The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-04-29
HELENA, MONT, APRIL %. 1891
THAT COMMERCIAL CONGRESS.

THAT COMMERCIAL CONGRESS.
Mr.. E. V. Smalley, a straight laced re-
publican of the old school, attended the
recent congress of western states at Kan
sas City, stepped in prejudice in favor OF
a protective tariff and against free silver.
He found himself out of tune with the
convention and returned home dis
gusted. He writes to the st. Paul Pho
neer Press: "We felt that We had trav-
eled 600 miles at our own expense, paid
hotel bills and put in four days hard
work only to End in the end that we
had been roped into a democratic and
farmers alliance political mass meeting,
and that the so-called commercial con-
gress was a fraud"
Now the only foundation for such a
sweeping charge is that Mr.. Smalley
and his fellow republicans found the
congress overwhelmingly opposed to Nc
Kinley tariffs and financial legislation in
favor of Wall street. Mr.. Smalley is so
intelligent an observer of the times that
we are surprised that he should expect
to find among the delegates from any of
the states represented IN the convention
a sentiment in favor of a higher tariff on
the necessaries Of life. The west, in
past years of prosperity and fairness, has
paid ungrudged tribute to the mine
owners and manufacturers of the east,
and has seen them wax exceeding rich.
Now that crop failures and general agri-
cultural depression have impoverished
the tillers of the soil, the farmers feel
they have a right to demand reciprocity
from the manufacturers-a concession
in the form of lower duties that will
lessen the cost of everything the farmer
agriculturist without regard to past
political atfiliations-in fact it has come
to mean to the farmer a great deal more
than a party question; it is, in his opin-
ion, a question of existence. 1t would be
impossible to get together any consider
able body of men in any of the western
states. il it were a body truly represent
ing it's constituents, and not have it de-
clare for a low tariff and free silver.
The fact that the democratic party is in
close accord with the people on these
questions does not make every farmer
who acts with that party or goes into
the alliance, at the present juncture, a
democrat. He may be back within the
old fold when the conditions have
changed. Kansas is not a democratic
,%o+o +D dow arl rohoIr oyno,{, 4I,@ -
will become one, but the farmers of that
commonwealth have risen and nearly
swept the republican party from the
face of the earth. Does Mr.. Smalley
doubt, as he views last November's
voting in the prairie states, that
a vast majority of the people of those
states we're opposed to the policy Of the
party to which he belongs? Does he
suppose that so long as Harrison and
Reed and Mckinley iterate and ~reiterate
that policy on the stump, and insist that
it shall be enforced, that the people are
going to let the party back into power?
Why, even Clarkson does not believe
that. In accepting the presidency of
the republican league of clubs, he said:
"Our candidate must not only be near
the people, but must not be far from
the farm. All political parties will 90
more closely to the farm hereafter thar
they have IN the past fifty years. The
farmers are going to assert themselves
in public affairs. The west will not
consent to any candidate or platform
that will not represent the double
standard idea, and the greater part viii.
not consent to a platform that will not
represent silver as money by the coin
age of the American product"
There is no doubt of Mr.. Clarkson'l
republicanism, yet he very nearly stands
on the Kansas City platform.
Another eminent republican, wht
would subscribe heartily to the declara
tions of the commercial congress, il
Senator Preston B. Plumb, of Kansas
In the last congress he stood with tn,
democrats against higher tariff dutieI
and in favor of free coinage. In a lette
written before the political cyclone
struck his state, he %pertinently asked
did you never before hear of a repub
llcan who WAS such Notwithstanding he
did not believe IN the highest possibl,
protective tariff and in giving to tn,
manufacturers everything they asked
for? If all those who believe with m,
were driven out of the republican party
| beg you to take notice that it woult
not be a very powerful organization. I
certainly would not carry many of tn
western states"
Words OF a prophet! Yet in spite O
their abundant fulfillment, there ar
still republicans SO blind that they can
not see that the Kansas City congress
in it's important declarations spoke TO
the republican masses of the wes'
Well, 1892 will finally knock the scale
from their eyes.