Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-08-22
FUNSTON, s FOLLY.

Farmer Funston is bowling pa
triot representing, or rather purporting
to represent, section of Kansas jay
hawkers in congress. The farmer
has barely sense enough coupled with
the requisite impudence and assurance,
to indulge freely in the sort of politica
blather and buncombe about the tariff,
prohibition, and the grandeur of the e.
o. p, that takes with the cranks and
dupes who fancy themselves represented
by him IN Reeds caucus chamber. He
is a grotesque oaricature of q statesman,
sort of cross between Dogberry and
Pecksniff, as empty as a gourd OF every
thing but sound and fury, and as devoid
of healthy political convictions, as he Is
of brains or knowledge. But as brains
and convictions would be disqualified
ton in a Kansas congressman, the
"farmer" who has been several years
in congress fills the bill very acceptably,
and provided he rattles around in his
chair now and then, and makes a holy
show of himself in the house, may count
on several years more of public life in
congress.
The farmer a day or two ago wired his
statesman like views on the meat inspec-
ton bill. Being chairman Of the COM
mittee on agriculture, Reed had to REQ
ognize him for a speech on a bill reported
from his own committee. OF course 1t
was q foolish speech, but as ADLER men
than Funston are making foolish
speeches in congress, he too should be
given q show.
The object of the bill, he said, was to
remove the pretense among foreigners
that our meat products we're unhealthy.
The cause OF pretenss being thus re-
moved, they would have to open their
ports to our meat. AS result, "mill-
IONS upon millions of gold would flow in
upon US to relieve the embarrassed con-
dition of all classes of industry. -
That is very pretty picture, TO be
sure. But does not this sapient
"farmer" know that the cry in Ger
many, France and England that our
meat Is unhealthy is only prstense,
and that so long as they choose to fight
us with pretenses, bills aimed at the
pretense only can or will avail nothing.
The origin or cause of their pretenses is
our Chinese tariff. Alleged unhealthy
meat is only the occasion of it. If the
objection to our meat is to be removed it
must be by apolishing the foolish restric-
tons on European products. Funston
would bar the door against them and
then whImper and whine because they
don t throw wide open their doors to US.
If protection is suoh blessing to US,
why is it not the same to them? If their
opportunities lnjure us, why may not
ours injure them? Why are we not fiat
tered even by seeing France, England
self protection? If they should let down
the bars and repudiate the policy of pro
lection, would not that be condemna-
ton most telling against our adherence
to it. If Funston had any sense, be
would see that bis meat inspection bill Is
vain, senseless and absurd and worthy
only OF the waste basket. The retalia-
tory policy of the Europeans can not be
checkmated or prevented by any such
fiddle-faddle legislation as that when the
Mckinley bill raising the tariff wall
biobar still staras than In the fare
Funstonism may be all right in Kansas,
but IL is mighty sorry truck in Europe.