The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-08-07
ELOQUENT SILENCE.
A Republican Paper Rebukes the
Republican Party.

Il
Republican Party.
ROTTENNESS HITEW ASKED.
The Times-Herald is one Of the
leading Republican papers of Illinois.
The Legislature OF the state is Re
publican. The other day, August LIST,
the Times-Herald published the fol-
lowing significant and sarcastic arti-
Gle:
The Republican party of Illinois has
some very profound sta tesmen in its
ranks. Indeed, many Of these leaders
who assume to shape the policy and
direct the affairs Of the party are so
profoundly absorbed in the consider
alton of weighty and ponderous ma
tional issues that they refuse to con-
descend to the plane Of the common
people, where they may entertain
such trifling matters as the wholesale
bribery and corruption OF lawmakers
The fact that the Legislature was
dominated during the regular session
by the most brazen and disreputable
gang Of plunderers and bribe-takers
that ever infested the capitol at
Springfield is supported by evidence
that was startling enough to arouse
Chairman Tanner and the members
Of the state central committee to &C
ton.
meeting was suddenly called. Mr..
Tanner invited the leaders and ad-
visers OF the party to meet with him
at Springfield to consider the grave
question of the hour-how to purge
the party of the disgrace brought up
on 1T by the corruptionists and save
it from reputation by the people.
How bravely they met the issue is
seen by the following:
The People Of Illinoi s-Mr, Tanner,
! do you know there isn't a sane man Of
ordinary intelligence in the state who
doubts for a moment that many Of
the representatives of your party in
the Legislature have sold their votes
to the corporations in the most scam
dalous manner. Many Of them have
been doing it for years. What meas
ure canyon offer for relieving the par
ty Of this stigma brought upon it by
corrupt lawmakers?
Mr.. Tanners answer:
| We must replace the present Demo
cratic governor with good Republi-
| can, and at the same time, in spite of
| an UNANIMOUSLY unfair Democratic ap-
portionment, whereby four Democrats
equal five Republicans throughout the
| state, we must elect Legislature
which will return Illinois to it's right
full Republican epresenta ton in the
Senate Of the United States. Above
| all, we must roll up in this state for
the Republican candidate for Presi-
dent in 1896, whoever he may be, an
old-fashioned Republican majority.
The People Of Illinois-Mr. Mason,
do you know that the party to which
you claim allegiance has sent men to
both branches Of the Legislature who
have grown wealthy by hanging up
sand bagging bills until the various
corporations affected put up large
sums of money to have the threaten
| ed legislation averted? What means
can you suggest to induce the Repub-
lican majority in the Legislature to
clear it's skirts of these imputatiOnS
and thus save the party from defeat
in 1896?
Hon. William E. Mason's answer:
Let US dodge no question, let us
avoid no issue. The Republican par
| ty has never been embarrassed by any
issue. / do not believe the silver
question will embarrass it. II it does
embarrass US some. it will embarrass
the enemy a good deal more. Our
friends, Altgeld and Hinrichsen, are
now in the free silver mire. They
thought they saw silver wave COM
ing, and 1t stopped at the Mississippi
River. The only hope they now have
is that tide Of Populism or anarchy
will lift them out of the slough of de-
spond.
The People of Illinois-Mr. Hopkins,
do you know that the party you have
so ably represented in Congress is un-
der a cloud in Illinois by reason of
wholesale trafficking in the votes Of
venal legislators? Are you in favor of
an inves tigat ton of these charges?
Congress man Hopkins answer:
This ques tion of free silver is one
that can be relegated by the Republi-
can party without losing single
vote, and one, too, that can be rele-
gated in the interests of the great
American people. What we are most
interested in on the money ques ton
is a stable finance. We want kind
Of money that is as good in the hands
of the day laborer as it is in the hands
of the capitalist or the stock broker.
We want dollar that will be worth
100 cents in exchange for farm pro-
ducts, for human labor or in the great
commercial transactions of this coun-
try with foreign nations. The Re-
publican party has secured to the
American people that kind of money.
The People of Illinois-Mr. Cullom,
do you believe it is true that bill
taxing the receipts Of the express
companies in the State of Illinois a
certain per cent on their gross earn
ings was killed by Republican sena-
tor for money consideration Do
you believe a refusal to investigate
such charges as these will stamp the
legislators with popular condemna-