Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1890-07-09
THE TARIFF AS A BRlsE.

Pulled Congressman Bayne Through
How the Tariff Divides Manufacturers
Into "BlOcks of Five''-A Five-cent Bribe
to the Farmer.
Republicans always resent the charge
that the grand old party is subservient
to the manufacturing interests of the
country and is dependent upon them for
financial and moral support in return
for tariff laws made for their benefit.
When these laws are put through Con-
gress the manufacturers are expected to
show their gratitude by supporting the
high tariff makers for reelection and to
contribute a liberal supply of fat for
campaign expenses. This is the theory
OF the celebrated 'fry-the-fat circular, :"
in which prominent Republican Sen
ator from Kansas or Vermont claimed
that the manufacturers got practically
the sole benefit of protection and that
they should therefore come down liber-
ally with their cash.
An interesting practical illustration of
all this is found in the case of
Congressman Bayne, of Pittsburgh,
Pa. The other day he declined to run
for Congress again, after having been
renominated by the convention of his
district.
Colonel Bayne gave as a reason for
his declination the fact that he had
grown weary of public life and he had
intended for some time to quit it for
pr vate life.
But why is he tired of politics? One
reason given is the ingratitude of the
rich manufacturers of his district. Col
onel Bayne is the author of the metal
schedule in the Mckinley bill, and for
the iron and steel men of his district,
many of whom are now millionaires.
de succeeded in getting the metal duties
through the House without amendment
-tin-plate duty and all.
Notwithstanding all this the iron and
steel men of his district we're seeking
the defeat of the very man who had
looked after their interests so carefully.
But the Tariff bill had in the meantime
gone over to the Senate, and the news
had gone forth that the Senators were
| going to butcher the metal schedule tc
such an extent that it would not
be recognized when it got back
into the House. Under the feal
iron and steel men decided -four
days before the primaries that they
would rally to the support of Bayne and
have him renominated. This was done
and the maker of cast-iron tariffs was
again honored with nomination, but
he declined, and the high protectionist
| thick-and-thinp party organ of Pittsburgh
| speaks of "a base conspiracy" of ''the
whole disreputable business" and &C
cuses Bayne ''of most wanton and in
| defensible act of bad faith"
But 1.-The whole disreputable business
is very instructive in one way; it fur
nishes proof-if proof were needed-ot
what tariff reformers have all along
been saying of the evil effect of clas:
| legislation.
The protective tariff is the best ex
ample we have of this legislation. 1t il
enacted into law for the benefit of z
! class, as was confessed by the prominen
! Republican Senator referred to, anC
legislation for the benefit of any elias.
of men clearly acts as bribe for thu
support of these men. To buy a vote il
everywhere among honest men looked
upon as corrupt and criminal. Is it an
less corrupt and criminal for a grea
party to pass laws for the enrichment o
a class of citizens in order that they ma1
gain their votes and also fry the ia
from them for use in "blocks-of-fve'
campaigns of direct bribery?
| Furthermore, we usually look upoI
| the poor devils who are out of Job anC
to whom few dollars mean bread anC
butter for week or two, as the mel
who are most susceptible to bribe
! Everybody who uses money in elections
q VpToaches the poor fellow who is hard
mn. uobody will make an attempt on ths
rich ,NcTlrfed man who drives up to the
polls in lN,ts carriage.
lit '$rtsin thath he is above taking
a br, be? Is it, certain that Congress has
not nut him in>o a "block of five" fol
election dav? Look below the surface ant
both these men have sold themselves
and are therefore equally base.
But with the bribe-givers the case il
different. When a Dudley writes ;
letter from his party's headquarters di
recting that the fioaters be divided int
"blocks of five" that is a case of yer!
] grave corruption-but it is the corrup
! tion in the management of particula
| party only-what on the other hand
/ shall be said of this party when it use
| the law-making power of the Govern
ment in such way as to divid
! the manufacturers into ''blocks of five
for the support of that party?
not this a prostitution of the Govern
ment to the basest party uses; an
| IS it not corrupting of the people il
the most insidious and dangerous man
| ner? What shall be thought of nae,
who are elected to guard the interests o
the whole people and to establish jus
tice between man and man throughou
the whole land-what shall be though
| of them when they use their legislativ
functions for party purposes by corrupt
ing a large class of voters through spe
cial laws in their private interests?
The party that does such thing
knows only too well the meaning of 1t
actions Accordingly IL CLOSES owe
with glib words of patriotism the shame
full policy that it pursues-steals the liz
cry of the patriot to serve the party in
Like the cuttle-fish it blackens tn
water around it so that its crooke
course can not be followed. After bul
ing up the manufacturers with hig
protective duties which make the COZ
ditions of life harder for the great farm
ing population, they turn around an
put higher duties on corn and wheat
few bushels of which are imported b
our farmers Cos seed-and then have tn
brazen impudenoe' TO call the high tari
: fabric which they have reared ''th
: farmers tariff"
Do these McKinleys and Dingleys an