Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-10-23

provisions against railroads, neglecting
to give the democratic party credit tor
having made that constitution, and also
to tell the audience what he had done
in congress to stop the pooling business
which is a national more than a state
affair.
The major made a specious argument
on the surplus revenue, in which he
misrepresented the late Vice President
Hendricks and the real status of the
revenue March 5, 1855, which we re-
greet we cannot now speak OF more at
length. He boosted of having voted
for the Morrison resolution, censured
the senate and the president tor their
action, but tailed to say that the presi-
dent has been carrying out the spirit Of
the resolution even beyond it's letter.
The major said he favored the demo-
cratic effort at restoring the public
lands; favored the Blair bill, and one
or two other measures, and then came
down to the tariff question, which, we
are told, he skips before agricultural
audiences.
His treatment of this question was
specious in the extreme, and by its
weakness a virtual admission of the
badness of the cause. He quoted the
impost taxes On embroidery, orna-
mental pottery and perfumes, and ask
ed his audience If they wanted these
reduced. OF curse not, neither does
any one else, but he failed to show that
the bulk of the import duties are raised
from the necessaries of life. For i'll
stance. last year, duties were collected,
from, sugar and molasses, $50, 1874 ,744;
woods and manufactures thereof, S27,-
459,235; from iron, steel and manu-
features thereof, $11 ,973, 90S; cottons,
SIC, $685. 46, &c. And yet Major War
ner would have had his audience be-
lieve that only luxuries were taxed land
he vel had the assurance to say that
the workingman's clothes were not
taxed. He forgot to say that upon
everything he wears, from his hat to
his boots, he pays by reason of en-
HANGED cost caused by the tariff one
dollar in every three to the mauufac-
turing capitalist, not to the laboring
man who is screwed down to the last
farthing. And this he calls protecting
American labor. Why did he not show
how this protection benefits a coal
miner in Lafayette county, who pays,
pays, pays, but never receives a cent in
return? Simply because he could not.
He begged the question, and steered
around it very a~rtfully, but very disin-
g%enuously.
To sincere republicans, who believe
in their party's principles, the majors
reputation of them must be huinilia-
ting. He stated: "No party platform
or any set of men can bind my vote OH
any question:" So, after all that he
said, in voting for Major Warner it is
not a principle that is indicated, but
the spoils of office which are sought.
Yet the major captured the republic
can portion of his audience, who when
he said he had drank the fly nearly
died laughing, and who when he
remarked that "what is sauce for
the goose is sauce for the gam
der" went into compton fits of
cachinnatlon. Truly our republican
friend was right when he said, ssPhilips
is more of the statesman, but Warner
is more of the politician" Philips is
second to no man in Missouri as a
jurist, lawyer, orator, but he could not
make such a speech as the one we have
criticized, and we are glad that he
could not. The answer will be, go,
Warner can be dignitied enough IN
congress-" Verify? That is to say,
buffoonery and slip-shod arguments
are good enough for the people, but he
can do better where greater intelli-
gence demands it. We plead guilty TO
being a democrat; we do not believe
that the best is too good for the people.
The two men are before you, citizens
of Lafayette county. Choose ye!