The advocate and Topeka tribune., 1892-11-30
WHERE ARE WE AT9"
Another Penitent Editor Apologies to
His Conscience and His Readers

relegated, but as an editor, like Tenny
sons brook, must go on forever, it msy
prove as profitable to join the big OK
perience meeting and talk Of the reason
for the faith within us as to groan oVel
pains Of heart and brain that must finally
lapse by limitation and cease to hurt.
AS all Of the great statesmen Of the
country, including an ex-president who
was re elected, and a president who
wasn't, and who therefore becomes in
turn the ex-president, are airing their
opinions as to the sudden, overwhelming
and evidently unexpected knocking out
OF Billy Patterson, it might not be amiss,
If even prssumptive, for the Eagle to fill
in little space on its own account.
There appears great unanimity upon
the part Of the gentlemen cited touching
the observation that the Mckinley bill
proved catapault that worked like q
petard in it's hosting tendencies; that as
a protective piece of steel armor it too
much resembled seive when it came to
resistiug the penetrating projectiles Of
the free (trsde) and now easy enemy.
Our readers all know the Eagles opinion
Of the Mckinley bill, which is now 30
unanimously cited as being q suicidal
dose done up in reciprocity sugar But
we hope that these same readers will not
forget the rebellion" and cusuS begLi
we cited. While it is party politics to
attribute the disaster on the one side and
the victory of the other to platforms, to-
protective tariffs, to inactivity begotten
Of overcon6dence, and so forth, we have
believed these to have been merely sub
aidisry. Back Of all these reasons, and
reaching deeper, are other and more po-
tent troubles. 1t was not 80 much CleYe-
land more than Harrison, so much free
trade more than protection, as an all
round protest against existing conditions
which are fostered just as much by the
democratic party and by its leaders as
by the republican organization. The
truth is that American craftsmanship
has not kept pace with American growth
and civilization, out of which develop
ment have arisen abuses, inequalities
and burthens that must be righted or
the rebellion" will become revolution.
The only reason the republican party
was voted out was because it was in, and
was therefore held responsible for the
unsatisfactory conditions and discomfort
to which we Rllude. The democratic
party, holding to either free trade or to
protection, would have just as surely
been defeated had it been in power.
"Plutocracy" is the newly coined word
which expresses perhaps more clearly
than any other the sum total of the spe.
cifc trouble, no less than the outcrop-
ping discontents, in which the wings Of
Cleveland's private yacht are as conspic-
uous as the livery of Whltelaw Reid's
retinue Of obsequious servants. These
are OF the red flags which corporate
greed waves in the face of labor that is
demanding more beef soup and less bean
soup, or otherwise that there be less
champaine drank on Cleveland's private
yacht and on Reid's private car. 1t is o
demand that organized labor shall re-
ceive the same consideration at the
hands Of the law making power, as is
commanded by organized capital The
verdict Of last Tuesday was not against
protection to American labor and Amer