Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1892-07-09
The Tariff Question Discussed.

The Tariff Question Discussed.
The discussion of the tariff question
by Fl. ID. Reynolds and b. X. Wood
came off at the court house as promised,
last Saturday evening. BY eight o'clock
that night the court room was crowded
with men of every political stripe, and
not a few Of the ladies of the city.
Probably every man in the house had
an opinion in regard to the great issue
which all the facts, figures and oratory
in Christendom wouldn't affect, but
each individual was there to shout for
the speaker who voiced his sentiments,
and the way they cheered and applaud
ed all through the talks was a caution.
b. r. Wood opened the argument with
a thirty minutes speech in which he en-
deayored to set forth the advantages OF a
system oftariftaxatioh for revenue only,
the democratic policy especially created
for the campaign Of 1892. Mr.. Wood is
gentleman blessed with great gift of
CAB, and one Of that class Of attoi neys,
who, no matter how hopeless their case
may be, can discuss it for an endless
length % time, and-so long as he don't
bother with factS-make everything
that pertains 10 his side of the case, APP
pear as rosy as a sunset sky. This was
the nature of Mr.. Woods Introductory
argument. II was full Of glittering gen
eralties, direful word paintings of the
terribly distressed condition Of the
American people at the present time,
and eloquent expositions Of that policy
which is to be the salvation Of the coun-
try, and deposit $50 in the banks to the
credit OF every man in the United
States. Mr.. Reynolds was to haye one
hour for his speech, the discussion to be
concluded by Mr.. Wood in another half
hour talk, but the former gentleman
only required forty minutes in which to
clearly define the position taken by
himself and the republican party, and
to furnish his opponent and his audi
ence with enough sound facts and truth
ful figures to keep them thinking all
through the campaign. He fairly
swamped the other side with facts and
figures quoted frem government statist-
les and democratic almanacs," and
backed up every assertion with practical
examples or illustrations. lie discussed
the question on the principle of pro-
lection, going into the details whenever
II was necessary. The entire speech
was dotted with interrogation points,
which democrats will try to forget, and
which his fellow debater didn't see fit
to tackle in his closing. Mr.. Wood, in
concluding, didn't refer to the strong
points made by his predecessor. He
forgot them aud entloavoIsd tu persuade
his audience to do likewise, by soaring
high in the realms of calamity oratory.
He resurrected plenty Of independent
thunder, and made the windows rattle
when he told about the Goulds and the
Vanderbilts whose Mckinley protected
railroads have made them millionaires,
and the starving farmers who in seasons
Of drouth have been compelled to mort
gage their farms, or the still more un-
fortunate ones, who borrow money with
which to increase their land possessions.
OF course he didn't mention the facts
that these wealthy men are railroad
magnates and spectators, or that the
farmer sometimes loses crop TO the
elements, but il was clear to his audience
that when the Mckinley bill is knocked
out, there will be less money in running
railroads, standard oil combinations and
gold mines, and that when we have
tariff for revenue only, crops will grow
without rain, and the farmer who goes
in debt for an additional forty won't
have to give his note and a mortgage.