The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-05-23
TARIFF REFORM
Mules "Skeer" at 1t Worse Than at q
Locomotive Whistle.

Mules "Skeer" at 1t Worse Than at a
Locomotive Whistle.
In 1894 Mr.. De Almond came home to
TIE bosom of his political family fresh
from the halls of a congress which had
iabored long and hard with the ques-
ton of ''tariff reform" He came direct
to Clinton and was received under an
arbor, where he spoke to the dear peo-
pie on this subject for two hours. The
Republican had hired a Democratic
court stenographer to take the con-
gressman's speech that it might be pre-
served for posterity, but after the ora
ton had been delivered the stenogra-
pher was bought, and The Republican
could never get that speech in long
hand for love or money. Mr.. De Ar
mond spoke as one direct from the
fountainhead. He came straight from
Washington, where he had seen the
sugar trust and George Vest laboring
with tariff reform" on the floor Of the
senate, and he brought with him doubt
less, though not for display, Grover
Cleveland's denunciation of the tariff
REFORM of himself and his colleagues,
branded as party perfidy and dis
honor" All over the Sixth district Mr..
De Almond talked tariff REFORM" and
when the polls closed on the night Of
The election his majority of thousands
had dwindled to less than a hundred,
and it's ancient history that had Bob
Lewis tried he could have been the
member from the Sixth Missouri at the
next session Of congress.
The reason for all this was that the
peculiar brand of tariff reform" adj
vocated by Mr.. De Almond had been
working in the Sixth district, and the
people were experiencing some Of its
peculiarities. Up in Shawnee town.
ship Charlie Powers was buying mule
colts for $15 head. The stock FEED
ers were selling their fat cattle in the
Kansas City markets for about what
the hide and horns were worth under a
protective tariff. Calves were worth
about the price Of jack rabbits, and
horses sold on the streets of Clinton for
So head The banks were as good as
closed, and gilt edged paper could not
get a hundred dollars for thirty days.
Bank presidents spent their time whis-
pering to each other, while the cashiers
whitfield boxes on street corners. The
| mills shut down, and there was no
| market for their products; the coal
mines followed suit because coal was
not needed at the mills. People had
| plenty and to spare, but no person
wanted the surplus. Long trains load
ed with Mexican cattle were running
through the country, and the fat steers
of Henry county were not worth ship
ping. Since that time our congressman
has let tariff reform severely alone as
political issue when speaking his lit
tie piece to the people in this neck of
| the woods and has had free silver, anti
| imperialism. anti-Americanism, down
with Republican rural mail carriers
| and down with the trusts as his plea.
but the chants have ceased to fright
| en- the mossbacks, and doubtless Mr..
De Almond has concluded that his an
Gent argument with it's dire result has
been forgotten, and when he comes
home again he will spring it as some
thing fresh upon the voters. 'Tariff
reformw The dog blamed thing al
most knocked this county silly the only
time it was ever tried, and they say
that even the mules in Usage township
"skeer' at it worse than at locomo-
tive whistle.-Henry County (Mo) Re-
publican.
| Manila Spaniards Celebrate.
\ Manila, May 19.-The coronation of
King Alfonso was celebrated with
much ceremony by all the Spanish