Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1870-06-29
FOOLS VS.. FACTS.
Cunning Pig-Iron--A shot from the West
ern Free-Traders.
by DON PIATT.


The self imposed task Of the pig
iron advocates and paid retainers is
the war on common.sense, fair play
and facts. The one fact, the aggra-
waiting fact-the one great obstacle in
the way of these builders of the mod
ern tower of Babel-is the Honorable
David A. Wells. To get clear of
David-to aunihilate him, TO wipe
him out, as il were-is the one thing
necessary, and TO this end Pig-iron
md Bessemer.steel devote themselves
with an earnestness, vigOr worthy
of q better cause. David A. Wells is
IA New Englander by birth and edu-
cation. He was trained, from youth
up to manhood, in the traditionary
protective policy of that rocky region,
and with his large brain, earnest pur-
pose, and high courage, was looked
upon as man TO make q leader OF.
To this end q bureau in the Treasury
Department was created for his espe.
cial use. 1t was to be Bureau of
Statistics, and, sitting therein, with
clever assistants, David was to collect
vast stores of information for the
benefit of the Congressional whales
that from time 10 time come TO the
surface to spout.
How successfully the learned and
impartial David went to work the
world well knows. For while nll
went as merry as a dinner at Welck-
er's. Armed with the huge facts in
figures and statements, tho spouters
went ont and confounded the enemy.
The financial Scymour5 were con-
founded, while the Brick Pomeroys
were put to ignominious fight. Great
was David of the Statistical Bureau.
Around him squatted the political
goslings with trusting eyes and open
bills to be stuffed by the dcxterous
dealer in facts for the people.
After a while, however, as Davids
investigations proceeded, startling dis
closures were made and the facts care
fully collected demonstrated and heavy
MS our taxation is, il had been shifted
from capital TO labor, and while few
fattened, the many starved. We saw
that the national government, which
had gathered about it vast powers not
contemplated by the fathers, had been
seized upon and was being used by an
unprincipled set Of men TO favor their
moneycd interests at the expense Of
the people 1t was shown that for
every cent collected for the govern
ment two were stolen and three went
into the pockets OF monopolists who
kept crying out ain the name of God
Amen let us protect American in
dustry against the pauper labor OF
Europe. Lot us be truly loyal and
protect American labor" This was
the house that Jack built, and David
fell to work knocking it down in a
cool, quiet manner, dreadfully aggra-
waiting, for the blows of the giant
came from the giant the protectionists
themselves had set up, and fought un-
der. As the fearful reports came out
TO enlighten the people, Pig.iron and
Bessemer steel were struck with the
same sort of astonishment that befell
the drunken brute who vomited in
his wife's basket Of goslings "Good
Lord, wife," roared the astonished in
ebriate, "when did / swaller them
things 2"
The astonishment, disquiet and dis
may of the poor political thieves were
ludicrous. Recovering they declared
voeiferously that David had been cor
rupted by British gold. But British
gold or no British gold, these we're
the facts and figures, and there they
remain to this day, and more arc com
ing, and a suffering people svi4o ~pvn
them eagerly, and are loud in their
expressions of wrath.
As the lad said TO his companion
when drifting out to sea in an open
boat, after soliciting his prayers =
"Something has to be done pretty
damned quick, l tell you" and what
that something amounted to was dc.
veloped in the House last week