The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-06-26
HOPE DEFERRED MAKETH THE
HEART SICK.

When the senate amended the Couger
silver bill, that had passed the house,
eliminating the Objectionable features
which was almost the entire measure
and substituted therefor provisions that
conformed to the popular demand, and
passed it by practically unanimous
vote, its revivifying effect upon the coun-
try was electrical. Everybody felt encour-
aged at the prospect for speedy let up
of the general and heavy pressure that
has weighed down the commercial and
| industrial interests these months and
years. Everybody hoped the house
would see its way clear to take up the
Plumb bill as soon as it was
received and pass it, and thus add
to the encouragement the people felt at
the then suspicious outlook. But instead
of this, that body Immediately COM
menced to dicker and daily and oscillate,
and finally dashed the buoyant hopes of
the people by practically killing the
measure, and the only one so far that
has come so near enactment that has in
it anything like general relief.
What is going to be the result of this
cannot now be told. 1t is evident that
the house does not mean to pass such a
financial measure as the country at large
demands. Any other sort of measure
had better be left unenacted for it will
certainly be repudiated by the people
the first opportunity, and that will come
with the first Tuesday in November, 1890.
At this writing the situation is any
thing but encouraging, but we cannot
afford to give up the contest. There is
too much at stake Involved in the issue
is the welfore and prosperity Of the
country, the vital interests of sixty mil
lions of people as against simple re-
duction of the rate of interest and dis
count for the holders and controllers of
the cash capital of the country. That is
the issue now Joined, and Mr.. Chairman
Conger and his fellow-minions of the
money power cannot hoodwink nor bluff
the intelligent masses by such declara-
tions as he made on the floor of
the house Tuesday. Such decoy-duck
expressions as "'paid-lobbyi5ts' ''specula
tive pools" and the like applied
to the friends Of silver,
coming from such a source can
not but be taken as an insult to the peo-
pie. This, however, is by the way.
Some time ago the EAGLE suggested
that the people of the west would be
warranted in going down to the national
capital and peremptorily demanding
immediate relief legislation and if not
granted in cleaning out the whole bust
ness. If that was the state of the case
at that time-and no one has dared to
gainsay it-what would the people not
be justified in doing now? 1t is not
probable that petitions and remon-
strances, however strongly drawn and
numerously signed, would have any
effect upon the recalcitrants. They have
been implicated, besought, importuned,
urged, threatened and what not
these weeks and months: if
they will not hear these it is
useless to expect them to heed any
request or demand now, from whomso-
ever made. But there is a way of relief,
if not immediate Gel tainly not very long
deferred, and the people of the country,
firing Of promises observed only in the
breach, are going to avail themselves Of
it. OF course there is no peaceable way
of compelling those now acting in the
capacity of representatives to do the bid
ping of those who sent them, but if they
will not the people will surely try an
other set, and they will keep it up until
faithful ones are found.
These remarks are prompted by the
skullduggery practiced over the silver
bill, but they apply with equal force to
the tariff bill and some other measures
of pressing importance to the people.