Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-03-14
A BASE POLITICAL DRAMA
The Sham Portrayed With Vivid Dis
tinctnesS in Seven Acts.
A Blistering Presentation of Great
Political Crime.
The DenOuncement Comes After the
Curtain is Rung Town.

| CBCIICi w IlclI GSIIlcI4I OlcNttt1iu StIlJ Ills
| tariff message TO congress IL December.
1888. A review of that chapter up to
date, says the Springfield Republican.
will be profitable reading.
First act The basis of the Partnership.
President Cleveland proposed a reduction
of import duties to bring down the income
of the government to its necessary ex-
penses and Tighten the taxation of the
people. His party attempted to carry
such a measure through congress, and
were defeated by the republicans. The re-
publican leaders made themselves the
champions OF high protection, and on that
issue fought the presidential campaign
! against the democratic proposal of
! tariff reduction. The interests of the re-
publican organizations were thus identi-
fed with the interests of class of wealthy
manufacturers who were protected
from foreign competition by the high tar
| if. Briefly, one set of men wanted office
and power. and another set wanted to
make money by the help of legislation.
and the two sets joined hands and for
| tunes.
Second act The purchase of the presi-
| dency. The republican manager was
Senator Quay, well known as an expert
and INSCRIPTIONS politician. The al
lance brought enormous contributions
| to the party treasury. 1t is fresh
in local memory how, just before
! the election, a republican agent
| appeared at the Massasoit house, summon
ed few of the faithful, and went away in
a few hours with $4,000 in his pocket
Millions were raised in this way and hand
ed to Mr.. Quay and his assistants. A letter
of one of those assistants, Col. Dudley
came to light, in which he gave explicit
| directions to an Indiana agent for the
management of his bribes Col Dudley
| has recently escaped trial by the inter
ference of United States district attorney
| The other pivotal state, New York, was
| the subject of another sort of
| bargain, as was strongly suspected and
| \ Ork Tribune This decaration-mad to
show how hopeIessly the democracy of the
| state is divided-iS in this language: In
that contest the election of 1893, as peo-
pie here well know, Hill succeeded only be-
cause he was able to sell presidency for "A
governorship.' That is, Quay 4 Co. made
over enough republican votes to make Hill
governor, in return for enough democratic
votes to make Harrison president
Third act: The division of the spoils of
office. This has been the principal occu-
| patton of President Harrison for more
than year. IN this way the machine
| partner of the business takes his share of
| the profits. The money partner takes
only Il little slice of this cake-as in the
| appointment to the cabinet OF Wanna
maker, distinguished solely by his heavy
| contribution. The money partner takes
| his principal dividends in another way.
| Fourth act: The machine tightens its
! hold on the government. The republican
party for the first time in many yes-s has
now the presidency, the senate and the
house. But the minority in The house
was strong enough to act as break on
the train-just such a break as the consti-
! tuition meant to put there-and machine
and money wanted the train to
run awhile without brakes So the pow
ers of the speakers were enlarged. first by
| his usurpation, then by the adoption of
rules, until, so long as his party stands by
| him, he is the autOcrat of tL5 house He
| Is formally even empowered to decide upon
the motives of any member III making a
motion, and if he judges his purpose to be
| dllatory, to ignore the motion.
Fifth act: Government of money 10y
money and for money. A brood of schemes
| for extravagant expenditure constitutes
the whole programme of the party which
| now controls the government. Pensions.
| pensions. and more pensions gigantic
navy,-steamship Subsidies.-a refund to
the state treasures, es,-unlimited river and
harbor improvements, - perhaps a
railroad to the Isthmus and
the Andes. Instead of sur
plus we face a deficiency. Where now are
the promises of republican reformation of
the tariff? How can you reduce taxes
when you are multiplying expenses? And
while the Machine pays its obligation TO
Money by keeping up the tariff, it enlists
III Its future support all the benefciaries of
Its new extravagances.
Sixth act: The mortgage on the future.
By the addition of as many new republi-
can states as possible not only are electoral
votes provided but the party ascendency
in the senate is so established that that
body can be depended on to keep the
lation forl long time to
lem Is kept prominent-not that it may be
helped, but that the north may be exasper-
ated into continued support of the repub-
lican party-that is, the Machine.
Seventh act The muzzling of the press.
Against every political evil the American
resource is the appeal to the popular vote
But whence does the average voter get the
information which determines his vote?
He gets it from the newspaper. and in most
cases practically from a single newspaper
| And the newspaper colors its political intel.
| ligence according to It's party. This ten
dency, already very strong. has been sedu-
! lously foStered by President Harrison. who
| has introduced the fashion of rewarding
| party editors with offices, in many cases
| with high offices. Ofthe prominent newspa
| pers 1t Is enough to mention the New
| York Tribune, the New York Press. the
| Indianapolis Journal, the Iowa State Reg
lister, the Philadelphia Press. the Utica
| Herald, the Detroit Tribune. and the
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle,-and
the list could be largely extended
| This series of uncontrovertible facts
| shows what is today the dominant force in
! our national government,-the close alli-
| ance between a combination of men who
| want Office and a combination of men who
want to enrich themselves by legisla-
ton The offices and legislation
are the peoples. and it is only by guIliEg
the people that the firm of Machine x
| Money can carry on its operations. 1t gulls
them through their patriotism tell
ing Jltln JIleN dIc SUI porting luc CURIOUS
old party which freed the slaves and saved
the union 1t gulls them through their
religion. pointing out what exemplary and
deyout CHURCH members are Gen. Harrison
| and Mr. Wanamaker, and what respect
able church-going men are many of the To-
cal leaders. 1t guIls them through their ig-
norance, the burden of taxation being hid
den because 1t is indirect. and the citizen
| forgetting that IN everF purchase of a
coat, blanket, a load of lumber, pound
OF sugar, tin dish or penknife, he pays
heavy toll to the high tariff. 1t gulls
them through their cupidity, playing on
the fancy that tie government Is kind of
god who pays out pensions OF bounties and
saves men from earning their bread by the
sweat of tIeir brow.
But as Abraham Lincoln said. You can
fool all tie people some of the time, and
you can fool some Of the people all the
time. but you can { fool all the people al
the time. = And some day Machine and
Money viii have TO reckon with a partner
in the nations business, who may at
present be called sleeping partner, but
who already shows signs Of waking.
THE BENNETT LAW.
| Editorial Comment That Measure
| Which is Awakening so Much Interest
n