The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1894-10-12

while they were engaged in revising TIE
tariff, the people were employed in revis-
ing their views, and they are only await
ing an opportunity to express those re-
vised views in a constitutional way at a
national election. The people of the coun-
try were never so anxious in all their his
tory to vote as they are at this hour. And
l have been looking for some one who
would move the previous question, and
stop all debate, so that a vote might be
taken at once.
Those who voted the present admins
tration into power, and those who were
opposed to its taking control of the gov
eminent, are equally regretful and un-
happy. There probably never has been in
the political history of this country, a
greater revolution in public sentiment
than that which has taken place within
the past two years. Every s tate of the
North that has had an opportunity to vote,
has voted a condemnation of the present
administration, and an approval of Re-
publican policies and principles.
The South Is Dissatisfied Too.
Not only, my fellow citizens, has this re-
vulsion of public sentiment taken place in
the North, but there are the same evil
dences in the South. In the state of Louis
lana, less than two weeks ago, the great
sugar planters of that state met in con-
vention-men who had all their lives been
Democrats, by tradition and by practice,
publicly proclaimed their allegiance to the
principles of the national Republican
party. lGreat applause
What, my friends, has been the cause of
this mighty revulsion of public sentiment?
1t is answered in a single sentence. The
Democratic party has been running the
government for nearly 10 months, and
during that time little else has been run
ming. Every industry in this country has
been disturbed, every investment has been
imperiled. Men have found little employ.
ment in their accustomed places, and
when they have been employed it has been
at greatly reduced wages.
Congress has trifed with the sacred
trusts of the people, imperiled their invest
ments, disturbed their occupations; they
have ouarreled and comnre!Gisea And at
length we get tariff law, which nobody
approves, certainly nobody who lives be-
meath our flag; tariff law which the
president of the United States refused to
sign. A tariff law which he characterized
before its enactment as an act of party
perfidy and party dishonor. A law which
Uuc CudlrudIl Vi UI0 COulnlUU06 on WAYS
and means of the house declared to be the
product of a most gigantic trust, which
held the congress of the United States by
the throat. A law which has some protec-
ton and some free trade. 1t has some
protection for the southern section of the
country; it has a good deal of free trade
for the northern section of the country. 1t
makes wool free, and puts a tariff on
sugar. Wool is Northern product, sugar
is Southern product
That law was made, not in answer to
any demand from the American people.
not in response to any public sentiment.
not after hearing the representatives of
the vast interests of this country: but it
was made by three SCI tors--one from Ar
kansas, one from Mis-, :. and The other
from Tennessee. Thiy emocratic
senators In CAUCUS a9r yte for any
bill that that commit -ght prepare.
Tariff Laws o. and a.
All, but they say, ''Bad as the bill is it is
better than the law Of 1890" Better for
what? Better in what particular? Bet
ter for whom? Better for any American
citizen? If it served any American inter
rst at all it was the sugar trust and the
whisky trust. [Applause] Has it opened
up any new factories? las it opened up
any new industriess , it lighted