Evening journal., 1893-07-06
WEAKENs THE MIND, WARPs THE
MORALS


MORALS.
It is as true as Gospel that a man who
uses the wrong words does not know
what he is talking about. Words stand
for ideas, hence the more he says the
more ridiculous he makes himself.
Giving his own definition, one not
known to any Greek scholar, Of psyche
logical Mr. Hastings attempts to take
Senator Gray to task for a position
Senator Gray did not take and says:
I want to remind Mr. Gray Mr..
Bayard and all the lesser lights among
our Democratic orators in the late Presi.
Dental campaign that they promised the
workingman steadier employment,
higher wages and cheaper commodities,
and the farmer higher price for the
product of his land In the event Of Demo.
cratic success at the polls. OF course
he does not quote. EDITOR That sue
cess was achieved, but IL does not now
look as If any Of those wild and reckless
promises could be fulfilled. Sensible
men knew at the time they were made
that they were false and misleading, and
intended TO be so.
Neither Mr.. Gray nor Mr. Bayard ever
promised workingmen steadier employ
ment or higher wages. They did not
promise the farmer higher prices They
did promise to take away the protective
robbery from such institutions as the
Hastings q seidel mill, because It is not
a poor'house, an asylum or charitable
institution.
That they will do.
Hastings q Seidel would, we believe.
In that event, pay better wages than they
pay now. If not, the men would carry
their labor into unprotected industries
where better wages are paid now. The
capital Of the firm would then be idle.
Hastings and Seidel could not stand
that. They would go into some industry
that is profitable without any bonus
from Congress. They, in that event.
would be Independent Of Congress and
politics. The country would have a
business that stands on its own merits
and, as a consequence, wages would be
better, and the prices Of the commodity
lower.
That is the philosophy, the political
economy, and the common sense Of the
teaching Of Gray, Bayard and all the
Democratic orators.
Mr., Hastings is wrong. innocently
ignorant and careless, however not
Intentionally untruthful, in stat.
ing that the Democratic orators
promised the things he alleges.
They did promise to reduce the tariff and
did state that. when the protection rob
berry shall have been taken away from
the business Of collecting money to sup
port the government, those other bless
ings will follow That is true; they
will follow.
But nobody ever promised, and no man
who cared for what he was saying would
accuse Gray and Bayard Of promising
that the election of Cleveland would
change anybody's wages or increase the
price Of wheat.
The came man who would say that
would be likewise either careless o,
ignorant enough to build an argument on
the misuse Of the word psychological. 2
The fact is, the more we learn about
protectionism. the more ignorant and
vulgar 1t appears.
1t is a stupid fallacy. maintained by
falsehood, for private greed, like slavery.
We would be pleased to hear what
Mr.. Hastings has to say upon some sub
jeet with which his business has made
him familiar, but when he explains the
meaning Of Greek derivative, out of his
head, and misstates the position Of Gray
and Bayard in manner that is as false
as 1t is vulgar we say that he is as vain
as he proved himself to be ignorant.
Proteetionism weakens the mind and
warps the morals.