Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1896-05-07
IGNORANCE TRIUMPHANT.
The Legitimate Results Of Republics
Folly.

Folly.
The threat and continued probability
of Mckiniey's nomination awakens curl
Gus and conflicting emotions in emf
nent republican bosoms- A Washing
ton correspondent reported the other
day conversation on the subject over
heard in q group of republican sena-
tors They We're astounded at the sue
cess of the Mckinley canvass. 1t was
not wholly due to the INSCRIPTIONS and
mercenary methods of his managers
There was an unmistakable and pow
erful demand for Mckinley among the
republican masses. But why should
there be? The man was focl-eyery
body at Washington knew that Talb
about his authorship of the Mckinley
billi The men who really made that
We're Aldrich and Allison and Reed
Mckinley knew no more about his OVID
tariff than about four-dinensiona1 gre
ometry. The clerk of his committee
gave him all his facts and figures, and
for the rest, his parrot-like formula
brought out on all occasions, about the
American fireside, had to suffice. Hers
was a man who had neither wit MOI
power of speech. no knowledge OF
public business, no force of character
no convictions, no courage, no salient
qualities whatever except an extraor
binary and wooden-headed self-com-
placency, and yet the masses OF the
party of intelligence were madiy de
handing that this bramble be king over
them 1t was all a strange and depress-
ing puzzle to the superior senatorial
mind.
But the mystery is not so profound or
insoluble. Cause produces effect as in
eXorably in politics as in physics, and
the whirlwind of tariff ignorance which
the republican leaders now fear is but
the legitimate reaping from the wind Of
fcliy which they have been sowing for
many years past. They themselves, it
is true, have been very cynical about
it. They have winked to each other
as they have talked about the foreigner
paying the tax, about artificially high
prices being blessing, about doubling
the price of wheat by a high duty. about
making the tall chimneys smoke. as
Theirs said, by legislation, and raising
wages by taxation. Off the stump they
spoke of these things with their tongues
in their cheeks. Believe such things
That was not the point; there was an
other president in protection, just as
there used to be one more in the bloody
shirt, and that was sufficient justifi-
cation. But if they were not seriouss
the farmers, the artisans, the ditchers,
the bankrupts were. The gospel OF
wealth for all by taxation OF all did
not fall on their ears campaign after
campaign without carrying conviction.
They finally got it firmly in their heads
that the prosperity of the country and
of the individual depends upon tariff.
Grossly and palpably and fanatically
ignorant as this conviction is, it is the
inevitable result of the delusions and
sophistries to which republican leaders,
knowing better, have given currency
for political effect The ultimate po-
litical effect they now see, to their own
amazement and consternation-the ig-
torrance and fanaticism which they
themselves have helped to create, rush
ing in a frenzy to make the personifica-
ton of ignorance and fanaticism repub
Hcan preSident.-N. Y. Post.