Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1896-10-28
BxYANIsMs.
Sharon. October I6

Gratis and POpulists do not consider the
tariff an issue of any great Importance
In the present campaign their papers
are saying comparatively little about it
and are not trying to answer all the
misleading statements made in its ia
vor by the McKinleyites. Many repub-
licans reading their pet tariff theories
and finding no one giving enough atten-
ton to them to contradict them are be-
coming grounded in tire belief that
there is only one side to the tariff ques-
ton. This feeling among republicans
have learned by conversing with some
of them IN the last few weeks l hope
they Will read the following item and
ponder it.
Passing by the marble shop in Medi-
cine Lodge short time ago l dropped
in TO Chat moment with the owner,
Mr.. Sherlock, whose politics, by the
way, do not know. He was engaged
on job for which he is to get $50. He
said Il used to get 500 for the same
JOB and my marble costs me more now
than 1t did then. 1t is not imported
marble but is quarried in this country"
| expressed surprise and asked him why
marble should be higher now while al
most everything is cheaper-measured
in gold. He replied ut is because a
trust under the name Of Slosson & Co.
controls all the marble quarries of this
country and they have put up the price.
| we must pay them whatever they ask
or do without the marble as there is
practically no competition in the bust
ness. | can order from Kansas City.
st. Louis or Chicago but it costs me
exactly the same laid down here, as the
trust has even got the freight regulat-
ed" This SloSson & Co. and other pro-
motors of trusts which destroy
competition in many different articles
produced in this country are the fellows
who are leading the cry of "Protection
to American IDdustries!" Controlling
the product of the United States they
want the foreign product shut out by
tariff wall so that they can continue to
charge the people exorbitant prices.
protection to American Industry"
sounds well and many who now oppose
a protective tariff would favor it could
| its various abuses be eliminated from
| it.
No sooner do the gold standard
speech makers get shut up on one point
than they fly toanOther as unreasonable
as the first. Chester Long in his Har-
per speech lahored to prove that an in
crease IN the volume of money Will not
cause higher prices provided other con-
ditlons remain the same. Though he
was opposing large number of the
standard writers OH finance, he seemed
to think he was succeeding and with
great satisfaction to himself cited the
case of France and Switzerland. France
is said to have about thirty five dollars
per capita in circulation and Switzer-
land only four or five dollars per
capita. The two countries join and
| their natural resources seem to be about
equal, yet Notwithstanding the differ
ence in the amount of their circulating
medium, prices of commodities are
about the same in both countries. Mr..
Long stated the situation correctly so
far as know and was unable at first
to reconcile it with the well established
principle that price depends largely on
the volume of primary money, but after
some study and investigation l think
the explanation is this: These two
countries enjoying free trade with each
other, there is nothing to prevent free
exchange of merchandise between the
two countries any more than there is
between the people of Kansas and those
of Missouri, consequently prices must
of necessity rate about the same in both
countries, for as soon as they rise ma
terially in one country. products VIII
flow in from the other and regulate and
equaliZe prices. This case of France
and Switzerland is no evidence that the
volume of money does not affect prices
So long as there is nothing except dis
lance to obstruct the two countries and
the money of each country is fully hon
ored and passes current in the other
they are practically ONE country, the
same as Kansas and Nebraska are parts
of one country.
Most of US are so constituted that
when proposition looks clear and
plain to us we feel but little forbear-
ance for one who differs radically with
us and are likely to attribute his no
tions of the subject to ignorance or
prejudice. But as for me this year |
have good deal Of sympathy for the
average republican when | remember
that he gets his ideas largely from his
party newspapers and free campaign
matter" And when [ think of the
tangled maze ne must wade through,
the long winded articles, misleading
statements and false reasoning he has
to contend with, | am inclined to pity
him. 1t is really no wonder republi-
can whose affections are with his party
and who reads its papers from week to
week does not change his views even
though he now and then has the other
side presented TO him. The sophistry,
the false reasoning and falsehoods
blended with truth are enough to COM
pletely befuddle and befog him. /
know whereof speak for | am taking