Los Angeles herald., 1890-10-12
A GAUzY PLEA FOR ITS PARTY.

The Express seems to think that one
of the great claims of the Republican
party on the good will of the voter lies
in the passage of the Mckinley bill. 1t
requires very purblind vision to take
this view of the new tariff, and the
average American will be apt to look
differently on the subject. Ii ever
there was deliberate and shamele IS
outrage upon the people it consisted in
the juggle with the tariff made by the
Republican majority of congress. 1t
has disorganized all business and pro-
duced stringency in the money market
most disastrous in its effects. Its far
reaching influence for evil has ramifed
into every hamlet in the United States.
In California it has been felt with great
severity. The merchant scarcely
knows where he stands. The San
Fran cisco jobbers are sending out cir
culars in all directions notifying their
patrons of material advances in
all staples. From a cigar to
suit of clothes the cost of every
thing has been greatly enhanced, and
the increased demand for money to pay
customs dues has produced a Asisncial
distress not known for years. Every
household in the land is experiencing
the sharp pinch resulting from legisla-
ton which was deliberately designed to
aid in making the rich richer and the
poor poorer. Much stress is laid upon
the fact that the Republican congress
has redeemed the pledges of the Repub-
lican national convention. The result
of the last presidential election is &C
cepted as an endorsement by the people
of this oppressive programme. The
speciousness of this argument can be
best understood when the fact is borne
in mind that it required the Wanna
maker $500, 900 corruption fund to pull
Harrison through, and that without the
baleful activity of Quay, a proved GRIM
inal who was placed at the head of the
Republican national committee, and of
Dudley with his "foaters," voted in
blocks of five, to carry the pivotal
states of New York and Indiana,
If the election were to be held tomor-
row on the same issue, with the light
thrown on the subject by the results Of
the Mckinley bill, Harrison, his admin
istration and the Republican party
would 90 down under a storm of popular
indignation.
The Express also makes claim for
the Republican party on the ground
that Republican congress has passed a
silver bill, but it studiously ignores the
fact that the demand Of the country was
for the free coinage of silver, and that
the natural expectation of the masses
was disappointed against the earnest
protest of Senators Stewart and John P.
Jones, of Nevada, and many other Re-
publican senators, notably those of Col
orado and other states of the northwest
The efforts of President Harrison and
Secretary Window were VIGOROUSLY d.
rected towards defeating any substantial
legislation in the interest of silver. If
Mr.. WINDOWS programme, which
was approved by President Harrison,
had been carried out. the miners
of the white metal would have been
ruined, silver would have been at the
mercy of the Wall street clique, money
would have been even scarceer than
it is and the spectators of New York
and London would have been absolute
masters of the situation The frequent
fluctuations of silver, ranging from
$1.20 an ounce to $1.09, show that the
fears OF those who opposed the bill as it
passed congress were well founded.
Short as is the time since its passage,
we have already had Black Friday on
small scale, and the indications are
that we shall have many more such.
With free coinage of silver the progress
of that metal to a parity with gold,
which is what the Republican national
convention pretended to aim at, would
have been accomplished by the close of
the current year, if not sooner, the
currency would have been largely ex-
banded and all lines of business would
have been invigorated.
The other claims of the Express for
its party are just about as gauzy as the
foregoing, but lack of space compels us
to content ourselves with two specimen
bricks.