New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-26
TIE GY4SCUTUS IN MISSOURI

There's another gyascutus loose. This time
in Missouri Our old friend Governor Stone,
of that state. who few months ago gave out
indications of an incipiency of rabies in what
might be called Just an auburn haired and
pink mouthed speech before the Chamber of
Commerce on the general drcadfulncss Of all
things, and especially of existing systems of
finance under which wealth is unequally dis
tributcd has been attending a picnic of a
Democratic club in the neighborhood of Kan
sas City. The Governor was very much him
self Rather more himself than he was at the
Chamber OF Commerce dinner when he felt
that he was among "gold bugs and con
spirators," and being their guest had towel,
not exactly temper his wind To the shorn
lambs, but-smooth out his wrinkles and fold
his auls to the sheep shearcrs who had filled
him up to have some fun with him." Governor
Stone is another of those wild and
tanned gyascutuses who when they let the
bride eff their jaws compel audiences, who
have paid good money to see the show, to
drop everything and flee without ever getting
any satisfaction for tho money they have
dropped in the box Office At the picnic he
was simply indulging in rehearsal. Every
DOUN III inc picnic hHcW lildJ III NdS ii mere
rehearsal and not in dead carnest so pretty
much everybody "save few" in the Ian
guagc of the local newspaper, "who left to
catch train" stayed and heard him through
Many because they were profoundly interested
many more because the beer held out.
The Governor seems to have been at his
best. He started in with a reference to the
position of the Democratic party on the tariff
which he said was the main issue of the last
campaign "The slogan" he said, (Which
sounded then"-meaning at the Chicago Con
vcntion-"i is scarcely silent yet; the din and
smoke Of the conflict are still heavy on the
air." But "what," says he, "has become of
tariff REFORM Then he describes how "On
every hillside, in every valley, bearded men
and lovely women clustered. and with waving
banners they marched and countermarched
with flaming torches in their hands, all be-
cause they were convinced they were being
wronged and impoverished by the tariff"
Could anything be more beautiful or more
touching than this picture of the marching
and countcrmarching Of bearded men and
lovely women with flaming torches on account
of the tariff? Schooncrs upon schOoners OF I
beer must have been held midair by the mem
bers of the picnic while they listened and
gasped But he presently drew away from the
tariff and began t. harrow up the picnic with
references to the conspiracy and crime against
silver. which even in cold print give curdlng
sensation and when listened to, coming hot
from an eloquent person with his arm in the
air. must have chilled the blood and mo-
mentarily stopped the circulation of beer
" Decentralization of silver" he said. "has
arisen ont of the ashes of Republican defeat
like dragon with is fangs exposed, lashing
its sides with its forkcd tail to alright timid
people" The Governor has got the gyascutus
down to fine point and forked tail From
this point he preceded with the narrowing |
piling up statistics about the production of |
silver. some of which if not true now were !
true as gospel twenty years ago; and appeal |
ing to all those better elements in human !
nature which respond with cheerfuness and |
alacrity to the proposition to pay a dollars |
wo; tn of debt in So cents worth of silver. He |
warmed up on mortgages, OF which he said |
there were altogether too many, at too high |
a rate of interest and payable in the wrong |
coin, to make country truly prosperous
"They loaned us silver" said hc-and truth |
compels us to say. Notwithstanding our ad |
miration for the Governor and our timidity
about the gysscutus that he was Just triae