Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-05-24
The Hon. Seth Cobb.


those gentlemen of the super-wealthy
class who affect Democracy in this
state. In fact. he is the kind of Dem
crat to delight the heart of every lex
elheimer and Heidelbacher in both
hemispheres. While solacing him
self at his club where he finds that the
comforting drinks. the excellent vi
ands, and the good fellowship of the
gentlemen with whom he associates,
are SO harmonious that he wishes the
same blessing could descend upon his
party, or while surrounded by the
lares and penates of his comfortable
home. and enjoying the fragrance of
his cigar in the seclusion of his Ii
brary, if he gives casual thought to
the political situation he finds much
food for uncomfortable reflections: not
that he has any cause to complain of
his own position as dispenser of hand
outs in this administration, in which
role he feels he has achieved distinc-
ton not lightly to be spoken of and to
which feeling every political hoboe
that solicits his assistance gives en-
phasis. The thing that fills him with
disquiet is the evident rest and dissat-
isfaction prevailing on every side,
both within and without the party,
and the bitter denunciation of an ad-
ministration that has beamed SO benef-
icently upon him, and which he finds
it so cheering to have intimate and
friendly relations with.
1t is but natural that he should be
surprised at the prevailing discomfort
in the rural districts and elsewhere,
for the class in which he moves is as
far removed from the common people
of the land as the East is from the
West. He finds no want or suffering
among his acquaintance. They are
in most instances as we'll clad, as well
housed, and as we'll fed as he is him
self. He is informed through the dali
ly papers that there has been a vast
increase in that army of idle men, de-
nominated tramps, many of whom
would work if they could procure it,
and many of whom would not work
under any circumstances. This condi-
ton of affairs he regards as deplora-
able, but he is fully persuaded that if
his party had followed his lead last
summer, and promptly completed the
demonstration of silver, as Mr.. Cleve-
land requested it to Go, and not per-
mitted the country to be spectators
to a protracted struggle over the mat
ter in Congress, there would have
been hardly ripple Of excitement.
True, the demonstration of silver had
the effect Of all other contractions of
the currency, to increase the burden
of the debtor and decrease the value
of property, but in view of the bless
ings of the symmetrical gold standard,
had the matter not been obscured by
needless discussion, the debtor would
have assumed his increased burden,
and the farmer and mechanic would
have endorsed their reduced capacity
and the reduction of the value of their
property, with the patriotic fortitude
of the heroes of Valley Forge and
Trenton.
Mr.. Cobb has perhaps frequently
asked himself, what does the rude
and inexperienced multitude know
about the laws of trade and finance,
and such delicate matters as banking
and currency? and very likely agrees
with Mr.. E. L. Godkin of the New
York Evening Post that the power of
the people to interfere in such mat
ters constitutes one of the chief dan
gers that flow from universal suffrage.
When Mr.. Cobb, by way of variety,
wandered from the floors of the stock
exchange into the arena of politics.
his political affiliations were chosen
more for convenience than from any
profound political convictions. He
had, no doubt, acquired the habit of
voting the Democratic ticket-a habit
to be mmended-without giving Sc
rious attention to the principles of the
party. just now we have too many
men of this kind occupying high place
in the party. some of whom have no
better title to the nome of Democrat
than Senator Brice, who tossed up
dollar in order to ascertain whether he
was to be a Democrat or Republican.
This class of men regard the Democra-
cy of jefferson and jackson as anti
quated and the brand they use as much
superior to it as the parlor car is to
the stagecoach. They regard the in
terests of the banker, the railroad
magnate, the mining baron, and the
manufacturer, as the true business
interests of the country. anc the inter-
ests of the masses quite good enough
to be noticed in party platforms and po-
litical speeches, but not to be consid-
cred in actual legislation. The rural