The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-05-22
A MODEL CONGRESSMAN.

PROF. M'CLEARY AND CONDOLENCES
-UNFATHoNABLE BATHOS.
1t is one of the perpetual wonders
which distress an intelligent mind
how little sense it takes to make a
Congressman. There is our school
master friend, Prof. McCleary, NJ. c.,
of the Second district, who has given
up teaching the young idea how to
shoot, and is going cunning for silver.
that ancient and venerable metal
which was money in the world ages
before his ancestors learned to wea r
breeches.
His mind seems to be like some of
our marshes,-too muddy to walk in
and too shallow to float inf you at
tempt to follow him you cannot swim,
you simply stick and sink.
This philosopher lectured the boys
of the University the other day, Ia
great effort Is being made to pervert
the youthful intelligence. and thus he
spake-as no sensible man ever spake
before:
Some honest silverites argue that
the prices of wheat and cotton depend
upon the price of silver. and it is true
the prices Of these products do seem
to follow along, varying in general
way as the price of silver varies. But
this is merely a coincidence and not
result. A number of other people
were on the train on which I came
from Mankato this morning. Would
| be justified in saying they were
there because I was? My wife and son
were with me. and it might be reason
ed that they were on the train be-
cause was, because there is no rela-
reasoned that if a number Of farm
products go Ip or down in price to-
gether, this is due to their relation
ship. But to argue that one or two
farm products go up or down because
silver goes up or down is the veriest
nonsense. There is no relation ship be-
tween them.
There is logic for you!
The schoolmaster thinks there is no
more relation of cause aud effect be-
tween the fall Of silver, for ttoenty
gears, and the continuous parallel fall
in the prices of the great staples Of
the worlds industry, than there is be-
tween the fact that lot of travellers
are on the same train with him, on
the same trip, from Mankato to St.
Paul! Oh Lord! May his merciful
supervision shelter an intellect so
poorly endowed as to make such a
comparison!
But if Prof. McCleary had for. tace,,ty
gears past, observed that whenever he
took railroad car, or steamboat. or
stage-coach the same men, women
and children took the same convey
ance, and went with him, he might
very properly conclude that their
coming and going had something to
do with his own movements. Not to
reach that conclusion would be to
write himself down an ass. For it
would be an absolute, physical impos-
sibility that all those individuals
could, during all those years, be pres
ent with him, in all his journeyings. by
accident. And it is equally impossible
that when silver was demonetized and
began to sink in value, all the worlds
staples should. by accident, sink step
by step with it; rising, temporarily,
when silver took brief flirt upwards,
and falling again, down, down, as it
fell.
And then member of Congress. one
of the lawmakers Of the greatest ma
ton on earth, says this is just like his
taking a trip from Mankato to St.
Paul, and finding lot of people there
travelling in the same direction!!l
May the Lord in his infinite mercy
pardon the fools in the Second dis
trict who sent such man to Con-
gress! They shake ones faith in the
durability of free institutions.
Back to your chalk and your black
board and your memorising,-school-
master.