The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1895-04-13
A REED SHAKEN.
Tho Pitlabso Spectacle Presented BY tho
I:x-<zlr Trimmer.

|
| means took up the question of saving
sixteen million dollars to the taxpayers
by authorizing geld boz dis for the re-
| cent loan. Mr.. r. u. Reed. the repub--
lican leader. opposed tEc mea4ure.
When the currency bill, as aIne14dcd,
vote on the first roll call, aud did not
vote on the second roll call until he
had had time to ascertain by n simple
mathematical device that the bill was
surely defeated. Then he recorded his
honor:.b bic name In: the affirmative. A
change of Il very few votes, say dozen,
with i little drumming up Of dodging
members, would have secured the pas
sage of the bill. It. is our impression
that n much greater change than that
could have been secured by Mr.. Reed
had he 50 wished. While the bill was
Reed divided tho republicans who
would have voted for Dilc bill as n
whole by raising the question of pay
ment in gold. He proposed n substi-
tt1tc which in the midst of u number Of
Confusing provisions included payment
In coin, lie ut the time knowing per-
fectly we'll that payment IN gold was
of the essence of the measure. and THAT
no other mode of payment would meet
the requirements OF tho situation.
Here we have the short and simple an
nails Of the very poor statcsmanshi of
Mr.. Reed.
1t is related of the once brilliant and
aggressive gentleman from Maine, in
the year 1890. when the Sherman bill
: Vas urged rs the only means of pre-
venting free coinage bill, and when
it was suggested that a free coinage
bill WCd!a In any case be vetoed by
President HarrisGrs that Mr.. Reed re-.
marked that he. was not acquainted
with anyone who Knew what Mr.. liar.
,rison would do or would not do with
,n<,1p 1~S1 ~ Al>-n%
ti,ns q capdidpte for renoa,ination, and
the Significance of Mr.. Reeds remark
was Obvious. A1r. Reed Is now himself
an aspirant for q presidential non1ifsa-
ton Is he acquainted with anyone
who knows what he will do or will not
do on any matter TINT may affect the
'satisfaction>of-: hfs legitimate but de-
Elofa lfzirn a1p.,itton? The doubt sug
gosted by the qilesttcr. - bitter, but it
issinevitable. Mr.. Reeds own course
compefs it: The once courageous and
rather contcn.ptuouS representa- tive.
who compelled ,aarairation for bis
cahdos and respect for his sincerity,
however ne tilax huva lacked in nan
ners, has vanished and III his place we
see the hating, timid, schen1insf, half
suppliant politician, squirming and
twisting around whatever he fancies
inlay DO Gin obstacle in his path.
And thes e1enieut in this spectacle
that is at once pitifu1 aid grctasa1e is
that, Of all possible ways, this, for Ct
man OF Mr.. Reeds mind and tempera-
faent; IS the least likely to lead to sue
cess. It is the very converse OF that
which his great rival, NJ Hlasue. fol-
lowed to tragic failure. Naturally a
plotter, the latter assumed the man
ner and sought TO make the reputation
OF d dasliing and open-llearted leader.
nature a brave aud spirited fighter,
now socks the advantages of a shire tSd
trimmer. What is common to both ca
reeTs, S<tr@t was fatal in one and is full
OF peril for the 0t1ie|: IS tbs contra
diction between the real c1iafis'tsr and |
that assumed. Mr.. Blaine could hot !
win The confidence due to a bold leader |
hecHnse ct heart he was not one, and !
MIR. Reed aaHnSa gain by the arts of |
the tricky politician SVCH the AJvnn- |
tage they are capable of giving becauss !
at heart he dcspises them and is un- |
fitted for tEcGl. This fact, obvious |
to those whose dEservation Is nnprej-
udiced, 1t Is probably tae lats for H1r. !
Reed to recognize. But if he e65i1d get |
himself into the frame Of mind habitu-
al With 1i;a enly. short year pgo,
there are soiilJ things +t'at .ws should
venture to call to his atteiiCiori with /
the hope that it would not be in vain. |
One Of these is that on the currency
Question the tendency OF public opinion
In tins tinted Ststes for the past TWEEN
ty years has been distinctly toward
honest money, which is tie eaiiss IS |
saying, in the conditions prevailing,
toward gold payments. This is shown
by tbs fSss that, tho'lg', the issue has |
never been clearly voted tfit, the more |
nearly it has been presented, the more !
decided has opinion been in the |
right direction. If it were possible |
now to put tic QUESTION to the poo
lie, unobscured and unconfuscd, the IN
swer would be overwhelmingly for
honest money. The next point to be
noted is that there is very powerful
current Of events tending to force this
issue directly upon the country. We
have pa1teretl will, it, compromised it,
deferred it, over and over again. At
every successive stage the result has
been more disastrous. The half-blind,
half coward1y hesitation in taking the
final step, paying our demand notes
once for oil in gold, and destroying
forever the last excuse for doubling
the absolute honesty of the nation,
has cost US, literally, two thousand
millions of dollars in taxes and millions
more in business losses If the Aneri-
can people once clearly understand
this, they will act with swiftness
and decision that nothing can with
stand. In that day the leader they
will choose will not be n trimmer or a
schemer. They will not choose him for
his skill in lodging issues or evading
difficulties. They will take the man
1,ax II ry7St