National Republican., 1884-01-23
Drop Came and Bunco.

Drop Game and Bunco.
The drop game is we'll known in oil large
cities, and though II has boen played for a
hundred years its success to-day is as sure
and complete as at the time Of its invention.
1t is simple game, whereby the victim is in
duced to exchange his own good and valuable
money for worthless rags. 1t is based on the
theory that out of given number of men a
fair proportion can be bamhoozled. and in
their greed to get more money can be made
to part with what they have. This gullible
disposition attracts not only the bunco men
in cities and enables them to do business, but
supplies the politician with the material on
which he can come tho drop in cases of ex-
treme emergency. IL will be remembered that
in 1876 the democratic party was divided
on the money question very much as
mantino business men were in favor OF specie
payments the hoodlums wero opposed
There was statute fixing the first day Of
January, 1870, as the date of resumption, and
the repeal of that was the first objective point
of the enemies Of resumption. Tilden and
Hendricks were nominated and the problem
before them was to concentrate the voters of
both factions upon the ticket. The nomi-
nces met in New York and were in consul
tation several days. Union was impossible
unless one side or the other could be hum
bugged; and the two bunco politicians sat
cheek by jowl in planning tho game. At
length Tilden came out in favor of repeal.
Repeal was demanded to prevent resumption.
Tilden said repeal would aid resumption, so
the head of the ticket shouted for repeal to
secure ii, while the tail was understood
to favor repeal as the surest way to prevent
it. Bald as the pretense of Tilden was, such
hard money men as Charles Francis Adams
were victimael and voted for him, with
thousands of others who lived to see specie
payments resumed on the statute day, thus
exposing the gossamer thinness of the cover
ihB "ONSh W i'iNNb w NShNS"' WV 'AiSh
while it was being played.
Eight years have gone by, and the demo-
cratic party again faces tho country with a
divided front. Somebody must 10 hum
bugged again. The bunco men have their
heads together to plan game. The phrase
tariff for revenue only is much too do.
f,,I gI hn nanaroI nF
the buncos think thoy have found il in a
tariff high enough to foster labor and
low enough to prevent monopoly. This
sounds rather fascinating. 1t sounds
remarkably well, and will captivate gud-
geons in considerable numbers probably. 1t
is to be like boat large enough to take a
whole city on an excursion; small enough to
prevent the mayor from getting on board. 1t
is like u carriage strong enough to take
along a whole battalion OF policemen, and
weak enough to break down with consta-
ble or, like the famous suit Of Clothes long
enough for the tallest man, short enough for
the smallest boy.
Who the monopolists are is not stated, but
necessarily they are the mon who do bust
ness on great scale-owners Of largo mills
and works requiring immense capital, credit,
and general facilities. The new tariff of the
bunco men is TO be fixed SO low that those
fellows can do no business, but high enough
for hen-coop and dog-power establishments
70 make handsome profits.
The tariff must be low enough to drive the
Hewitts, and Coopers, and spragues to the
wall, and high enough to set old Aunt Bar
baras spinning wheel and hand loom in mo-
tion. Just as though the green corn which
causes the steer to skip the fence had no at
traction for the full grown OK; just as though
tho band whose music enlivens the steps OF
the regiment should put the colonel TO sloep;
Just as though the per cent. which enriches
the man who lends a thousand dollars should
ruin the man who lends double the sum.
The absurdity of the thing will not pre-.
vent its trial. 1t is absurd for countryman
to give $50 good money to a bunco man fol
the sake Of getting two hundred in counter.
felt bills, but that does not prevent an expert
from carrying on the business with regular.
ity and profit, nor will it deter the buncc
politicians from putting forth their theory Of
a tariff high enough to revive industry and
low enough to make it improbable to dc
business outside of humming- birds nest.
We are not expecting to deter these men
from practicing their little game. The oper
partners of people who burgarize the ballo
box and murder innocent men for politica
purposes are lost to any sense of shame ant
will go on their way; but we can do some
thing toward warning their intended victim
of danger and preventing the full success o
the conspirators.
MIR. Cox and the Classics.
The genial and scholarly member from New
York, the Hon. S. $. Cox-long may he liv