Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1896-02-13

gested by both the Administration and
the Republican party, for the present
depression, was increase of taxation
and Increase of our interest-bearing
debt, he told the truth but shocked
Senator Morrill's sense of propriety.
He exhibited his defective breeding
when he questioned the wisdom of con-
verting a Notwithstanding debt,
that circulated among the people as
money, into Understanding bonds
that would afford the oppressed CAPT.
talists of Europe and America safe in
vestment for their surplus funds.
1t was vulgar in him to show that
the national debt in 1866. when it
amounted to a little over two billion
six hundred million dollars, could
have been paid off with a little less
than thirteen million bales of cotton of
FIVE hundred pounds each. and a little
over one billion bushels of wheat,
while in 1894, when it amounted to
one-third of the original sum, it would
still take twenty-five million of these
same bales of cotton, and nearly bill
lion and a half of these same bushels
of wheat, to pay it-thus showing that
the farmer, Notwithstanding the enor-
nous amounts he has already paid, is
in debt, on the nations account, one
third more bushels of wheat. and twice
as many bales of cotton, as he was at
the close of the war.
Such statements as these must be
suppressed, if the proprieties are to be
preserved.
1t was an outrage to call the atten-
ton of the people to the fact that four
thousand people in this country each
owned six million dollars-an amount
equal to its assessed value, which is
only twenty-four thousand million dol
lars.
1t was brutal in him to allude to the
conspiracy by which the single gold
standard was foisted upon this country,
and the value of nearly all products re-
duced one-half.
When he came to that part of his
speech in which he reviewed the
means by which the repeal of the
Sherman act was secured-the panic
artifcally produced at the opportune
moment-the cowardly House and the
vaccillating Senate-the shameless
prostitution of the appointing power
to accomplish this end-the unmask-
ing of the executive-the exposing of
the deception he practiced to deceive
the people into believing him to be an
honest and patriotic man,-his ende-
cency caused the President pro tents
gavel to blush, and the cushions on
which the Senators reclined, to turn
scarlet. When he quoted the Presi-
dents own words by which he secured
the confidence of the people. and then
showed how he had violated every
pledge he had made, every trust that
had been placed in his keeping-how
he had abandoned tariff reform and
sold himself to the Money Dewitt is
wonder that the roof did not fall upon
him!
That Ben Tillman uttered an untruth,
or that he overstated any fact, no in
telligent man believes. That his sur
misses are correct, large majority of
the Democrats of the land are satisfied
of; but he must be taught that any
statement of facts in regard to these
matters is vulgar and liable to make
the Republic go into conniption fits,
and old Uncle Dan Voorhees, retire to a
cloak room to shed tears.
1t is safe to say that Senator Till
mans speech is the most vulgar exhi-
bition that has taken place in Washing
ton since the day that Andrew jackson
choked the life out of Nick Biddle's
United States Bank.
Given the ability, time and opportu-
nifty. we would not have said the things
in the manner that Senator Tillman
did; but his speech contained but too
much truth uncomfortable to Demo-
Gratis of the Jeffersonian standard.