Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-08-16

Cedar Rapids, Aug. l6.--Permanent
Chairman T. ]. Mcconnell, in address
ing the Democrat State convention
here today, spoke as follows:
Mr.. Chairman and gentlemen of the
convention: Four years ago the re-
publican promise maker was abroad
in the land One-half his vocabulary
was abuse and villitication; the other
half was promise. and prosperity. In
one sentence he condemned the mon
etary policy that had served his coun-
try for eighty-one years and in an
other he painted in radiant hues the
advent of labor for all and luxury for
many. He told the electorate with
furious fervor that the day of Nc
Kirley's election would open the
mills, employ labor, push up the
price of the products of the farm. He
told the people that the smoke of
factories would ascend to the skies
until the heavens were hung in black,
that the hum of the busy wheels of
industry would drown the Cry of dis
content and silence the voice of COM
plant. He said that for every Ia
borer there would be sixteen jobs and
for every bushel of grain high
price. All this would come as a smile
of benefcent Providence upon the
election of the great, the good, the
godlike Mckinley
Some men We're frightened by his
denunciations, some were terrified by
his threats, and some were deceived
by his promises.
The present chief executive was
chosen-at least he was duly de-
clared elected, and the people waited
for the rise of smoke, the whirr. of
and the pastoral chant of plenty from
unmindful of the truth, proclaimed in
"free-plate" matter prosperity has
come" But the factory doors remain
held low. The day after election was
one of the blacklist in all the panic
days. The people waited for prosper
ity-and it did not come.
Again the promise maker came upon
the stage. His tale was the same
but his time was changed. The six
months following the election of Nc
Kinley had produced more bank and
business failures than any previous
six months in our country's history
Wait, said the promise maker, until
Mckinley is inaugurated, and then
prosperity will come indeed. Again
the people waited, the man of Mark
was duly invested with power and
patronage, but in spite of this the
promised prosperity did not come.
More Promises.
And yet third time the promise
maker came forth. Like Pharaoh Of
old he heard the peoples murmurs.
And now again he changed the time of
his tune. Wait, he said, until Nc
Kinley can call congress together and
change the tariff, and then prosperity
will come in deed and in truth. Con-
gress met in extraordinary session,
accepted the advice of the man of
destiny that the people could be
taxed rich, and brought forth the
tariff of trusts. - They christened
their new labor "Dingley'' and again
and again they shouted in unison,
Prosperity is 9come." But tt re
arose no songs of labor, no hum of
industry was heard. Confidence
did not make business nor did prom
Uses produce plenty.
Washington was in sack cloth and
ashes. The promise makers were
dumb with despair. When, 10! out
OF the orient arose a wall of suffer-
ing and want. India held forth her
f1eshless hands and pleaded for bread.
From our ports went ships grain
laden that the starving charges of
British imperialism might be fed.
And in return for our grain and pro-
visions stream of gold came into
ne land. The American farmer was
helped in demand and price for his
product, he paid the interest on his
mortgage and had something left to
spend with the retailer, the retailer
gave an order to the jobber and the
jobber drew upon the manufacturer.
And then, and not until then, did
the factory wheels begin to turn and
labor find employment.
The conspiracy of Confidence"
failed; an increase of taxes awaited
not; the prayers of the reverent
Hanna We're unanswered-but the
gods of want, the sinister deities that
parch the wheat fields of India and
bring crop failure to the lower Volga,
affected what the election, the in
auguration and the tariff tax failed
to accomplish. And yet, in spite of
claim and boast, of blatant shout and
scream, the records show that the
year 1S97-the first OF William OF
Canton-gave us 1851 business fail
ures with liabilities aggregating the
enormous total of s154,332,O71. This
was the first year of the so-called
prosperity. And this despite the fact
that the international money inter-
ests were leagued to bring gold to
this country, that they were bolster
ing up the gold reserve instead of
looting the treasury, that multitude
of public claquers were shouting
Prosperity" by night and by day.
Had the country waited for the re-
publican party to bring change in
business conditions it would be wait
ing still, rich in confidence" but
poor in purse. Our harps would be
hanging on the willows still and our
songs but Jeremaids.
The Real Causes.
Following the Indian famine and
the strenuous efforts to bring gold to
this country in order that the money
famine might be relieved, the dis
covery of gold in Alaska occurred.
Thence large quantities of bullion