The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1895-10-12
THE DECEPTION cxsoske.

THE DECEPTION CxPoske.
Voter. Last Fan v.Sre Bnocoed by Re-
i.Ai,iir,sSi Observation-Disclosures:
It is largely assumed by our repii6s
lican friends that the men of demo-
cratic antecedents who voted the re-
4pu.,1iean ticket last fall wifi do SO this
year and next for the slime reason.
Hence they entertain very lively hopes
Of d victory in Kentucky this year and
of sweeping tho ces.ntry next year.
This view oulits several Important
factors: Last year the republicans
told the people and made some Of
them believe that the democrats
brought Oh the lienic and were respon-
sible for the depression III business.
They told the people that the tariff
bill which became law last August
wcttld be followed by reductions of
wages; SUSPENSIONS OF the mills and
general distress. They also promised
that il control Of the house was given
them they wost1d put an end TO tariff
agitation:
In view of this plan Of campaign, get
fresh in the minds OF tho people, Sem
atof LeXovV; Of New York, Recently
said that tic Else in wages must neces-
sarily be temporary, for Unless it was
SO tho republicans ''were wrong and
had been wrong all the time" Yet
the increase III wager has continued
and now they are higher in some in
stances than they were befcrs the
plnie This is revelation to more
people than Senator Lexow. It must
be especially revelation to these who
thought last fall that the democrats
had caused the panic. What really
caused the panic is thus told in an cx-
change:
Tho reason for the passage OF the Shcrn1 an
act was stated long ago by Senator Jones'; 81
Mckinley bill vas sent 10 tho senate by tho
house about the middle OF May Senator
Jones servel notice Oh his republican, sSl=
leagues when the silver bill was in conference
committee carly in July that II the COMMITTEES
did not agree enough votes OF republican sem
the Mckinley bill, which had not been taken
up for consideration at that ti:ne to defeat ts
promise bill was passed, and then the McIkil-
ley bill went through afterward. livery one
can see now that it would havc been TAR bet
ter for the republican p irty II that tn reat had
been treated with Indifference Had the rc-
suit been the defeat OF tho Mckinley bill the
democrats would have been deprived Of tho
ammunition which enabled them to win the
sweeping victories OF 1859 and 1879: ana to pass
the Wilson-G orman bill There would have
had boon no legislation on tho silver question
there would have been no increased purchases
Of stlvor ana no financial panic In 1872"
The candid and truthful statement
is taken from that well.AuovYn repub-
lican paper, the Chicago Tribune, of
July 6, 1906. In the light of the facts
there set forth it is clear that the voters
who hold the balance of power in the
elections of last fall were buncoed 10y
being made to believe that the dePres-
sion in business, reductions of wages
and general distress were due to the
accession Of tho democrats to power
and the tariff legislation that followed.
Such republicans as Senator Lexow
and the editor of the Tribune see
clearly enough now that this is not the
case, and it is not to be presumed that
the democrats who were deceived last
fall can be induced to vote the rcpub-
lican ticket q second time rsthe same
reason.
The extract cited from the Tribune
shows that the corrupt bargain by
which the Mckinley bill and the Sher-
man bill became laws was at the bot
tom of all the business trou bles of the
fore. had nothing to do with them, and
if business revival and advance of
wages should not be permanent it will
be due entirely to matters affecting
the currency, and not at all to the re-
vision of the tariff. The currency agi-
tation is the only thing which now
threatens the continuance of prosper
ity. Whether the republicans, when
congress meets, will keep their pledge
not to revivc tariff agitation remains
to be seen. At all events, it is pretty
clear that they will not be able to
| work the tariff as the cause Of bust
ness depression for any democratic
votes at the coming election. That de-
| ception has been pretty effectually ex-
posed by the "inexorable logic of
events. Courier-Journal.