Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-08-01


tariff tinkering" that they are op-
posed to Cuban reciprocity, would do
well to seriously ponder this editorial
paragraph from the Washington Post:
The Republican party will do nothing
practical on the trust question as long as
1t Is afraid to revise the tariff.
To understand thoroughly the force
of that sentence 1t is only necessary to
recall what the Post is. 1t is an ex-
ceedingly brilliant paper. 1t is doubt
full If any paper in America is more
ably edited. 1t is independent. 1t is
goldbuggish and also high protective
shouter. 1t was great ndmirer and
stanch supporter Of President Nc
Kinley and all his works; but the Post,
with the skill Of great physician,
makes correct diagnosis of the trust
disease, recognizing Its origin and sug-
costing the remedy-"tarif revision"
Everybody with two ideas above q
mud turtle knows that Mr.. Havemeyer,
president Of the sugar trust, told the
truth when he said, "The high protec-
tive tariff is the mother of trusts" The
Post wants the Republicans to revise
the tariff, because it knows that unless
the Republicans do it the Democrats
will. OF course such hidebound Re-
publican organs as the Globe-Democrat
will kick like steers at the Posts sug-
gestion, but the fact remains that the
Independent press of the country,
which the Post represents. and the in
dependent voters Of the land, for which
it speaks, hold the balance of power
at the elections. While the foregoing
paragraph from the Post is mild hint
to the powers that be, it serves to show
which way the wind is blowing.
Another Straw.
Hon. Chester I. Long mournfully and
prophetically remarks, 'If the Repub-
lican party confesses that reciprocity
is too great a problem for it to solve,
it will matter little who is the candi-
date in 1904" And Clester's head is
level. Who is he? What is his evil
dence worth? He represents the big
Seventh Kansas district, made famous
by Jerry Simpson. He is candidate
for reelection to the house and for
election to succeed Hon. William A.
Harris in the senate of the United
States. lie is Republican member of
the committee on ways and means,
and he is in favor of Cuban reciprocity
and other bits of reciprocity, deeming
it necessary to Republican success.
What is reciprocity? Free trade in
spots. Charge. Chester. charges"
Gall.
For undiluted, concentrated gall
commend us to Senator ]. Ralph Bur-
ton Of Kansas. Certainly IL there were
n worlds fair for gall held anywhere
beneath the yaulted skies Burton
would walk away with the blue RIB
BONN fact, with all the ribbons. He
would have no competitor. In q
speech before the Republican state con-
vention Of Missouri the senator said:
There is no capital so valuable in poll
tics as integrity of purpose, and would
impress upon the people of Missouri that
1t Is to the advantage of them all, Demo-
Gratis and Republicans alike, that their
state should be Republican. Missouri has
the finest kind of climate the greatest
amount of raw material, the richest land
and the greatest natural advantages of
any state. 1t is a great producing state.
Production is wealth. 1t is better and
safer than trade.
"There is no capital so valuable In
politics as integrity of purpose" Very
true, senator, very true, but even with
your gall you will hardly have the face
to claim that yon have patent on that
opinion or that you originated II. The
value of that dictum lies in the appI-
cation. How do you apply it? BY say
ing, Il would impress upon the people
of Missouri that it is to the advantage
Of them all, Democrats and Repub-
licans alike, that their state should be
Republican" Indeed! That is queer
non sequitur. Missouri was Republican
for eight years.. e., by frauds un-
equaled in the history of the human
race-and by wholesale and brutal dis
franchisement the Republicans held
the offices in Missouri for eight years,
and the outlandish manner in which
they abused their power and plundered
the people during those eight years is
the very reason the state will never go
Republican again. The debt piled up
on the state like Pelion upon Ossa by
the Republicans during their brief orgy
of crime is not quite paid off yet-after
thirty-two years. During their mis-
rule, no matter how people voted or by
how large majority Democratic can
didates were elected, Republicans We're
counted in. Drake and his gang would
not permit Frank P. Blair to vote,
though he created the Republican par
ty in Missouri, fought four years as a
Union soldier, commanded corps in
Sherman's march to the sea and was
pronounced by General Grant to be
one Of the best two volunteer officers
in the army. They swindled General
James Shields-the brave old Irish he
TO, major general in both the Mexican
md civil wars-out of seat In con-
gress, giving it to some obscure Re
publican whose name / am happy to
say have forgotten. Shields was shot
through the lungs with a grapeshot in
Mexico and fought Stonewall jackson
tooth and nail III the valley Of Vir-
ginia. Nevertheless he was robbed of
a seat in congress by the most heart
less set of political freebooters that
ever cursed any state in the Union
When the Democrats came into their
own again, they promptly sent Shields
then an old man and broken III health,
to the senate of the United States,
thereby enabling him to boast that he
was the only man in American history