Evening journal., 1894-06-01
MuRkY.


MURKY.
The atmosphere about Washington is
iitly described as being "murky" with
rumorsof bribes and corrupt deals over the
tariff bill. There is nothing strange and
nothing unusual about this. The fact is
that It is the common as well as the in
evltable evil that always has aud always
must accompany public Legislation for
private interests
The legislation is commonly alleged to
be protective. There are various in
terpretaiions of protection, but there is
but one application OF IT, There is but
one class Of persons seeking protection.
They allege various reasons why protec
tion should be granted TO them. many Of
which are foolish many of which are
plausible, many Of which are susplciously
selfish. many Of which are patent frauds
But for various reasons impossible TO ex
plain, sometimes impossible TO compre-
hend, they all 60.
Protection is sought and protection is
granted The reasons stated are not
always the reasons which influence the
persons who get protection or the per-
sons who, as legislators, grant protec-
tion. But these all 60, too.
Protection, OF course, Is benefit to
somebody Those who urge it grant
that. They always allege that it is not
for their own benefit they seek it, but for
the benefit Of somebody else. II pressed
for specification and explanation they
will admit that they derive some benefit,
but they will deny that they derive all
the benefit
The admission that protection protects
somebody needs nothing else to con-
demn it, because It must be at the
expense OF somebody else. II is not
condemned because the interest of the
protected persons is so great, it ramifes
so as to include so many interests, it
realizes so much money, 1t accumulates
so much wealth in the possession Of
few, that It not only becomes respectable,
but is able to offer such large rewards
TO the Legislators, that they are cor
rupted
Hence, though the atmosphere at
Washington is murky with these runners
Of fraud, bribery aud general corruption.
the thing still goes on, even under a
Democratic administration elected with
a direct command in the platform to re-
duce the tariff and abolish the fraud OF
Republican protection, and elected
against the protest Of those who alleged
that It was free trade party. These
money devils OF protectio nism have ap-
peared in the lobby and tainted the
atmosphere Of Washington so that theiI
offences against honesty, civilization and
patriotism cry out to high heaven with
no effect They pervAde the camp ol
the loyal army Of reform and tempt even
the sentinels TO betray..
The people will have TO take the mat
ter In hand and send a Congress tC
Washington, the members of which vii
not dare to propose single protective
law. Il has become understood thai
protection means fraud that protection
hides monopolies, injustice, promotes
bribery, and harbors all other evils which
can be associated with money aud legis'
lRtion.
This is not because the men Of thii
Congress are worse than the men Of am
other Congress, but because the system
Of protecting industries Is the system
by which industries are benefited
Tor enriched. aud by which mem
bers Of the legislature are bribed
The two go together One give
and the other takes. For so much none
that protection allows the protecte
factory to make, the benefciarles Of th
protected factory will subscribe to th
campaign fund. or re-elecs the legislator