The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-11-04
STILL FoR FREE RAD

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the only a who has ever success
fully solved the problem o. taking
the national treasury when overflow
ing and emp,J il eEpeditiously anC
completely. He also begged attention
OF the audience to the fact that not
only did the great man who was ad.
dressing them do this, but that he
turned that same treasury upside
down and anchored it in place with
an issue Of bonds. The fact that this
feat was performed at a time when
profound peace reigned and no undue
demands were made on the national
credit was not referred to, but as the
audience already knew this such
reference was not necessary. Not
withstanding the disastrous results
that followed the Cleveland expert
ment with the tariff and finances of
the country, the great expounder of
free trade insisted that only in a re-
turn to it could the country ever hope
to become really and permanently
prosperous, intimating, along with
some more of the bright lights OF his
party that the present prosperity is,
"only apparent" and has no tangible
%actuality.
The time and opportunity. for a
study of conditions the obese states
man has had during the five or more
years that have passed since the peo-
pie bundled him Inc his tariff no.
lions out of the white house seem,
however, to have caused him to mel
low a little in his judgment and opin-
ion of the beneficent results that &C.
crued to the nation as a result of put
ting his theories into practice. At
ter referring to the things that hap
pened it suddenly 'dawned on him
that the people have memories and
assuming for the moment some of his
old time spirit of stubborn defiance
he declared that he was not there ito
speak of democratic misfortunes or
miscarriages.'
In this he gave evidence of the mel
lowing process. The fact that he
was willing to concede that such a
very undesirable thing as a "miscar-
befallen the bedraggled
creature known as the democratic
party must have come as a surprise
of surprises to those who were lis
tening to him. To have expected an
of that sort from the gen
tleman who twice led the old lady
to couch would have been regarded as
proof of idiocy on the part Of those
expressing that expectation. The adj
mission may have been made in the
nature of a defense so as to clear him
self of the suspicion Of political in
and as a plea for another
trial, but whatever the cause or rea-
son it was made.
No promise that Mr.. Cleveland can
make and no assurance he may give
as to the future conduct of the old
dame in respect to observing all rea-
sonable rules of nature SO as to pre-
vent a recurrence of such a calamity,
will induce the people of the nation
to ever again entrust her with the
responsibility of maternity in any of
its stages. They know her and know
the sort of offspring that may be ex-
pected of her. They have not yet
forgotten that ill-favored product of
her womb, the Wilson bill, and do not
wish to become the enforced custo-
dams of another such a monstrosity.
Mr.. Cleveland may see, as he pro-
fesses to see, the Handwriting on the
but fulfillment of the message
it conveys will never be entrusted
to the democratic party. He may
designate as a fraud or whatever he
chooses the claim that the tariff must
be ~readjusted by it's friends, but that
will not alter the purpose Of the peo-
pie that the reimbursement shall be SO
made. AS he credits his fellow cit
with thoughtfulness, SO should
he also credit them with the poses
sion of good sense and judgment.
Both parties have been entrusted
with the responsibility of framing a
and how they discharged that
responsibility is toe we'll known of
all men to require extended or ever
passing explanation. The results that
followed the efforts of each were too
apparent to be m%isjudged or misun-
derstood. With Mr.. Cleveland the
people cheerfully and earnestly agree
that this work should not be en-
to those who have so fully
demonstrated their unfitness for the
task