The Globe-republican., 1902-10-16
IN A WANTON SPIRIT
TARIFF TINkERS ARE LIKE MIS-
| CHIEvOUS BOYS
Eager to Make Hole in the Protec-
ton Dam, Apparently in Ignorance
Of the Dire Disaster Which They
WouId Thus Preeipitate Upon the
Country.

Gentlemen who are advocating the
reimbursement of the tariff and the dis
1urbing of business interests and of
the existing conditions which make
for general prosperity are hard to
please They are mischievous or
ignorant Though they are con-
fronted with unexampled prosperity
IN every part of the country they do
not seem to know it. There are few
idle men in any branch of industry
Every competent workin gman who
really wishes to get employment has
little difficulty in finding it The
want columns of the newspapers
are filed with demands for every kind
of labor and the situations wanted"
columns have dwindled in CORE
spending degree. In addition to the
marvellous activity in every line of
manufacture and trade, the country is
on the eve of the most abundant har-
vests known in many years. Appar-
emily there will be no crop failure of
any kind Corn, wheat and cotton will
be marketed in enormous quantities.
and undoubtedly will fetch good
prices There will be an abundance
of corn for feeding cattle, which
should make lower prices for beef
and the packers will have better prof
its at lower prices than they have had
this year.
What ais these chronic indictments
and discontents whose feelings find
expression in the jeremiads of such
calamity howlers as Bryan? What is
the matter with them? Are they dis
tressed because of Astounding prosper
ity? Do they in a spirit of malice or
reck1essness long to experiment with
another condition of affairs? Have
they not yet learned the lesson that it
is better to leave we'll enough
alone?'' Might it not be advantageous
for Chicago, for instance, to feel
the impulse of the good times all
about us and reap some of the benefits
which other cities are enjoying?
The effort to disturb existing con
d1tions in trade and business for the
purpose of giving occupation to GER
tain class of restless politicians who
have nothing to do in prosperous
times is unwise, if nothing worse
and exhibits the wanton spirit of the
small boy who defaces public build
1ngs, destroys private property and
tortures animals to give expression to
his superabundant sscussedness. i
Some of those who are so anxious to
try fthe other side and experim ent
with depression and disaster appear
to desire the fulfillment of these pro-
phecies of evil even If their fellow
citizens have to suffer therefrom
Others from lack of experience or
from sheer selishness, having no
other occupation but politics and
being on the losing side, evidently
think that bad times for other people
may be good times for them. Those
who in this spirit wish for change
should read in Mr.. Allerton's letter
printed on Tuesday last, his reference
to 1894, when as the result of demon
a1izing business and disturbing pros
perity every one was idle, old men
and young men asking for a job"
Those who desire this condition of
things, those who would like to see
the fires put out in the great mills at
South ChicagO-men walking the
streets this winter looking in vain for
employment, the highways full of
tramps and hobos, the corridors of the
city hall and the police stations
crowded with vagrants-men women
and children actually perishing from
hunger and Goodwill do what they
can to reverse present conditions
They will subscribe to the program
which the calamity how1ers would like
to have carried out for the delectation
OF their misguided followers. 1t is
only candidates out of Office and poll
ticians out of jobs who would have a
Nchange.'' They will not be gratified
for prosperity is the issue and all
other questions are secondary Chi
cago Tribune,
Old Story; Modern Application