The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1897-02-23
LOOTING THE PEOPLE.
7 arif to Be Revised In the In
terest of Monopoly.
MARX HANNA's LATEST DICTUM.

Years Grip on the Government, VIII
of the Greedy Interests That Control It.
While pretending to be Democratic
paper the st. Paul Globe gave its sup
port during the recent campaign to
Mark Hanna and the money trust; but
The Globe is now beginning to realize
what it should have known before, that
the Republican party is not to be relied
upon to do anything for the people as
opposed to organized wealth. Here is
its plant:
The decision Of Mr.. Hanna, who has
kindly consented to run this country for
awhile, that political agitation" must
cease for the next four years, is wholly
Ineligible. With only few weeks yet
to elapse before the new administration
is to come into power, it has so far
manifested its plans and purposes as to
evoke storm of hostile criticism, and
to make it clear that if another election
were to be held before the 4th of March
the Republican party would be excluded
from power by a majority as decisive as
that recorded in its favor last November.
It has done this by blasting every hope
and classifying every promise that bloom
ed into life during the campaign.
Having assured its grip upon the ma
chinery Of government for the next four
years, it has announced its plan to run
that machinery, without regard to the
peoples interest, for the sole benefit of
the powerful and greedy interests that
control it. What Mr.. Hanna means by
the vague phrase political agitation"
he does not condescend to inform us.
Political agitation, in the shape of criti-
cism of men and measures, of the sug-
gestion Of new policies and the discus
sion of old, is always under way in this
country and always will be as long as
the people pretend to manage their own
affairs
A very desperate, dangerous and I'M
necessary political agitation has been
begun and is to be carried to completion
by the discussion Of Mr.. Hanna, in
dorsed by Mr.. Mckinley. This is the
revision of the tariff in the interest of
monopoly, which is to be carried out by
congress at a special session to be called
Immediately after the Inauguration.
There is no more need, excuse or apology
for this proceeding than for declaring
war against Russia or dumping all the
gold in the United States treasury into
New York harbor. 1t is q breach of faith
with the people, because public opinion
compelled practical silence except at
Canton last year on the tariff question
and determined that the issue of the
campaign should be the reform Of our
monetary system.
AS a promise that this would be car
ried out, Mr.. Hanna and his lieutenants
announced during and after the cam
paign that popular education on the
financial question would be carried on
actively in the interval between cleo
tions. This is the promise which Mr..
Hanna has now determined to with
draw, and this is the only meaning that
can be attributed to his statement con-
corning the cessation of political agi-
tation. #*#
This is all that any man has expected
who is familiar with the Republican,
party and the influences that dominate
it. 1t is as hopeless to change those as
it is to try to galvanize a corpse into
new life or to restore to vigorous growth
an organism already far advanced in the
process of putrefaction.
The programme of the Republican
party is to prepare unlimited distress
for all business interests of this country
by prolonging political agitation" as
to the tariff and perpetuating existing
uncertainty and apprehension as to our
finances. 1t is, Furthermore, to assure
at the end of its four years tenure an
overwhelming revolution by Disguised
and outraged people, that will reck lit
tie what havoc it may play with our
finances if only it can cry quits with
the mercenary and perjured men who
have already repudiated the issues of the
last campaign and have fixed rapacious
eyes upon the looting of the people fol-
four years, in the interest Of corporate
power and individual greed. The alb
sence of single patriotic though with
regard to this policy is even less notable
than its utter indifference to ordinary
political expediency after US the del.
uge" ought to be adopted as the Repub'
lican motto and stamped upon all the
stationery used at Republican headquar.
ters hereafter.