The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-10-12
Current Events.

Illinois revels In the luxurious autumn
weather and gathers In the aftermath of
an abundant harvest; and the COntentment
born of delicious weather and bOuntlful
crop Is the more perfect since the charm OF
existence Is unbrOken by any political
clamor,-even the noisy racket now keep
Ing Iowa awake Is not enough to disturb
her serenity. Iowa, however, Is In a" boil y
over the state election to occur In Novem-
Der, both parties waging the war with I'M
exam pled vigor for an of year." both the
tariff and the prohibition questions entering
into the issues OF the canvass. or course,
1t can hardly be expected that the demo-
Gratis can accomplish much more than a
still further reduction of the former major
tiles Of the republicans but they are
making so active campaign that Senator
Allison deems II advisable to take hand
In the contest, which Is the more interest
ture elected this fall will be called upon to
re.elect him or his successor to the U. 8.
senate. Allison's speeches are chiefly
directed toward counteracting any growth
of tariff reform " In the provinces" during
the past year. and he has talked tariff on
several occasions Of late TO the natives on
the back prairies. Like Cullom of this
state, he processes to see the necessity" Of
high tariff for the farmers benefit Just
how he gets over the many stumbling
blocks In the way of such aview, other than
the common place, worn out, chestnuty
fallacies OF last season, does not appear,
since the papers do not now pay much at
tention to such stuff; but he is threshing
old straw like major He says, for
example--and how familiar II sounds--if
our Industries we're only diversified the
farmer wouldn't have to export any grain
or meat at all IL there Is any Industry
the country can profitably enter upon that
II doesn't now work, II would be interest
Ing to know what II Is but neither Mr..
Allison nor his colleagues ever give us
pointers for boom towns to boom, or
shrewd capitalists TO take hold Of to help
along the diversifcation" we so badly
seem to need. But the most enormous
statement he has made Is that our tariff
system is antagOnistic to trusts because
the home competition will reduce prices
and cheaper goods to the consumer Was
there ever more superb absurdity ALI
son certainly does not have very exalted
idea Of Iows's intelligence II he says these
things In all seriousness There are plenty
of ways In which trusts may be defended
and are defended by their champions
but the merest novice In that line OF dis
cussion would not be guilty Of such amaz-
Ing nonsense when addressing an intelli-
gent body Of men. The Iowa contest is
not very" high toned, ON the republican
side, at least,-it would seem, II It Is noisy
One Of the great newspaper enterprises
OF the year was that undertaken by what
is known as the " Scripp's League" syn
dictate Of great metropolitan dailies, who
sent some 40 TO 80 workmen TO Europe
and the Paris Exposition, each represent
alive man Of his trade, each man represent
Ing one great industry OF this country. The
object was TO have man fully competent
TO judge OF the condition of working men
In his trade In the old world as compared
with those In the same trade In America,
and also to compare the systems Of the two
worlds In the trades represented. The OBJ
servatlons and conclusions Of these men are
now being printed In the League papers.
They are all unanimous, of course In say
Ing that ssthe foreign workman is paid less