Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-08-18

the time the Benton and anti benton
fight was hottest. My father was an
intense anti-Bentonite. He hated Ben
ton so much that he rejoiced at n mis-
fortune that happened to the great sem
ator. So when Fremont ran off with
Jessie Benton and married her it tickled
my father SO that he named me for the
great Pathfinder" Among the strange
reasons why misft names have been
fastened or helpless babies that is sure
~ n of the strangest. One of my enc
mics named two dogs for me, one
Champ, the other Clark, so he could
kick them as substitutes, thus venting
his spleen in a way safe to himself.
That was amusing to everybody except
the CANNES.
Cochran could have gone to congress
from a Kansas district when he was
only 20 had he been willing to discard
Democracy and espouse Republicanism.
This he stoutly refused to do, and as a
consequence did not get there till he
was nearly 80, but he is there now, and
perhaps there to stay till he voluntari-
ly ~retires.
He has made a close study of the po-
htical situation and makes this encour-
aging statement:
The Next Congress.
ST believe the congressional elections
will be decided upon their merits and
that the Democrats will carry the house
by a handsome majority. I am aware
that the Republicans think the war
with Spain has so far overshadowed all
other issues that the people are asleep
as to all economic problems and will
allow the professional politicians, ma
nipulated by the professional lobby, to
run the government to suit themselves.
They think the money question dead
beyond resurrection, that the people are
reveling in happiness at the opportunity
to pay high tariff duties on all the neces-
saries of life, that Hannaism is just
what the people want, and, in fact,
that they cannot get enough of it. But
the war with Spain will be over in less
than 40 days, and then the people will
take up the discussion of questions that
never will be settled until they are set
tied right.
adverse crop conditions in foreign
countries raised the price of wheat for
awhile, and every 2 by 4 Republican
orator in the country was yelling, i
thought you said wheat and silver were
linked together
"Young Letter stepped in with dads
purse and on account of the scarcity of
wheat abroad cornered the visible sup
ply and rushed the price 60 or 20 cents
above the normal high level and kept
the figures there for a month or two,
and I believe one-half the Republican
political economists thought the price
would remain permanently above a dol
lar. They said so in public speeches,
and their newspapers said &c. But the
new crop caused the collapse of the
Letter corner, lower prices abroad
affected prices in this country, and
wheat is gravitating to its normal level,
which in my Judgment will be reached
by this time next year.
"The half dozen currency reform
bills brought forward by eastern talent
at this session are not calculated to al
lay the apprehension of western COM
munities. Contraction of the currency
has been the keynote of every Repub-
lican utteranoe on the subject. With
out a single exception the banking bills
proposed have been aimed to relegate
to private corporations the manipula-
ton of the paper issues of the country.
No notifications for maintenance of the
cash reserves held at the few great cen
tiers have been proposed; but, on the con-
trary, the retirement of the greenbacks
is brought forward because it is known
that this modification of existing laws
would render outlying communities still
more dependent upon the great banks Of
four Oh five cities for currency.
Campaign of 1898.
Elbow to promote borrowing and rem.
der fixed the system which predicates ev-
cry transaction upon the willingness Of
the bankers to farm out paper credits
has been the constant study of the Re-
publicans in charge of the finances OF
the government. If they think that be.
cause the United States is at war with
Spain the people are ready to acquiesce
in this system without an effort to Sc
euro a better one, they are making a
grievous mistake. The campaign of 1895
will be fought on the lines laid down
in the Chicago platform, and in 1900
that platform in its entirety will be
ratified by the Democratic national con.
vention, and William j. Bryan will be
the nominee for president.
"The effort of Republicans to make
the war a campaign issue shows that
they are not willing to base their claim to
continuance in power upon the achieve
ments of the Republican administration
or the work of the Republicans in con-
gross. They desire to shift the issue.
But the people have not forgotten their
history in the past and that nearly all
| the vicious legislation that has cursed
| the country during this generation was
| enacted during the latter years of the
civil war and the period of reconstruc-
ton. I cannot believe now that the peo-
| pie will allow the war with Spain to
distract their attention from the every
day affairs of government. When the
| people sleep, the dlshonest are actively
at work. I have no disposition to criti-
else the administration nor to call into
| question the measures ~resorted to in or
| der to prepare the country for the emer.
| gency thrust upon US. The Democrats
| have given the most hearty and unfail-
ing support to the administration, have
voted every appropriation asked, even
| where estimates were not submitted.
At the proper time we shall see that
there is an accounting. But the war
was in no sense a party question, and
the intelligence of the people will de.
| eide upon the issues before them in the
| coming elections precisely as if there
were nc war in progress. 1t is not at
all likely there will be one at that
| time"
@4bT
CONGRESSMAN E. W. CARMAcK, o