beginning to perceive that McKinley money is doing its work in almost every Northern State where a “favorite son’s” prestige can be broken down by drawing men out of his “solid delegation.” McKinley and his barrel have even in-

vaded this State to prevent Gov. Morton from having at St. Louis the solid support of the powerful delegation from New York. A “favorite son” who cannot enter the convention with every one of his State’s delegates at his back is handicaped from the start. McKinley’s agents have already broken more than one delegation upon which a candidate relied, and in some instances where they have not prevented a solid vote on the first ballot they have arranged for a diversion on the second. A considerable part of the money to be used In paying the expenses of an attack upon Gov. Morton’s forces appears to have been procured from the iron and steel manufacturers of the Mahoning and Shenango Valleys, which are situated partly in Northeastern Ohio and partly in Northwestern Pensylvania. One of our contemporaries Says that Mahlon Chance, connected with both the New York Tribune and the American Protective Tariff League (an organization whose central office is in this city), has, with headquarters at Youngstown, Ohio, since Feb. 27, been collecting the funds which are to be, or already have been, used for the promotion of McKinley’s interests in this State. The individual contributions have ranged between SIOO and SSOO, the understanding having been that the money was to be spent in New York for McKinley against Morton. One manufacturer, it is related, when asked to give $l5O, declined to do so. He was a supporter of McKinley, but, he said, he “did not believe in fighting the candidate of New York in New York with Ohio money.” The manufacturers Were told, It is stated by one of them, that the New York Tribune would “warmly support McKinley to beat Gov. Morton.” AH Who read the Tribune have found that out, although it should be said that our neighbor has the excuse of its quarrel with Platt. The Tribune’s columns every day show plainly that it is hard at _ work for McKinley. We should like to know what the rank and file of the Republican party think of this use of money in the interest of McKinley, at this stage of the proceedings, three months before the assembling of the nominating convention—the commercial organizing or Southern delegations in his support, the Invasion of States. where “favorite sons” believe they are fairly entitled to solid delegations, the appeals to protected manufacturers for large contributions, the collection of funds in the Ohio iron and steel district to be used in New York, and all the other indications of a desire and purpose to profit by the purchase of votes. As a rule, the rank and file know nothing about these things; they are simply required to thrown up their hats for “protection.” But there are many, nevertheless, to whose knowledge these things do come. What do they think about them? So far as our observation goes, there has never been a more scandalous canvass for delegates’ votes made by a man seeking the nomination of his party for the Presidency. Honest and wellinformed Republicans should ask themselves not only what must be the uses for which so much money is required by a candidate three months before the convention, but also from what sources It comes to him, to what extent he places himself under obligations to those who give it, in what way the givers expect to be repaid, and whether an aspirant who pursues such a course While delegatee are being chosen is fit

to hold any high office or deserves the votes of honest men. Better Business at Tacoma. The export business done at the port of Tacoma in February was the largest of any preceding month since business has been done there. Central America, South Africa, Japan and China take the bulk of the exported products. A Japanese Consulate has been established at Tacoma, with a view to the enlargement of trade between Japan and the United States and the eventual establishment of regular lines of steamers. We observe by the recent report of the Tacoma Chamber of Commerce that Mr. Mikl Gaito, the Japanese Consul, upon application, has been unanimously elceted to membership in that body. Despite the anxieties of the Protectionists, the Japanese, who have been dubbed the Yankees of the Orient, and the Yankees who have built up the pushing cities on Puget Sound will establish a mutually profitable trade. The Japanese will send us silk, teas and camphor, and we will send them back flour, lumber, cotton and, as trade shall Increase, an increasing quantity of our manufactured products as well as of our raw materials. The future prosperity of the Peeiflc States depends upon the development of trade with the countries to the southward and westward upon the shores of the Pacific ocean. This growing trade is now mainly carried in vessels of other nations, our people having found it

impossible to do business under the restrictions imposed by our Navigation laws. But this condition cannot always continue. Our own Pacific trade, at least, ought to be carried by our own ships. As the Pacific States shall besome fully imbued and informed as to the magnitude of their maritime interests and opportunities they will cease to be the supporters of a national policy which tends to cripple and circumscribe commercial enterprise. Philadelphia Record. Consistent McKinleyites. A bill has been introduced in the New York State Legislature to prohibit the use of foreign wood, asphalt, or other materials in making pavements In that State. The purpose of the proposed law is to shut out Trinidad asphalt, and a species of Australian wood which has recently been used in New York City, and thus give the owners of American asphalt mines and wood suitable for paving blocks a complete monopoly. The friends of this measure are more consistent than the protectionists in Congress, who want to shut out foreign goods by high tariff taxes. If the competition of imported asphalt or wood is an injury to the American people, it is only a half way remedy to impose heavy duties on those articles. Absolute prohibition is the simplest and surest way of protecting the home producer. Of course the home consumers might kick and say that they did not want to be compelled to pay the high prices which would be charged by the men who controlled the domestic product. But the people who buy things are never considered when tariffs are being raised, so their complaints need not be listened to. If the State of New York decided to prohibit the use of foreign asphalt and paving blocks, it will set a grand example for the McKinleyites of the whole country. Why McKinley Is Strong;. The Chicago Tribune, which insists upon tariff reductions at odd times when it does not urge a prohibitive tariff, complains because McKinley has the suport of all Republicans “who believe it Is impossible to get too much of a good thing.” “These McKinley Republicans,” says the Tribune, “include all those members of the Republican party who believe that a tariff which creates and fosters trusts is a good thing.” If all these Republicans are conceded to McKinley, the favorite sons would as well withdraw. The radical protectionists who foster trusts under the name of infant industries comprise nine-tenths of the Republican politicians. They may believe Reed or Allison is for trust-building protection, but they know beyond all disputing how McKinley stands. And this is not a year to try experiments.—St. Louis Republic. Do High Taxes Make Low Prices? “There is not an article that we make to-day, made possible by a protective tariff, that has not been cheapened by protection to the American consumer.”—Hon. Wm. McKinley. If this Is true, why does Major McKinley and the high tariff press denounce the Wilson tariff because they say it has lowered prices? Protectionists claim that our wool growing industry was made possible by the tariff. WiU the Ohio Major dare to tell the farmers of his State that their wool has been cheapened by protection?

Public business suspended to enable the advance agents to boom the leading candidates.—Chicago Chronicle.