The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1894-10-04

raxrs If we could get Walkers ail-
tery;;ew With the Republican bosses |,
when he joined their ranks, we ,souls'
find something as rich, rare and ra !,
- his celebrated petition to the
President. Would it not have pee !.
AMUSING to have seen Walker on his
knees conrcssing his error and beg
ging for pardon, before Billy M q
Cam Stamp, Jake Yost, Dave Bailey,
and that tea party for calling them
highway robbers in the days OF fe-aa-
justment.
The Republicans claim that the {,
Democrats are responsible for "hara
tines Why9 ."Because they nave q,
been in power in all branches q the :,
government since Slarch eth, 1894. s
Bnt let MS reason together about this
matter. All effects are produced by
causes. What is the cause as claim
ed BY the Republicans? Ihat the
Democrats have been in power tor
about Is months? But the hard
times commenced in 1890, when the
Republicans were in power. Then'
according to Republican reasoning,
they arc responsible, as the hard
times begun under Harrison's admin
nd tba Democrats can only
be blamed for not checking them.
But how could they do so without
some legislation? The panic reach
cd its worst in 1898, before the Dem
ocratic administration had time to
pass a single law. Did not the Dem !,
ocrats do all they could to check
them, and that over Republican OBJ
struction, by the repeal of the sher-
man purchasing clause? Have they
not repealed the obnoxious Mckinney
law, under which we lived until Au-
Gust 90? But hard times are the
effect of laws, not policy,and the hard
times we have are the effect OF laws
passed by Republicans. If theDem-
ocrats are responsible for hard times
it is sn account of some law they have
passed. Could it be the repeal OF
the Sherman silver law? Was 1t
because they reclaim the public lands
from the corporations to whom the
Republicans had given them? Could
it be the repeal Of the fraudulent
pensions? We hardly think it could
be ascribed to any Of these acts. Was
it the passage Of the tariff bill? but
that come too late; but they say It
was caused by anticipation of ia III
legislation. Now, please tell me
which makes the boy hungry, the
fact he missed his dinner or the tear
he won't get his supper? What is
it that makes the man drunk, drink
ing the whiskey or smelling the bot
tie? What is it that hurts the farm
er, the fact that he has to take .
cents for his cattle now or the fear
that he will have to take it next fall?
But look at the almost immediate
effect of the passage. of the senate
tariff bill, business resumes, furnaces
90 into blast, factories open on full
time and q general revival of bust
ness follows. Already the glow of
coming dawn brightcns to eastern
skies; purple shafts Of lightare shoot
ing across the horizon: Rosy fingered
dawn, arising from her couch Of SAT-
ron huea, begins to unbar the gates
Of day. The dark shadows in the
valleys. like the arabs, are silently
folding their tents, and is silently
stealing away. The sun Of untrans-
mitted commerce reeping above the
eastern hill tops is preparing to
march toward the zenith, where the
search light of truth will expose the
iniquitiss and corruption Of the Nc
Kinley tariff and the fulsity of Re
publican reasoning.
We give below the copy Of the OPP
orators prayer, furnished by Judge
Duncan. 1t represents coal ope-
rator petitioning Congress, and was
suggested by the speech of an opera
tor delivered at Wise County Court:
ooh! great and mighty Congress,
that hath in thy power the levying
of taxes and the imposition Of bur-
dens on the consumers Of cur coal:
Come, we pray thee, to our help; to
the help Of as poor, Wenk and de-
fenseess operators and owners against
the wiles and snares laid for our UNI
ssspecting feet by those who are
compelled to use the products Of our
mines. It's true, kind and benif-
cent Congress, that we bought the
coal lands at 80 cents an acre that
are now worth 81, 900, or more, per
acre. Ills true, oh! great Congress,
at 10 cents per ton royalty, which
our lands are bringing US, we realize
| $1,000 an acre. But, oh! good and
mighty Congress, this is not all we
want; we can't live in luxury and
grow rich and powerful as fast as we
desire on these small profits: give us
70 per cent. per ton by way Of pro-
| toofi Wv, boyo a. Ll.1 IL.