The Convention of the Republican party in the United States,
which has been sitting at St. Louis, has unanimously accepted Mr. McKinley as its candidate for the Presidency, with a programme including a high tariff and adhesion to a. gold standard. There was really no contest as to the person, the very first ballot showing 6614 votes in his favour against 845 for Mr. Reed, the next highest candidate, and the nomination was then made unanimous. The currency clause quoted elsewhere was also adopted by an immense majority, the " straddlers " joining the gold men, and both affirming that bimetallism must be postponed until an international agreement is arrived at,—that is, till the Greek Kalends. The silver men retired with their leader, Mr. Teller, and it is supposed that five thinly populated States are thus lost to the party, but that, it is asserted, will make no difference, other States hitherto doubtful being conciliated by the adop- tion of gold. The remainder of the programme, so far as it affects our readers, pledges the party to "most ample" Protection, especially for wool and hemp, to the maintenance of the Monroe doctrine, and to the prohibition of entrance to any immigrants who cannot read and write. As regards foreign nations, the Convention permits them to remain on the American Continent, but they must not extend their dominions " on any pretext "—that includes purchase—and the Convention hopes that all European Powers will ulti- mately retire from " this hemisphere."
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