The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-07-01
ABOUT TARIFF REFoRMERs.
The Eagles Sluss-Interview Editorial
Criticised.

To the Editor of the Eagle.
VIII you permit a property holder of
Kansas, warm friend and admirer of
Wichita and of the Wichita EAGLE to lay
before your readers friendly criticism of
your Sluss-[nterview editorial, published
in the EAGLE Of May 20. | should like to
call your attention to some of the state
ments made in this editorial, and show
wherein think you are on the wrong
track. You say:
| The EAGLE Is aware OF abuses not corrected and
OF deInagogues in disguise in the Republican party;
| and II Is not slow TO point out some OF these and
| pUncture Others"
Now, this statement may all be true;
! but your editorial on the Sluss Interview
reminds one of the man who, having suf-
| fered wrong from his enemies, takes a
stilletto in his hand and going into the
| house OF his friends begins to stab them
right and left, expecting thus to destroy
| his enemies and right his wrongs. You
| say,
THE economic questions of the day are of more
| Importance than the political ones"
This may be true; but are not the ques-
| lions Of protecting American industries
and of increasing silver currency, two of
| the most important economic questions up
| for consideration by our people at the
! present time?
| Now, what position does Judge Sluss
| occupy on these two great questions?
When | read the interview in your col
umns, L said to myself, Judge Sluss is a
! mugWump Republican, and no voter who
! favOrS protection to American industries
can vote for such a man to represent him
| in congress.
A mugwump Republican is a twin
| brother to the tariff reform Democrat, and
the two are own brothers to the free
trader We have had TOO many such in
! congress during Cleveland's adminiStra-
tan and that's what's the matter now"
| You say,
I'VE see nothing more inconsistent in the views
protsction ideas and principles maintained by Sam
uel j. randall as Democrat"
| That may be true; but the fact of the
matter is, on the important question of
protecting American industries Samuel J.
Randall was not a Democrat, and was Civ
en- a back seat in his party. He was sub
stantially a Republican and ought to have
been in the Republican ranks instead of
the Democratic, and for similar reasons
Judge Sluss should join the Democratic
party.
You say:
ITO come down to some OF the topics touched by
Judge sluss The burdens heaPed upon the produc-
Ing asses OF this country by the corporate powers
are alone lnonstrou5 enough TO incite a revolution.
Let US state just single instance. The people OF
the United States-we mean the producers and con-
bonds in Kansas. three times the actual original
cash cost OF every mile Of such roads In the United
States.'
Now, admitting this statement to be
true, what do you propose to do about it?
VIII tariff reform remedy that evil? Let
me ask you, how many states in the union
have been more ambitious or put forth
more vigorous efforts to induce these cor
pOrate powers" to build railroads for them
than Kansas? How many states have
more miles of railroads already built and
in operation than Kansas? There is only
one that surpasses her in railroad mileage
Kansas has more miles of railroad in op-
Grafton than all the New England states
put together. She has l. 57 more miles
than the great empire state of New York,
whose population and wealth surpass Kan
saS four to one. She has more than the
great states Of Pennsylvania, Iowa and
Texas. Kansas today has 1854 miles of
railroads. Illinois alone Surpasses her
with $500 miles Next comes Iowa with
1854 miles. Following her is Pennsylva-
mia with {, 24 miles. Then comes Texas
with S210 miles Only think of it! Dur
ing the three years from 1886 to 1889 in
elusive Kansas constructed f. 535 miles of
railroads, beating the record, which is
more than any of twenty-Seven Of her sis
ter states have in operation today and
there are only thirteen states in the union
who have a greater mileage of railroads
than Kansas built in these three years
What city in the United States or in any
other country on the face of the globe in
proportion to its wealth and popula-
ton has more miles of railroads
entering it than Wichita? Let me ask
further, what editor in the state of Kan
sas or in any other state, has done more
to secure this enormous mileage of rail
roads in Kansas and into Wichita than has
Marsh Murdoch, the editor of the Wichita
EAGLEY Has he not labored night and day
with invincible energy, and for small
compensation, TO induce these very cor
porate powers" to build their roads in
Kansas and to run them into Wichita?
And what city in the world has surpassed
Wichita in rapid growth during the last
ten years, and what state has surpassed
Kansas? Have not these very railroads
been instrumental in giving Wichita her
immense boom. and Kansas her rapid
growth in wealth and populations Is it
fair, now, to go back on your friends, or
to repudiate your Obligationsy Is it good
policy to ALLEVIATE the very influences
through which these magnificent achieve
ments have been accomplished? There
may be abuses by our corporate powers"
and il may be true that they are extract
ing money from the people that they
ought not to have, but, is Judge Slus5
taking the right course to rectIfy these
evils? VIII tariff reform remedy the evils
complained of? No! 1t will only aggra
waite them.
You say,
Free coinage of silver for instance, would relieve
the monetary stress OF the nation the moment Pres
dent Harrison put his signature to the bill VIII /
the Republican party pass II, President Harrison
sign it! We doubt both
Well. we think it safe to say that Presi- |
dent Harrison will sign any silver bill /
passed that is endorsed by a majority of /
the Republican members OF congress. |
There are many Republicans who are adj /
vOcateS of silver, who do not believe that /
free coinage is the best way to dispose of |
the silver question. The people don't /
care for silver dollars as money to carry in 4
their pockets. What they want IS the /
value of our silver bullion represented in /
our currency, and this can be done much I
better by some other plan than by free /
coinage of silver dollars. | believe that /
the Republican party IS going to settle /
this question in q way that VIII be better |
for the country than TO have free coinage /
of silver We had free coinage Of silver T.
previous to the year 1873, but very few
silver dollars were ever coined Why, /
Because the bullion in the silver dollar /
was worth more than the gold bullion In |
the gold dollar. The silver dollar was at /
a premium over the gold dollar, and /
hence, the owners of silver bullion would (
not coin it. They were not going. to lose
3 per cent on every silver dollar they had
coined. Why do the holders of silver
bullion now demand free coinage Of silver; /
Simply because the silver bullion IN the 4
silver dollar Is worth less than the gold I
bullion in the gold dollar in the markets
of the world The discount now amounts
to about - per cent VIII the people Of
this country permit the holders OF silver TO (
put this - per cent on each dollar II their
pocketsy
The true way 70 settle the silver cues
ton is 70 have the secretary Of the treas
ury authorized To purchase the silver
bullion at its market value and pay for u
in United States legal tender notes that
are at par with the gold dollar, and then