The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1896-09-18
Preacher Barkley's Misstate-
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The Rev. II. L. Barkley appear
ed before an audience assembled
at the court house at Corvallis,
Oregon, ON last Monday evening
to discourse populistic Organism
to mixed crowd of people of diff
ferent political faith. The people
had heard of Rev. Barkley as a
man from whom they might ex-
pect expressions Of candor and
truth. He gave his hearers to un-
derstand that he had been re-
publican. He was one of those
so called republicans who went
into the republican convention at
Marion county, Oregon, and ac-
cepted the nomination for repre-
sentative and was elected as re-
publican, when at that time he
knew in his own mind that he was
an 1mpostor-nothing but Il full
tledged populist-as well then as
he now knows that he is popu
list.
During his remarks, while he
was discussing the project OF free
coinage of silver at the ratio Of 16
to one and of reputation, he said
that if to pay in the kind of money
that contract called for, was called
reputation, then he was 'repudi-
ationists;' and we sincerely give
him credit for the acknowledge
ment of this one item of truth and
candor. In that connection he
failed to explain to his hearers that
il he called upon his neighbor o
borrow $1,000 i'll gold, and should
obtain the loan, and the contract
should stipulate that it was to be
paid in coin, when at that time all
kinds OF money with which such a
contract could be paid was equal
in value to gold, the best money
and it had been the settled policy
OF the country to keep all moneys
at an equal value-and afterward
the borrower should connive with
and cause the government officials
Claw making power) to create a
new and different condition of
money, of one half or one fourth
of the value of the gold borrowed,
and the borrower should take such
deprecated money and pay his
neighbor for the gold borrowed by
returning to him one-fourth or one
half the value thereof,i if that would
be honest before God or man.
In this connection his remarks
were calculated to again deceive
the people by appealing to the
prejudice of his hearers, in CRITICS
ing the dislike of the English peo
pie to take their pay in silver for
contracts on which they had ori
ginaIly given gold; but this is beg
ging the question-hcnesty is right
and rascality and reputation are
wrong. If it is honest to pay our
next door neighbor i'll halfvaIue
money, it would be right to pay
people in England the same, Ii it
is wrong to pay creditors i'll foreign
countries in half money. SO it would
be dishonest to pay our neighbor
in like manner. True honesty is
made of .ssterner stuff than to be
brushed aside with ridicule or pre-
judice. Perhaps the conscience OF
the speaker was not acute enough
to perceive the distinction, but the
ordinary business world recognizes
it. Again he said that Ex- Presi-
dent Harrison said, that ''If McKin-
ley was elected president, the gov
ernment would continue to issue
interest bearing bonds," and they
would continue to issue such bouds
until $9.OO0,000,O00 We're issued.
Where or when was this said by
Mr.. Harrison, or any other repub-
lican of sense or honesty? Why
did he not honestly and fairly tell
his hearers that during the twenty
eight years of republican rule
from 1864 to 1S92-the economic
and financial policy of the repub
llcan party had paid off over four
fifths of national debt so large
that 1T seemed Incredible to many
that it could ever be paid. Dur
ino all that time the revenues of
the country accumulated smoothly
aud without friction or inconyen-
ience to her people, and only a
few years ago the accumulated
revenues of the government were
so abundant, under republican rule,
that there was serious talk in con-
gress and out OF congress, of adopt
ing measures to divide the accu
mutation in the treasury among
the several states.
Even with a so called clerical
gentleman of his mental caliber
there should be pretense, at least,
to statements of some degree of
consistency and truth.
He also quoted few words from
Mr.. Blaine, which, taken alone and
if one did not know all that Mr..
Blaine SAID, would naturally leave
the impression that Mr.. Blaine
said and meant entirely the oppo-
site of what Blaine did actually