The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1897-06-05
WANAMAKERS views.

ohm Wanamaker, one of the most
successful business men in the country
and man who has always stood high
in the councils of the REPUBLICAN party,
is.evidently verging upon populism, to
judge from his remarks at the banquet
of the Business Mems league of Phila-
delphia. 1t was.a strong speech. says
the Spokane Chronicle, and shows
that Mr.. Wannamaker has at last
opened his eyes to the real condition
of the country and realizes that it is
not possible for the republican party
to bring prosperity to the country by
carrying out its present policy.
Few would have believed that staid
old business-like John Wanamaker
could have worked himself up. to such
apitch as to say:
"Thus far but one of the important
issues of the campaign is nearing set
Element, and hardly any noticeable
improvement of the wretched time is
manifest. The tide will soon get in
strongly against the republican party
unless the depression of business is
altered. Idleness and want breed q
bitter discomfort, which will never be
overcome until there are ample en-
ployments:"
That sounds populistic enough to
throw the Wall street papers into one
of their periodical spasms, doesn't
it? just read a:other paragraph how
ever and see If it doesn't sound like
the preachings of of some of the des-
pissed Westerners:
The foes America has to fear are
not the sulleD, savage Turks, nor the
territory grabbing British, but they
are our own suffering, much promised
people, who betrayed and disheartened,
no longer haye faith in their party,
and will turn to any leadership that
offers promise of better times, beliey-
ing tnat worse times can never come
than those existing. It is terrible
thing to observe public sentiment
adrift and unexplained and the people
sweeping away from their affections to
the old party. The young men are
growing up Indifferent to republican
principles with no respect for parties
or broken platforms, who use national
and state patronage in payment for
election contracts. The political re-
ligion of the nation is falling lower
and lower under insults to intelligence,
violation of law, and reckless daring
of interruptions Bosses"
Had any Western populist made such
a statement as that the Eastern papers
would never have tired of calling him
anarchist and other hard names such
as they hurled at Bryan during the
last campaign. But Wanamaker was
not content to stop there, in closing
he hints at revolutions andpother dire
calamities. He says:
.There will assuredly come day
when there will be a mighty revolt
and resistance, resulting in revo-
luton that will give birth to a new
political party. Laws continually
.despised. and disregarded, Legislation
conceived for blackmailing purposes,
speculation by public officials in trust
and other stocks, while tariff and other
financial bills are pending, most surely
and irrevocably alineate the people
from their party and awaken dispo-
sition and desperation to substitute
almost any wild and untried leader
ship with the hope of possible relief"
The remarks of Mr.. Wanamaker,
which were all in the same strain as
those above quoted, must have proved
quite shock to the sleek and we'll fed
gold bugs who were gathered around
the banquet table of the Business
Mems League of Philadelphia.