The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1895-11-30
Has Tom the sIeasles7

Has Tom the Measles?
Bro0king Individual:-Once on time
in country town in the empire state
the Methodists were running revival i
meetings. There had been great re-
ligious awakening. Several Of the worst
sinners had come forward and confessed
their sins and been blessed as it were.
There was one young man who had
manifested a good deal OF interest. The
good people had made him subject OF
special prayer. lie soon began to be
troubled. He couldn't sleep. He lost
his appetite and lost all interest in his
business, became despondent, his eyes
grew red and his appetite failed him.
The church people noticed his troubled
condition and said that he was laboring
under deep convictions. They called on
him and prayed for him, but he didn'
seem to get any relief. He seemed as
bad off after as before taking. This con-
dition of things soon absorbed great in
terest. A great discussion arose in the
congregation. Some thought that lie
had committed The objectionable sin,
others thought that he had sinned away
the day Of grace, still others thought
that he had mistaken conviction for
conversion. Things run on in this way
for several days. One day the young
man sat down by the stove and got to
sweating and it came out all over him.
Then it was discovered that great mis-
take had been made, that instead of
religion it was the measles that was the
trouble with him.
The point that we wish to bring out
by this story is that two concurrent
events do not prove cause and effect.
That because one thing happens while
another thing is in existence does not
prove that one causes the other.
While it is possible that lowering of
the tariff at a time when the country was
on the verge of moral, mentral and f.
nancial ruin may have aggravated the
panic, it does not necessarily follow that
the lowering of the tariff caused the
panic, neither does it prove that free
trade is not correct national policy.
Continuing, friend Bishop says: "We
are in the hole badly. Stacy, and we did
not get there under protection"
That is a question on which we differ.
We believe that we did get there under
protection. We don't think that protec-
tion had much to do with our getting
there, but it is historical fact that the
financial crash came early in 1898 and
the Mckinley bill was repealed in June
1894, over a year after the financial crash
came. This fact is admitted by the most
pronounced pofitlcianists. They admit
that the financial crisis came under
protection, but explain the facts in this
way; ..hey say: the crisis occurred in
49, While the Mckinley law was in full
force, but the Democrats had secured
control OF every branch of the genera
government and it was known that il
was only question of a few month!
when the protective tariff law would be
repealed and an era of free trade ushered
in. This condition Of things made capi
tai timid and the manufacturers woult
not manufacture commodities under a
protective system and the condition:
that prevailed at such times. knowing
that they would have to dispose OF thei
wares under free trade conditions.
We don't believe that this explanation
is correct. We don't believe that a coun
try that is in perfectly healthy fnan
cial condition can be plunged into tn.
/. depths ofruin in few months by mer,
change of economic and industrial
policy. We believe that the causes thai
(. brought on the panic and Frustrated tht
commercial world were in existence fol
at least dozen years before the crasl
came.
During the past hundred years thert
has been panic about every eighteen O
twenty years. People have as rule at
tributed these conditions to causes tina
have been quite Insignificant. We ebeliey
that panics are but the reaction of husf
times. We believe that il Bro. Bishol
lives three years longer he will see NOR
, business failures than he has seen dur
t the past fifteen years. By that time tn
. market will be pretty we'll cleared Q
manufactured articles, all tho weak firm
will have been forced to the wall. Thei
il he should live about ten year longe
. he would see times renew. He will Sc
about ten years OF great industrial acti,
ity. During this period credits woul
II be easy, speculations will run high. me
will get credit who ought not to. TT
world will get so much in debt thi
" liquidation can only come throug
% bankruptcy. The people who have SON
hobby ON the tariff will blame the go
~ ernment for not carrying ont their whil
N and every man who has peculiar vles
on the money question will think th'
10 it is because the government hasr
adopted his ideas. So 1t will 60, eve
one will think that the trouble is b
90 cause the government has not been ru
ming on his plan.