The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1891-09-18

VANOUISnED BY A LADY
M,klNLEY,s TARIFF ARGUMENTS DE-
MoLlsHED BY MRS. DlGGs.
a Lively Debate Before an Ohio Audience
In Wli,h che Great Protectionist Comes
Out Second Best-McKinley Insists THAT
the Farmers Are Very Prosperous.
The following impartial report Of a
big Ohio meeting of the people, at which
the political arguments of Major Nc.
Kinley were refuted by the eloquent
Mrs. Diggs, Of Kansas, will be read with
interest by the people everywhere:
The Republicans of Richland county
took advantage of Major McKinley's at
tendance at the Farmers institute pic
mic, near Shelby, and arranged a meeting
for him at the opera house on the same
evening. The Peoples party men were
equally alert, and secured Mrs. Anna L.
Diggs, Of Kansas, to reply to the major
on the following evening.
Every possible effort was made by the
Republican managers to work up an en-
thusiastic demonstration. The band
played, the men hurrahed and the regu-
lation number Of prominent citizens
were 1attered by an invitation to take
seats on the stage with the distinguished
son of Ohio.
The distinguished son was duly intro
duced and paid his audience the regula-
ton campaign compliments. 81 see be-
fore me-" said Major Mckinley, "a well
dressed, well fed audience, who would
never know they were not in a prosper
u condition unless some quack doctor
In the pay Of the Democratic party ca,ne
and told them so."
After having impaired to his audienc.
q comfortable sense of their prosperity,
the major proceeded to discuss the issues
between the 'two great parties" these
being, he said, free coinage of silver and
the tariff.
Mrs. Diggs vas present and took notes.
The following evening an audience quite
as large greeted the speaker for the
Peoples party. There was no band
music, no campaign cheers. The meet
ing was opened by an earnest prayer by
a resident minister, and. every bit of the
applause, which was frequent and hearty
during the evening, was won from the
audience by reason of the forceful, telling
points made by the speakers review Of
Major McKinlev's address.
Mrs. Diggs took the position that
neither Of the questions discussed by
the major as the sole issues between the
Democratic and Republican parties were
of vital Importance; neither free coin
age nor tariff are adequate to solve the
great problems before the American peo-
pie today. She said that the great re-
volt of the people, which is being
focused in the organization Of the Peo-
Piles party, cannot be stayed or turned
aside by any p%uerile, superficial discus
sion of nonvital questions. The fusil-
ade between Democracy and Republic
anism over the tariff is but a sham
battle, the purpose of which is to engage
attention and arouse partisan prejudice,
thus distracting thought from adequate
remedies and thorough measures of re-
lief to the people.
At the great farmer picnic in the aft
ernoon Major Mckinley stated that the
protective tariff built up home indus
tries and thus built up a better market
for the farmers produce. He said if
factories, shops and mills were not up
held by the protective tariff that the
men now employed in them would be
forced to go into the farming business,
and instead of being consumers they
would become competitors. Appealing
to his audience the major said, ''Now
do you know that it is to your interest
as farmers to have u factory built ur
close to your farm!'
Mrs. Diggs dismissed this profound so
luton Of present difficulties with the la.
comic reply that being close neighbor tc
the factory had not brought superabun'
dant prosperity to the New England
farmer.
Major Mckinley declared that free
coinage of silver would drive gold from
this country, and that in consequence
two kinds of money would be created
the bondholder would have to be paid il
gold, and the pensions to the soldiers
who saved the nation would have to BIZ
paid in a deprecated currency.
Mrs. Diggs' reply to this was extremely
rich. She reviewed the history O.
finance and showed that the party O
Major Mckinley long ago made the dis
elimination between the bondholder ant
the boys in blue, and by the very act o
making the interest on bonds and thu
payment of import duties payable i,
gold had made two kinds of money ant
paid the soldier in deprecated currency
Throughout the entire two hours re
view of Major McKinley's speech til,
audience listened with breathless atten
ton. The novel method of appealin!
purely to reason and common sense, in
stead of to partisan prejudice, had it
effect, and many persons expressed thei
intention Of giving further study ant
active support to the Peoples movement
In Australia the government owns tin
railroads. 1t only costs a person $6.5
to ride 1000 miles there. Communication
rates for local service are still lower. /
workman can ride to and from his work
a distance Of six miles, for two cents
trip; twelve miles for four cents; TWEEN
ty.fonr miles for eight cents; thirt,
miles, ten cents. Yearly tickets, goo
for thirty mile trips, are sold for $17.40
This is a kind of Capitalization w
need in this country; it centralizes brea'
and meat into the mouths of the work
mans children and clothes on thei
backs.-Home Sentinel.
No better evidence is desired that tn
Alliance is doing splendid work than i
shown in the fact that the entire partisa,
press Of the country is unitedly engage
in a war to break it down. 1t is thol
onghly understood by the power benin
the throne of party that the success of tn
principles advocated by the Farmers
Alliance and Industrial Organization
means the obstruction of present politica