Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-12-07
An Era Of Choapness


been made pubhc by the Democratic
members of the Ways and Means com
mltiee Of congress while II does not
remotely rfn CT that feature of the
National D,mncratic platform which
declared the American system Of pro
lection unconstitutional" IL one
which IL adopted would undoubtedly
produce "cheapness." "Cheapness"
is among the first and the last pur.
poses Of the Democratic free traders.
Tn bring about this great and glorious
"chtap' eia Of American hi.t,r'
III ,ny men va krd up To the polls last
fail AID voted for Cleveland aud n
Democratic congress. To bring about
'cheapness" many voted to destroy
that system Of protection to home in
dustries under which workmen earned
higher wages with which to purchase
the slightly deArrr coat. To bring
about this era Of "chtapness" many OF
our citizens voted to shut down the
industries Of the thousands Of Amer
lean citizens who were dependent upon
the wages received from these indus
tries for money with which to buy the
wheat, the corn, the vegetables, the
butter, the beef, the pork, aud the
produce Of the farm, Of Kansas.
There never has been an era when "A
man could buy things M cheap a. he
can this chilly December day, Wheat
only last week touched the lowest
figure II has 7, ach,d since Joseph had
n corner on II down 10 Egypt. 1t Is 50
cheap that the Dickinson county
farmer must give two bushels to pay IA
debt which only year or 81 ago he
could have paid with one bushel.
Cotton Ia 80 cheap that mills arr clos
ing their doors and the ma krt is
chok,d with cheap goods. Iron
manufactures we're never 80 "cheap'
as at this very moment, yet iron mines
are silent, furnaces have gone out In
all parts of the country and mills are
stepped, idle men swarm Ia the streets
waiting for a chance to earn dIllar
with which To buy bread aud meat from
the farmer. Silver is cheaper" than
It has been since the day that Solomon
completed the Temple AZ Jerusalem,
but silver mines are closed and car
loads Of idle men are passing thrOugl |
Abilene toward the east In Btarch If
labor.
"Cheapnpss" without parallel has
been gained by the mere threat Of the
enactment OF tariff bill which would
destroy our industries aud throw cur
laburing men out of employment, The
Nation which WIS nj the top notch OF
prosperity one year ago has been
plunged into a condition Of the severesi
Oppression. "Cheapness" has come
for sure, but with IL has also come the
compulsory idleness Of men, the cassa-
tion of wagrs to thousands of the con-
umers of the proiu;ls Of the Kansas
farmer, aud the general stagnation of
trade.
The Democrats who voted that pro.
lection to American irdu,try and to
our local markets In "uucoustilutional"
arc havirg very furcible object lesson
On the "cheapness # the prices of
cnmmod ties. The purpose Vt the bill
just formulated and published this
week is to further increase the effect
of this era Of "chrapuess".
Probably the only way to teach a
certain class OF people the folly o.
"cheapness" Is to give them such q
whole ONE lesson uf It's DISASTROUS ef
tccts MI, NJ once every halt century. II
would seem that almost any farmer
ought to have been able TO see tnat thu
adoption Of any policy that would d
struy the business and labor If thus,
who buy what the farm has to sell
would necessarily destroy the ma krt foI
Kansas farm products. But the Dem
ncrats and populists have voted upon
ths theory that "oheApneFs' is the one
essential 10 agricultural success.
"Buy where you can buy cheapest,
shout Sid Cooke ard john Davis IL
unison, Well, the people have haC
several months Of "cheupuess" and III,
| uuaatinu Ia bou do thew liku iy