Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-11-02
ELAINE MAKES A POINT.

James G. Blaine addressed the Hoosier
sovereigns at Fort Bend, Ind, the
other day, devoting his attention chiefly
TO the reciprocity bantling for whose eX-
istenre he is mainly responsible. Jim
attempted to make point against the
Democrats by saying that when the Re-
publicans were divided on the question
OF reciprocity the Democrats were clam
orous for it. but that when the Republic
cans became united and voted solid.y for
it the Democrats conceived sudden
antipathy toward it, and did what they
could to defeat it.
Now that it Is a fair sample of Mr..
Blaine's habitual practice of juggling
with facts aud the truth. There Is not,
superior in mixing a modicum Of truth
with mass of falsehood III such q way
US 10 deceive and beguile the unwary.
He is an adept in the art, which ne never
fails to call into requistion on the
stump, ana always succeeds, as ut Fort
Bend, in srousiug the bewhIskered, be-
patched, mortgage ridden, and shoidy
clad hayseeds who still 'tvote as they
shot, - to pitch of patriotic enthus-
iasm most delectable to behold. But let
us consider his criticism of the Demo.
Gratis for fiunking on his reciprocity
scheme.
He admits that the Democrats favored
reciprocity, and incautiously says that
"if the Democrats had a good idea, Re-
publicans would stand by them In-
deedi Why then, let us ask, did not
the Republicans "stand by the Demo-
Gratis when, as MIR. Blaine says, they
favored reciprocity and were even solid
for it? No answer, of course.
The Democratic idea OF recipro-
city is not Blaine's idea by a long
shot. The Maine statesman never
conceived his sham notion until he saw
that the ultra-radical protectiouists of
his party were sheol bent on enacting
tariff bill that he foresaw would create a
political revolution in the West, unless
something was done; some sort of veil
were thrown over it to hide the repulsire
Textures, until after the election. The
dose for the farmers was bitter one,
which he sought to sweeten by mixing
with II his celebrated newly patented
re ciprocity coriial.
Because Democrats who thoroughly
understand Jim and his peculiar methods
of electoueerlug, insist on showing up
the hocus- pocus and delusive character
of those methods, they are not truly
patriotic. He defends the highest tariff
tax ever imposed by an American con-
gress-as he must do In supporting The
Mckinley billiard strikingly empha-
sizes its wonderful beuehcencs and help
fulness, by showing that /. should not be
against the countries south of
US. and that the less we have of il in our
dealings with divers aud
sundrY peoples the better of We shall be.
In other words, the Mckinley tariff is
most excellent just IN proportion as ex-
captions are made TO its provisions. That
Is the logical inference from the recipro-
city arguments with which he regsles his
hearers.
But logical conclusions are not what he
aims at. He avoids them studiously, or
them IN q mass of meaningless
which he pours deftiy into the
popular ear, an organ that in the tur-
moils of q heated campaign isalways deaf
to the appeals OF logic. The man from
Maine is a very smooth citizen but smooth
as he Is, 1t is very doubtful IL he can
carry Injianny for Ben this time.