Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1896-02-20


paFty, as now organized, will ever 0leot)
inlnlstFatiOAS y0li be chiefly remarkable,
the first rs having to deal with large and
unwieldy surplus, which entailed the
necessity, az he commended, for the puF-
chase OF undue bonds at an exOrbitnnt
premium, while his last has been signal
lied, after puTsistent adherence to his pet
schemes of finance and taxation, by def
icit, by the issue of bonds, contrary to tho
law, 10 pay tho current expenses Of tho
government, and an infamous attempt to
increase the bonded debt Of the country
moro than $500, OOO, 900, and the surrender
to those same corporations which no so
abused Of the absolute control Of our paper
currency.
Tho Democratic party elected him and
reelected him and would have no other
leader. 1t must bear tho odium Of his Off
cial misdeeds, his utter lack OF statesman
ship. Flo has never been Democrat,
measured by the standard of Jefferson and
jackson. His opinions and policy on
finance have been those of Sherman, who
is not Republican, measured by the
standard of Lincoln. He differs from the
Republican party only in tho one particu-
lar Of the tariff, and on that he has blown
hot and cold rs his pet hobby and will go
down III history as the most gigantic fail
ur0 of any man who over occupied the
White House, all because Of his vanity and
obstinncy.
Now, to make good this charge, l will
recall tho fact that when he camu to power
in March, 1893, and could have called the
senate and house together democratic for
the first time since the war; to carry his
policy into effect, what did he dor Did he
call nn extra session to give tariff reform
to the peOple-the overwhelmed and
downtTodden people, whose wants and
woes he had depicted in so many speeches
and messagesI Oh, no! The policy Of
gold monomctallism, of more bonds, of
tho substitution Of national bank cur
rency for grGenbacks and silver certificates,
the scheme which was nearest his heart,
first enlisted his care and energetic action
He called congress together to stop tho
coinage Of silver.
Here was the dread alternative II tho
Sherman law was not repealed:
Unless government bonds are to be constant.
ly issued and sold to replcnish our exhausted
gold, only to be again exhausted, 1t Is appar-
ent that the operation Of the silver purchase
law now in force leads In the direction Of the
entire substitution of silver for the gold in the
government treasury, and that this must be-
followed by the payment Of all government
obligations in deprecated silver.
II the alternative was that II We did not
repeal the Sherman law VIC must issue
bonds, there was Rn implied promise or
prophecy that II We did repeal 1t we should
not have to issue any bonds.
The cry was, "Stop ths purchase Of sill
yer, stop diluting our currency, ind CONT
denoe will DO restored." He had waited
until tho "objcct lesson" tho panic man
ufaoturod to order by his fellow conspirn-
tors, had swept like q cyclone over tho
country, Frustrating oil business enterprise
and industries, and the newspapers had
howlcd in chorus in tho cars of the people
that the coinage Of silver was tho cause OF
the monetary crisis. In tho meantime ac-
tive agents had been at work arranging
for the control and manipulation OF tho
Democrats in tho house and senate when
congress should assemble. Congress met,
and so well timed had been the date Of its
RsSemblage and SO cOgent the arguments
brought to bear that the SO called repre-
FentAtivCs Of the people were swift to obey
orders. The pArty platform and its pledges
were thrown to tho dogs. Democrats
pledged to the rehabilitation of silver sur
rendered their manhood and their prlnci-
Piles at the behest Of the money power and
its representative, the president, and tho
purchasing clause Of the Sherman law was
repealed by the house with Indecent haste.
Democrats and Republicans We'd with each
other In tho furtherance Of tho policy
which had been formulated and steadily
pursued by the senator from Ohio. II no
were here, would take of my hat to him
II had 1t on my head, and do 1t now
typicAlly, as the victor Of victors in this
financial struggle Of q quarter Of a CEN
tury. HU has tho proud satisfaction Of
knowing that ho has brought tho party
which he so hutes to its knees and has lived
to SEQ many Of his old antagonists enlist
cd under his banner Of monopoly aud class
privileges. They sit ut his feet and ac-
knowledge his leadership.
When tho senate met, there was an ac-
knowlodged majority Of mon open and out
spoken In their determination to stand by
the white metal, and who were elected
on that issue. But the process Of debauch-
cry began. "Vote according to my will,
or you will havO no offices. Vote ac-
oording to my will, and If your people do
not like it will take care Of you" Tho
newspapers raved and abused tho senate.
Bankers telegraphed and wrote. Cham
bers Of commerce passed resolutions, and
slowly the senate yielded. In 90 days the
deed was done, and tho chains were rivetCd
on tho wrists Of tho toiling millions. Did
the raid on the treasury stOpY Was conf
dence restoredP Did prices rise? Did
prosperity roturn9 All these things had
been promised by this prophet, yet none Of
them came to pass.
BambooEllng the Farmers.
Congress convened in regular session,
and the farce Of tariff reform began. Tho
deinorallzed and displrlted house, under
the whip and spur OF the executive, passed
q tariff bill, md hoping to lay n pontoon
bridge BY which to pass back to thOlr out
ragged constituents they passed bill pro-
Vidlng for tho coinage Of the SeignlOrage.
They wanted to bambOozle the dear farm
era By saying, "While we repealed the
Sherman law We coined ESQ, 600, 600 Of sill
VeF," but the president would none Of 1t,
and while no attempted TO 'bulldozo the
senate into accepting the tariff measure
without amendment In spite OF his simu-
lated Veh6msnco and indignation the tariff