The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-16
Demagogy in the House.

T is not likely that the debate in the
house Of representatives over the
currency bill will throw much new
night upon the money question in gen
eral, although it may serve to make
little clearer some of the obnoxious
features Of the particular measure I'M
der consideration.
AS far as can be gathered from the
meager reports telegraphed, the OPP
ponents of the measure are basing their
arguments upon correct economic
grounds, while in support of 1t there
is mass Of g!lt-edged rhetoric, and
ad-captandum catch phraslng such as
characterized the campaign of 1896
For downright demagogy, the speech
of Mr.. Dolliver Of Iowa could not cas-
lily be outdone. This gentleman began
his congressional career in 1889, at the
opening of the Fifty-frst congress. In
common with Mr.. Henderson and all
the other members Of the Iowa delega-
ton, with one possible exception, Mr..
Dolliver was then silver man to the
extent of being positively and agrees
sively opposed to the gold standard.
He was not quite decided upon the
question of free coinage, but he knew
that the gold standard was bad thing,
and he said SO loudly and often.
He says now that he has learned bet
ter. Replying to question PROFOUND
ed by Mr.. Cox, he declared that he was
not willing to have the minis opened,
even by International agreement. He
asserts that he has had his last
whirl with silver" and "has been
humbuggsd for the last time"
1t would have been interesting If he
had explained who "humbugged" him,
and what his giant brain was doing
while some "wild-eyed hayseed crank"
was humbugging him. Every source
Of information was open to him, and
there was no reason why ne should
not have understood the question in
stead of allowing himself to be hum
plugged" by somebody.
But he knows it all now, sure enough.
He has taken his stand upon a lofty
plane of superiority from which, in
the consciousness Of his thorough and
illimitable knowledge of the subject, he
can look down in supreme disdain upon
those who once humbugged him by
filing him from his waist-band to his
neck with silver hash-heesh. I'm
fortunately. however. there is no evil
dence of his knowing any more about
the subject than he did ten years ago.
separate and apart from his lordly as
sumption. His speech was simply a
star play to the galleries, and we ven
ture the opinion that from the begin
ming to the end, it contains not a sin
gle statement that shows even the most
primary knowledge of economic princi-
PIES.
OF course. we are not fully advised as
to the precise nature of the great light
that has so suddenly struck him, but
he threw out a couple of suggestions
which probably give a fair idea of it.
He quoted Mr.. Bryan TO the effect that
the gold standard could not be en-
acted without q universal fall of prices
and then he dramatically challenged
any democrat to say that Mr.. Bryan
knew what he was talking about. No
body responded, and Mr.. Dollfver went
on his way triumphant. Think of that
for an argument!
In the first place. it Is not at all likely
that Mr.. Bryan ever made the state
ment in the form quoted, and if he did,
1t was in connection with other things
necessary to be considered in order to
fairly deal with the statement Mr..
Delivers bluff might easily have been
called by the simple reply that the gold
standard had not been enacted" and