The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1896-05-15
IGNORANCE TRIUMPHANT.
The Legitimate Resuits Of Republics
Folly.


The threat and continued probability
of Mckinleys nomination awakens curl
GUS and conflicting emotions In emf
nent republican bosoms. A Washing
ton correspondent rported the other
day conversation on the subject over
heard In a group OF republican ssna-
tors. They were astounded at the sue
cess OF the Mckinley canvass. II was
not wholly due TO theunscrupulous and
mcrcenary methods of his managers.
There was an unmistakable and pow
erful demand for Mckinley among the
republican masses. But why should
there he? The man was fvol--every-
body at Washington knew that Talk
about his authorship Of the Mckinley
bill! The men who really made that
were Aldrich and Allison and Reed.
Mckinley knew no more about his own
tariff than about four-dimcnsional gc-
ometry. The clerk of his committee
gave him all his facts and figures, and
for the rest, his parrot-lke formula,
brought out on all occasions, about the
American fireside. had 10 suffice. Here
WAS n man who had neither wit nor
power Of speech, no knowledge OF
| nublic business, no force of character,
| no convictions, no courage, no salient
qualities whatever except an eNtraor-
| binary and wooden-heade self-com-
placency, and yet the masses OF the
party Of intelligence were madly de-
mand ing that this bramble be king over
them. 1t was all a strange and depress-
ing puzzle to the superior senatorial
mind.
But the mystery IL not SO profound or
insoluble. Cause produces effect as In
exorably in politics as in physics, and
the whirlwind of tariff ignorance which
the republican leaders now fear Is but
the legitimate reaping from the wind OF
folly which they have been sowing for
many years past. They themselves, u
is true, have been very cynical about
It, They have winked to each other
as they have talked about the foreigner
paving the tax. about artificially high
prices being blessing, about doubling
Isthe price Of whent by high duty, about
making the tall chimneys smoke, as
Theirs said, by legislation, and raising
wages by taxation. Of the stump they
spoke of these things with their tongues
in their checks. Believe such things
. That was not the point; there was an
other president in protection, just ~
there used to he one more in the bloody
shirt, and that was sufficient justin
cation. But il they were not serious
the farmers, the artisans, the ditchers
the banlrupts were. The gospel Q
wealth for all by taxation OF all az
rot fall on their ears campaign ate
campaign without carrying conviction
! They finally got it firmly In their head
! that the prosperity Of the country an
!, Of tho individual depends upon tariff
7, Grossly and palpably and fanaticall
? ignorant as this conviction is. u is tn
: u inevitable result of the dclusions an
!. sophistries 10 which republican leader
!, knowing better have given currcnc
- for political effect. The ultimate p'
!. litical effect they now see. TO their ov
amazemcnt and consternation--the Is
norance and fanaticism which the
themselves have helped to create, rusl
- ing in frenzy to make the pcrsoniiic'
? ton of ignorance and fanaticism reput
lican prcsident.-N. y. Post.