The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1888-10-13
THE CRAFTSMANSHIP OF VERMI-
FUGE TOM.

for the Missouri river, when some gen
tleman on the floor would ask him.
"How much freight did you ship by
the Missouri river last year3" He would
have to answer:-"None; not a steam
boat load; not a ton; not a pound;
| not an ounce" Then, if 1t was
ssid:-"What is the use of spend
ing meme Upon q river that has no
commerce" he would probably reply:
20, if you'll appropriate two mil
lion dollars to improve the river, the
boats can better navigate it." Then
congress would ask Capt. Geo. Keith,
Capt. Henry Keith, Capt. Gunsollis,
Capt. Dave Silver, and other men who
know something about the Missouri
river:-"Is it true hat the Missouri
river is no longer navigable, and that
your boats cannot ply it for that rea-
son7"to which they would reply:--"No,
1t is not true. We could navigate 1t
well enough but the big shippers will
no longer patronize US. II we were to
prepare a line of steamboats, for the
| Missouri river the railroads would at
once cut prices to competing points
down to less than a living rate. Tho
very men who would have promised us
freights before we began would 60 back
on US and ship by rail because Of offers
of rebates and special privileges during
the nen- navigation season. We have
in recent years tried faithfully to build
mp a river trade, especially between
Kansas City and St. Louis, but the
shippers would not stand by US, and
we had to give it ap. The river is not
all that we should like it to be, but it is
the same Missouri river that used to
bear upon its bosom a magnificent feet
of steamboats,. 1t could do 10 still,
but for lack OF freights. Our great
complaint is not with the river, but
with the distractions which congress
has permitted in some of the bridges
which span it," When congress would
hear that kind of talk the Hon. Ver-
mifuge Toms occupation would be
gone.
The entire idea of a republican office
seeker these times seems to be Doodle.
Not only are democrats ridiculed by
their party organs because they havs
no Doodle to spend, but Doodle is
1eeo,ol - ,,ata,a ~ hriIao hnnIla in
the shape of promised appropriations.
The mass of the people, especially the
conservative farming and steady wage
earning population, see no good in any
such course They prefer Mr. Cleve-
lands plan OF reducing taxation,
thereby leaving The money of the peo-
pie in the pockets of the people who
have earned it, not taking il out of
Peters purse in order TO bride Paul 10
vote for q Vermifuge candidate for q IL
Qrsss
audacious demagogue that this country
has ever produced. He s,ickles no
more at a baldfaced misstatement than
would the Whtechapel murderer at
wringing the neck of a chicken. Ee
10 bold, there is no doubt about that
Nulhstton could not be more 30. Ills
statements of alleged facts against Mr..
Cleveland. Mr.. Dickinson, and the
democratic party generally, are the
products of his wild and disordered
fancy. Why, he had the impudence
at Grand Rapids to inveigh against a
reduction of the tax on lumber, when,
at the time it was raised to its presen,
rate, he fought the movement with the
very democratic argument of to-day
Here are his W words, spoken Jnne
10, 1sos:-'During the entire war
when W were seeking everything or
the earth, and in the skies, and in the
water under the earth, out OF which
taxation could be wrung, it never en-
tered into the conception of congress-
to tax breadstuffs -never. During the
most pressing e~xigencies of the terrible
contest in which we were engaged
neither breadstuffs nor lumber evel
became the subject of N penny o
taxation. Now, as to th,
article Of lumber, 1 again remind th,
house that there has never been q tai
upon this article. l say that wherever
the western frontiersman undertake.
to make for himself a home, to till the
soil, to carry on the business of life, b,
! needs lumber for his cabin, he need
} lumber for his fence, he needs lumbe
3 for his wagon or cart, he needs lum'
Der for his plough, he needs lumber
for almost every purpose in his dali,
life." And he called it q ''tax' then
mark that.
Mr.. Hatch, of Missouri, rising to