The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1896-10-10
A oLAP-TRAP POLITICIAN.

If anyone ever had doubt that the
Hon. John b. Mitchell was dema-
gogue and clap-trap politician, he
had only to listen to the speech the
senator delivered in this city last
night.
The first position of Importance the
senator took was that all the pros
perity ever known in the United
States was the result of the protective
policy OF the republican party, which
eliminated in the enactment OF the
Mckinley tariff law of 1890. The sem
ator undertook to prove this position
by comparing the prosperity OF 1892
with the depression of 1893. He held
that the country was unusually pros
porous under republican legislation
during the last year of Presiden6 Har-
rison's administration, but during the
year 1893, under democratic legisla-
ton, banks failed, factories suspended
and business generally was dis
turbed.
Such assertions as these might be
excused if coming from q country
petafoger, but when coming from a
man who was in the United States
senate during the times referred to,
cannot be excused. Senator Mitchell,
as we'll as all who have any knowledge
of passing events, know, that there
was no change in the tariff policies ct
the government in 1893, and that dur
ing that year the disastrous results
were under the Mckinley law. The
present tariff law was reported from
the house to the senate on March 20,
1894, and was not reported on by the
senatea finance committee until April
2, 1884. After the bill was passed no
part of it went into effect until August
l, 1894, and the law did not go into
full effect until Jan. i, 1895. There
fore the assertion of Senator Mitchell
that the result was fromdemocratic leg
islation is wholly without foundation.
and is the machination only of a clap
trap politician.
Senator Mitchell and all his hearers
know that the only general legislation
enacted by congress in 1893 was the
repeal of the Sherman silver purchas-
ing act by the special session, the last
blow to silver, in short the act that
took silver out of the markets in the
United States. either as a commercial
commodity or money. So the sena-
tors position that tariff legislation
was the cause of the depressions dur
ing 1898 were about as ridiculous as
his attempt to establish his consist
sncy upon the money question. II his
argument proved anything as being
the cause of the panic of 1893, it was
the repeal of the Sherman law, since
that was the only legislation enacted
by congress in that year.
: When Mr.. Mitchell took up the
money question he proved to be as
much at sea as he was on the question
of tariff. He reiterated his statement
of last January that it was as impos-
sible to get an international agree
ment as it was to build a railroad to
Mars, under the circumstances that
existed at that time, because Presi-
ident Cleveland was monometalist,
and would repel any attempt at an
international agreement. But Mr..
Mitchell held an international agree
ment would be reached in a short
time after Mr.. Mckinley should be
inaugurated as president, because the
English house of commons had last
March passed two resolutions favor
ing bimetalism. What wonderful"
power is this to change TIE mind of
such man as Senator Mitchell! He
ought to remember that the house of
cammons passed the Irish home rule
bill, but the house of lords failed to
concur, and that there is as much
probability of the English, parliament
favoring a law looking to an inter-
national agreement for bimetalism as
there is of their granting home rule to
Ireland.
The senator's interpretation of the
financial plank of the st. Louis plat |
form was fully as weak as the defense
of his position on the money question.
He tried to twist the wording of the
platform around so as to show that it |
favored the free coinage of silver, but |
was forced to acknowledge that it de-
clared for gold standard until such a
time as England and other leading ma
tions should acquiess in the agreement,
refuting all his past arguments to the |
effect that Independent action for BIZ |
metalism is the only method by which |
bimetalism can be secur-
ed. The entire effort of Senator Nit
cheE was that of one who is desirous
Of getting his party into office, no
matter at what sacrifice.