The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-05-25
Just A Little Dirt Uncovered.

Under title of "Big amounts offer
ed Senators to vote against the tariff
bill" the trifling matter of $75,ooo is
mentioned rs single bid for single
vote. While this money looks large
to an honest constituent there is moth.
particularly unique about it in Con-
gress. The interests involved with
large manufacturers are so heavy
sometimes that $25 600 is not regard
ed as much, If by putting it where it
will do the most good, high protection
will still continue to protect. II moth.
ing else proved that there is big money
in high protection for particular indi.
viduals these constant bids for votes
prove it. 1t is not always of course
that the bidders names are made
known. The disclosure of this Sas,-
900 bid is purely accidental. 1t seems
that some one has thoughtlessly let it
out that Senator Hunton was Indirect
ly offered $4,000 for his vote, and
the like amount was rendered Senator
Kyle through his private secretary.
There is nothing strange about 1t.
Until the lobbyist knows his man he
is, of course, obliged to operate in
directly, but he operates all the same.
If tariff reform is virtually defeated
to-day land Republicans so declare II
through Chauncey Depew, who is re.
ported as saying that business will
now boom again) we may pretty safely
attribute it to the efficacy Of cash for
votes Democratic votes, Republican
votes and Populists votes. The
"boodle so called, has been dropped
carelessly around the House and Sen
ate and into the hands of male and
female lobbyists, or wherever 1t will do
the most good directly or indirectly for
revivlng business, as they say. How
devilsh patriotic and sympathetic they
are
1t is no doubt true that unless par
ticular classes are highly protected in
their highly profitable business, and to
deIlment of unprotected industries,
the business Of these particular classes
will be less profitable and hence less
detrimental to others who are more
deserving of national help and special
favor, just because they have never
yet received it. Such indeed, is the
case with the languishing farmer Of
protected America, since he can 60 to
Canada and buy American-made plows
cheaper than he can buy them at
home, just for the want OF little free
trade, don't you see 4?
The salvation of our beloved coun-
try we think, after all, lies in the val
liable knowledge the farmer is getting
from experience rather than from
books and political tracts and oratory
just before election.
As for oratory just before election,
1t don't seem to be so eloquent as it
used to be with the farmer, though it
can hardly be that native eloquence is
on the decline. We had rather attri.
butte it to the scarcity of stumps now
generally drawn, and from which our
heroic statesmen Of old used to pour
forth their burning eloquence, the i'm,
press of which would at least cover
the day of election. Mr.. Buttz, the
lobbyist involved in the recent dis
closure of several little $4,000 bids
for protection. claimed furthermore to
know where million dollars might be
reached by Senators and Representa-
tives who are willing to listen to
money talk. For one we believe |
there is too much money involved IN
tariff reformation for the present Con.
gress to effect radical reformation
against the classes and in favor of the |
masses. But let us at least give Dem
ocracy credit for having made rather
stubborn effort.