Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-10-12


Bigger on the Tariff.
At a grand palaver Of Republican
ofIice-holers in Galveston Wednesday,
some thrilling, forensic eloquence was
uncorked and allowed to diffuse itself
through the circumambient atmo-
sphere. Mr.. Bigger was there, and
when he went Off the effect was tire
mendous. Mr.. Bigger is one OF the
federal ofiice-holders in this state, and
is said to be running against Olin
Wellborn for congress. AT least he
says he Is, though very few people sus-
pect It. his Galveston effort was
devoted mainly to Mr.. Wellborn and
the tariff. He handled Wellbofn
"without gloves - certainly display
Of great courage on his part, as his
adversary was away. Wellborn was
blatant demagogue and Mills was no
better, because they deceived the
people by using figures that proved the
injustice and oppTessiveness of protec-
ton. The figures, of course, were
taken from the United States
census report, devised, gotten
up and published by Republican SUI
perintendents and assistants, butt was
demagogical for Wellborn and Mills
to use them in refutiDg protectionism.
It was not demagogery for Bigger to
use them to fortify his arguments in
favor of protection. The cause of this
difference is probably that Bigger
couldn't deceive or mislead anybody,
and therefore his sin was ven'al one;
like the erring maiden's, "it was such
a little one it didn't do much harm,
anyhow"
Mr.. Bigger uses figures with wither-
ing effect upon his unfortunate adver-
saries. To illustrate the beneficent
effect of protection upon the farmers
interests he referred to the time when
he sold wheat in Illinois at foTty-five
cents a bushel, while now, praise God
and Republican tariff, "the honest
farmer gets dollar bushel for his
wheat" If Mr.. Bigger will offer the
honest farmers of Texas q dollar
bushel for their wheat he will do
a rushing business as long
as his cash holds out. Or he could go
up into Kansas and earn the ever
lasting gratitude of the farmers there
by paying dollar for wheat which
they are now selling for forty-flve
oents-the same price, singularly
enough, at which Mr.. Bigger, when a
farmer himself. sold his wheat, and
that under ruinous Democratic free
trade.
Bigger doesn't want American
workingmen brought ipto competition
with the "pauper labor of Europe. y
That old phrase is still doing splen-
did service and wears WE'LL He quotes
petition of German laborer for an
advance of wages to "a 60 week, and
triumphantly asks, "Nyhat dye think
OF that?n lie didn't tell his audience,
probably because he didn'tknow, that
Germany is at present wallowing in
prosperity superinduced by high pro
tective tariff, and il she can't pay
workmen more than S4OO a week it
must be because the tariff machinery
isn't we'll oiled,
All earthly things must have
an end, and Bigger's speech
t mad to stop when the automaton had
3 run down. The instrument will be
wound up again and kept in readiness
to touch OF at moments notice, but
it is to be hoped that some Of the inter.
nal arrangements will be tinkered
with and put in better order for the
t next exhibition. 1t would be CRATE
ful variety to change the regular pre-
gramme so as to give the audience s
c rest on the European pauper labor
: performance. The Muligan letter.
I would be u refreshing novelty 10 th'
: audiences; or the late report of con
= gressional investigating committee
0 showing the robbery of S. 100000 from
Il the government by and through Re
+ publican officials indeed, number
: OF subjects could be named tina
c offer relief from the monotopy OF al
t UNMARRIED harlequinade. Such
e change would be in the interest o
t economy, as the machine will no
/ wear out so soon If it is not run in til,
Is same nut all the time. This is kIndl!
e and sincere advice to Mr., Bigger, an,
e we hope he will profit by it withou
t too deep a sense of obligation to Tn
n GAZETTE.
n Oh. Shame, Where is thy Blush?