Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-12-19
POLITICAL BLINDNESS.

Giving full margin for differences of
opinion which must necessarily exist
on nearly every topic of political hue
in different parties and their organs, it
is an indisputable fact that the public
at least expects veracity in them
Should members of party prove culp-
able in any particular, there is no law
of political etiquette which compells
the organ of that party to sacrifice its
own dignity for their advantage. A
periodical is an educational factor in
community and as such should endeav-
or to hold truth its only dictator.
Notwithstanding this fact, which has
almost Income truism, the Croswell
Democrat has been guilty of the most
crying violation of it, AS Democrat
ic organ it naturally has a perfect right
to its beliefs so long as they are in the
right; but the moment it compromises
this position and becomes the tool of
party leaders it has forfeited the sup
port of the consciencl0us public. Per-
haps no organ save one which has the
ability to clothe it's defence in such foul
blackmail as it INDUCED in in it's last
issue could be guilty of such conduct.
A Board of Supervisors. who have, by
their disgraceful proceedings diShonor-
ed themselves in the eyes of the people,
should meet their own reward. 1t is
con current upon the political veracity
of no one to support them or to strain
its vocabulary in insulting one who ex-
poses their disgrace. The anger that
can countenance such expressions as
"blather" and "blackest indiscression"
must surely be of a most inexcusable
kind.
In another particular the Democrat
also shows itself most wanting in polit-
ical acumen. 1t wittily enquiries Isn't
it little funny that fellow can sell
eggs for two cents per dozen more in
Canada than in Michigan, when we
have Il Nc - bill specially boosted to
put the price high enough to kill i'm
portation? ?" Such sophistry is most de-
cidedly funny. 1t continues. that bill
proves only a measure to make Canucks
sell at home because they can get more
for their products" If that paper is
trying to prove that by selling at home
they can get larger prices, it has initi-
ated a new system of economy. Will
an import duty on eggs to our market
be likely to raise the price there? The
idea is preposterOus. If an insufficient
supply of eggs in Canada has in one
year out of many raised the price there
above ours it can not be the result {
an export duty. Again, Michigan is
not the market for eggs. They go in
the other direction. Hence Canada is
nearer the great markets than Michigan
is. Therefore the additional price of
the product there is more than made
up by the decreased cost of transporta-
ton TO markets.
This willy editor also meets another
stumbling block in the increased i'm
portation of the past month; and says
the bill was framed "to kill importa- |
ton" 1t is a base fabrication when he
says that that was the object Of the bill. |
That indeed. was the Democratic cam
paign cry. On the contrary the object
Of the bill was to amend our tariff to |
our greatest benelit,presenta and prospec-
tive, in resources, development and |
revenue. To this end fOrty-fOur dis
tinct classes of articles were placed up |
on the free-list which last year Welded |
a duty Of over $60,000000 and it placed |
upon the dutiable list but eighteen |
which il imported for the ensuing year
to the same extent as last year will
raise little over $2,000,000 in revenue;
and all of these articles are producable
here. Almost without exception arti-
cles which we can not produce here
have been exempted from duty. This
fact, together with the great reduction
that was made in many other cases, ac-
counts for the increased activity in
importation.
The democrat" has deem convicted
out of it's own mouth. 1t screamed
loud ly about month ago of how the
Mckinley bill would rob us Of all the
benefits of importation, and now it has
been compelled to confess that our for
eign trade is unusually brisk. Just as
the supporters of the bill at first main
tanned, the bill is anything but pro-
hibitive measure. 1t looks to our best
development from whatever source.
With the reciprocity amendment it
even looks toward free-trade. 1t means
a firmly established revenue, to be sure,
but one taken not from the home pro-
ducer but the foreign importer.