The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-08-03
SENATOR rLums,s MISTAKE.

Senator Plumb of Kansas seems to be
pretty seriously inoculated with the craze
which has taken possession of the farmers
which can result from bis craze and theirs
will be to strengthen the hands of the DEM
ocrats ard command Democratic approval
ALI sane people know that even If Kansas
could be overwhelmingly carried for the
wild scheme OF obtaining government
loans at per cent on farm mortgages and
produce, with government warehouses at
every crossroads for storing the produce,
even IL Kansas were backed by the three or
lcnr other states in which the craze pre-
walls, that would be the last OF it.
But the Democrats, while they are OPP
posing the craze in the Southern states,
and may ultimately control ii. are patting
the Kansas farmers on the back and by
every means in their power are cheering
them on. And in bis latest demonstra-
tons against the tariff bill Senator Plumb
has been similarly honored in that quarter.
In the debate on Friday he was frequently
and literally rewarded with applause on
safe him for imperilling measure upon
which the bulk of his party asso-
ciates are agreed, and to the pass
age of which his party was squaiely
pledged in the last campaign? Has the
Senator passed ali these years in public
life and in the Republican harness aud
failed to learn that those who cheered him
on Friday would by that same token doom
his party, and him along with IL, TO perdi-
ton?
OF late the Democratic newspapers have
been profuse of complimentary reference
TO Senator Plumb. They give him high
praise for watching the public pulse'
aud for keeping in touch with the peo-
pie" 1t has been customary to apply to
public men who had that faculty highly
developed the name of 'demogogue." and
In this connection the word has not been
used in its highest sense of a leader of the
people, but in the sense OF a time-server
view taken of Senator Plumb by his Demo-
cratic fiatterers.
In his Friday demonstrations the Kan
sas Senator saw fit TO make his most yigor :
Gus assault against the earthenware sched-
ule OF the Mckinley bill. always demand
inE reduction of the proposed duty. On
this point Senator Sherman answered him
aptly and in a manner that should have
been conclusive If Senator Plumb is Re-
publican and disposed to redeem his
pariy's pledges. Sherman pointed to the
great and growing importance of the
crockery industry. and that Ii is entitled
to reasonable protection.
Senator sherman might have added that
this is point in the tariff which presents,
quite as cleverly as any other, one of the
chief issues upon which the last campaign
was fought. and upon which it was won by
the Republicans. In this. perhaps more
distinctly than in any other schedule of the
tariff bill. the protection of American labor is
involved. Whether il be kaoline or com.
mon clay, the material of which crockery
is made is comparatively inexpensive. In
all descriptions OF crockery, whether OF the
finer or the comnaoner sort, labor is the
chief elemen, of cost
1t is contrary to the palpable facts of the
case. and q manifest ahsurdity to claim
that all of the crockery needed in the
United States-fine enough and good
enough for any body-eannot be made in
this country and furnished to consumers
at 8 reasonable price. Ii il can be furnished