The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1892-03-18
10 suRNIHe IssuEs.

The TarIH lueatfou siuEs into Funy EnHir- I
aIhsanes Compared With the Real assa=a /
The drst slsiraish on the Bland free [
coinage bill took place in the house of I
representative on the afternoon OF /
Tuesday, February 10 The house
spent hours in dIibusteFiug over the
measure. Auti-sfIver men desire to
hide the silver agitation behini the
meaningless discussion on the tariff is
sue, which they brazeuiy assert TO be
of most vital Importance a. this time
] strongly suspect that their intention
is to direct the eyes of the country
away from the currency question. The
house is democratic by a large ma
jority. IT can pass a silver bill OF the
most radical character and throw she
burden of opposition to IL on the re-
pu blicau senate The president wilE
it is said, veto the Bland bill should it
pass both houses, aud, us a cuuse-
queuce, the democrats are safe in pass
ing &c so far as blame for its defeat
resting with them is concerned They
proclaim that they prefer TO be honest
% aud viii oppose it. 50 far as they
can, aud, in order to throw dust in the
eyes of voters, insist on making the
tariff the issue ] said, in starting
that the discussion of the tariff in the
house OF representatives was meaning
less, and, SO far as the discussion is in
tended to affect the prosperity of the
nation, that is true. They do not bring
the tariff up because they mean TO
benefit the country by an agitation on
the issue, and because they hope to
divert attention away from the cur
reucy question, which will naturally
occupy a large space before the public
eye, while silver is being talked over
in the house Some Of the most astuue
Il speak udvisedly when I say that
would allow the silver bill to go through
in the stiffness OF the night just as
Senator Sherman allowed tho resump-
tion clause to go through in 1873, so
that public attention would not be at
tracted toward it, and by that means
prevent discussion aud education upon
the question OF finance They favor
kicking up dust on the tariff issue,
affecting to believe that Grover CIeve-
land aud 8 few others know all about
the needs of the country aud that
the tariff is the only real is
sue before the people, or the
only question that IS worthy of discus
sion Eiue-teuths OF the thinking
worlzingmen OF the nation understand
the tariff question much better than
the average congress amau- They un-
derstaud its full import and meaning
much better than do our national tegis-
lators, but they realize that there is a
time for every thing and that every
thing should be in its place. For the
last ten years the tariff has been the
issue between both parties IL was
the bone of contention in 1850, again
in 1884, and was the only thing that
came up for discussion in the campaign
| of 1SsS. The goats of the nation fat
tened on the tariff literature which
they nibbled from the bill boards in
.sss, but the people grow no stouteF or
stronger than before. The result OF
{ the contest made no change for the
better, and, had It gone the other way,
we would have the same story to tell
/ Congress is to-day engaged in q most
/ dishonest attempt to obscure real, vital
( issues and hide them behind the tariff
/ bugaboo. If the democratic party were
/ sincere in its declaration that the
i Mckinley tariff would prove hurtful q
the country they would strengthen
/ themselves and win the support Of the
nation by giving the law chance 10
work the evils they predict It seems
/ to me that if / were a partisan demo
| crat aud prophesied that the McEiuley
/ bill would iniure the country in four
years, as many of them assert, 4 would
/ not do anything to prevent it from do
I ing that injury so that my position as
a free trade advocate would be
! strengthened II were repu ublican
I and believed that the Mckinley tariff
/ would prove to be a blessing to the
I nation, Z would insist on giving IL a fair
~
plain TO all men. Both parties II sim
/ cere in their professions have every
| thing TO gain by allowing the EicKin-
l ley tariff time 70 operate aud demon
/ strate its claim 20 public favor and a
/ longer lease of life. BY doing that
they would also give the country
: a much needed rest and the peo-
{ pie time to think about other
| questions. Possibly they do not
I care 90 allow other matters TO
! occupy much Of the time or attention
OF the people. 1t may be their desire
TO switch other questions of on some
/ side-tracIc for fear that they would
overturu some of the Institutions that
stand more OF a menace to the welfare
| of the people than a high or low tariff
/ can possibly stand While You are
| talking tariff Ia the house OF repre-
1 sentatives with no other object in view
] than the strengthening OF your posi-
tion in the fail campaign, hundreds Of
Z thousands Of men arc being turned out
[ of the mines and workshops These
are the men for whom you would re-
ducs or increase the tariff 4 com
binatiou, stronger than the one that
I recognizes Benjamin Harrison as
/ its president, has been formed
I with a capital Of 5000 O00, 600 20
| say who shalt burn coal, who
I shall mine it. what shall be paid for IT,
I and just how much shall De mined
] each year AuEE8 Is no EaFtM on
/ anthracite coal Why stand one hun
dred thousand mine workers In idle
ness or the fear Of discharge2 What
has the free trader to say in deuuucia-
/ tion Of the com binatioH that corners
{ anthracite? If you are sincere 10 ask
/ ing for free trade ia order to improve
. the lot Of the vvorziugman, why do
/ you not exercise your power to comp
[ those who do not stand Ia dread OF for
I eigu ompstitioH TO extend the benefits
[ OF that free trade 70 the wage slaves
+. of the anthracite coal regions? God
/ made man; God made the anthFacita-
I He made It free God made six or
| eight men and endowed them with
! business qualifications and they made a
! combination Man made money, man
I made the com binatiOu which placed six
! hundred millions Of dollars against one
I hundred thousand men who were made
I by God Himself The six hundred
I Thousand dollars are the most power
I ful5 humanity is crushed to the dust by
/ d0llaEss while neEr-sightsd Statesmen