The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1896-09-18
"Ex-Gov. Lyon, Of Ohio,' Rehashes
tho Same Old Chestnuts.
wHoops up THE TARIFF.
Big 9obs Of Gold Standard Ar
gument(7) Chewed Over
and Over Again.

ex-governor Lyon of Ohio" who
turns out to have been a lieutenant
governor under Foraker, was
greeted with a large, enthusiastic
and attentive audience at Library
hall on Wednesday evening, COM
posed of people of all political faiths.
A dunn corps and Graves band aided
materially in getting out a good
crowd, but the parade which had
been arranged for failed to mater
ialize, although the weather was
perfect.
When Mr.. Lyon stepped out upon
the platform he was received with
some applause and was soon after
introduced by Chas. J. Buell. who
acted as master of ceremonies. AT
ter commenting on the impression
gained of the Hills people this far
the speaker came to his subject.
Through force of habit, doubtless,
as much as anything else, Mr.. Lyon
started on the tariff. He briefly re-
viewed the tariff history of the
country, ''pointed with pride" to
the good old times experienced un-
der republican protection and
branded the democratic party as the
party of free trade, although he
we'll knew the present Wilson tariff
bill is the highest protective tariff
enactment known in the history of
American legislation except the
Mckinley bill. Lyon cared little or
nothing for this fact and took it for
granted that the ignorant people of
the west knew nothing of it. AS
usual, he claimed that the entire de-
preston was due to the 'free trade
Wilson bill" And then he told a
funny little story to illustrate some
point and keep his hearers in good
humor. Mr.. Lyon went on with
his stereotyped tariff talk and as
serted that owing to the Mckinley
bill everybody was prosperous and
contentment reigned on every hand.
The speaker failed to touch on the
condition of the United States
treasury at the close of the Harri-
son administration and paid no at
tention to the fact that at the time
Mr.. Foster, the republican secre-
tary of the treasury, was pleading
for congress to give permission for
him to issue gold bonds to replenish
our empty and depleted national cash
box. These things would have
spoiled the "ex-goyernor's" story,
SO he wisely left them out. He
next uncovered mares nest and
claimed the wretched condition of
the Irish people due to the free
trade policy of England. 1t would
have been much better had he left
this out, as picturing the wretched
condition of the common people in a
gold standard country might spoil
the gentleman s argument when he
arrived at the money issue. Here
he added another anecdote and hur-
aied on to wave the bloody shirt
vigorously for a moment and telling
how himself and the republican
party put down the democratic re-
bellion in the sixties. He lauded
the old veterans, but lost sight Of
the hundred of thousands of demo-
Gratis who wore the blue and
marched shoulder to shoulder with
himself and Major Mckinley. He
reviewed the war, but paid no at
tention to how gold went into hid
ing at the firing of the first gun,
forced the government to issue
greenbacks, deprecated that green
back fifty per cent and then beat
this amount out Of the common
people at the close OF the war by
having these greenbacks redeemed
at face value Mr.. Lyon at this
pointdepended on the ignorance(Oof
westerners and thought they knew