The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1902-05-16
REFORM THE TARIFF?
EFFECTS OF SOME PREVIOUS
EFFORTS IN THAT DIRECTION.
When Congressman DeArmond Tried 1t
Eight Years Ago Even the Mules In
Usage Township, "skeered at 1t Worse
Than at q Locomotive whistle"

In 1894 Mr.. DeArmond came home to
the bosom of his political family. fresh
from the halls OF a congress. which had
labored long and hard with the ques-
ton Of tariff reform" He came di-
rect to Clinton, and was received I'M
der an arbor, where he spoke to the
dear people on this subject for two
hours. The Republican" had hired a
Democratic III stenographer to take
the congressman's speech, that it
might be preserved for posterity, but,
after the Grafton had been delivered,
the stenographer was bought, and the
Republican could never get that
speech in long hand for love or mon
ey. Mr.. DeArmond spoke as one d.
rect from the fountain head. 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 doubtless, though not for
display, Grover C~leveland's denuncia-
ton of the tariff reform" of himself
and his colleagues, branded as party
perfidy and dishonor." All over the
sixth district Mr.. DeArmond talked
tariff REFORM" and when the polls
closed on the night of the election his
majority of thousands had dwindled
down to less than a hundred, and it's
ancient history that, had Bob Lewis
tried, he could have been the member
from tho cjyth MiccnI,r; NJ tho rnv+
session of congress. The reason for
all this was that the peculiar brand of
tariff reform" advocated by Mr.. De-
Almond had been working in the
sixth district and the people were eX-
~periencing some of it's peculiarities.
Up in Shawnee township, Charlie
Powers was buying mule colts for SIS
a head. The stock feeders were SELL
ing 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 a
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
whispering to each other, while the
cashiers whitfield boxes on street cor
ners. 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 per-
son wanted the surplus. Long trains
loaded with Mexican cattle were run
ming through the country and the fat
steers of Henry county were not worth
shipping. Since that time our con-
gresham has let tariff reform severe
ly alone as a political issue when
speaking his little piece to the people
in this neck of the woods, and has had
free silver, anti-imperialism, anti
.mericanism, down with Republican
rural mail carriers and down with the
as his plea, but the chants"
have ceased to frighten the mossbacks
and doubtless Mr.. DeArmond has con-
that his ancient argument and
is dire result has been forgotten, and
when he comes home again he will
spring it as something fresh upon the
Tariff reform!" The dog
planned thing almost knocked this
silly the only time it was ever
.ried, and they say that even the
mules in Usage township "skeer" at it
worse than at a locomotive whistle
Henry County (Mo.) Republican"