The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1894-06-14
TOOLS OF THE TRUST.
WHAT THE TARIFF MANAGERS
APPEAR TO BE.
Democrats Of the Majority Confronted
With an Awful Dilema-The lnvincible
silver Dollar-An Are In Favor Of Silver
Echoes From Exchanges.
knayeS or Fools, Which:


The Indianapolis Nonconiormist re-
CATION SAYS: 1t is not probable that
1t will be shown that any Senator has
actually taken SO much casI. Tor his
influence Or vote. Even If this has
been done it is doubtless too we'll COW
cred up for an investigating committee
to unearth. What stands out i'll bold
relief, however, is the fact that the
whole majority party has been guilty
of moral, ii no5 actual, bribery. 1t Is
plain that they have violated their
personal pledges IS well us those of
their party. 1t is 1ually evident that
the Legislation they have proposed
are trying to Tut through is not the
legislation they were elected to enact,
exactly the opposite. 1t is also APP
parent that the sole beneticlaries of
this legislation are certain trusts, COM
bines and special classes, while the
people are to derive no advantages at
all. On the face of it therefore it looks
like there had been wholesale sell
out. The burden of proof rests on the
movers IN this business to clear their
skirts. \ man will hardly stultify
himself as these Sena ors are doing
without some powerful motive. Surely
II man, if left free to choose, will pre-
fer to act honestly. When he elects
to act dishonesty the supposition is
irresistible that he has been paid to do
SO. The suspicion is greatly strength
eued by the fact, clear to all, that GER
tain interests will be greatly benefited
by his dishonest conduct and that they
can we'll afford to pay for having done
practically what the suspected party
Is doing.
The Democrats of the majority are
confronted with an awful dilema on
one or the other of whose horns they
must inevitably be gored. Ii they are
not rascals they are fools. On the first
hypothesis, that they have been bought
up, their conduct can be logically ex-
planned. On the last, that they have
lost their wits, the ciaritably inclined
might find reason Tor their marvellous
antics, but it will require great
stretch of credulitv to come to this
conclusion. BY supporting the So
called amended tariff bill the Demo
Gratis are trampling their party plat
form under foot, are disregarding the
advice of their whole party press and
universal demands at the present hour.
To state the case still more strongly,
every one of them must know that
their course, if persisted in, means
party suicide and the political ruin of
every Senator who is caught in the
trap. Now, is it reasonable to suppose
that a lot of experienced politicians
would do this? Is it rational to sup
pose that they would deliberately
travel crooked path to ruin when
the straight road to salvation was
plain before them? In other words,
was there ever a politician who would
deliberately cut off his own head by
spurning his party's desires, when he
could retain his place and popularity
by doing what his party insisted he
should do?
Thus we return to the original prop
osition that unless all the Democratic
Senators have suddenly turned fools
they must stand before the country as
self-confessed knaves. Therefore, we
repeat, the burden of proof rests upon
them. Contrary to the usual rule in
criminal practice, they must prove
! their own innocence instead of being
| presumed to be innocent until proved
guilty. They must show to the inves-
| tigating committee why they have
| urged a tariff bill that puts millions
into the pockets of the sugar trust
when their platform pledges them to
cut this trusts financial throat by TAX
| ing away even the favors it already
has. They must show the committee
their motives for extending the bonded
period for whisky. for favoring the
| iron and coal combines, for giving
every trust in the land the exact SEIZED.
ules it wants in a bill pretending tc
| reduce the tariff They must explain
why every one of their 400 amendment.
raises instead of lowers the specific
duty with which it deals. If they can
do all this successfully they may claim
before the country that they are no,
knaves. If they can't, they must ac-
cept the other alternative that they
are fools. 1t is along these lines tina,
the committee mus. investigate. if it
investigates satisfactorily. rather than
| AS to whether some particular Senator
was offered valgar bride in solid
cash. There is no escaping the diem
ma. II the tariff managers are not
mere hired tools OF the trusts there
are no words i'll the English language
to describe their utter imbecility.
For. while the man who sells his
birthright for a mess of pottage is ad-
laitted by all 20 have acted with fa,u.
Gus follor, what is to be thought Of
him who sells his bir.hright and does
not even ge. the mess OF pottage in
exchange?
The Invincible Silver Dollar.
| As dollar the silver dollar Of the
fathers is unexcellei. Despite the
| persecution that has been Its lot j,
goes forward doing cool and paying
debts. No matter how much silver
| fuctuates in the marke: the silver dol
lar keeps right on doing business al
| the same old stand. Before i. was pol