Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1902-09-11
National Issues.

but national life, as manifested in a
Republican form of government. He
Is perfectly willing to meet the enemy
on State issues, but he is not willing
to permit State issues to be used to
side track national issues, no matter
how specious the plea for so doing
may be. Every intelligent Democrat
understands that the managers Of the
Republican party are not sincere in
their attack upon the disposition which
the State administration has made of
the school funds. The nomination of
Moses Whybark and Judge Higbee for
the Supreme Bench by the last Repub-
lican convention, makes it clear that
the leaders of that party attach no
more Importance to the school fund
issue than the prudent farmer does to
the scare crow he places in his kitchen
| garden, for each of these gentlemen
voted for the obnoxious law. If it
catches any considerable number OF
votes from the ignorant and unthink-
ing, it will have served it's purpose,
and be cast aside with other political
lumber that has performed similar
Offices in other campaigns.
The contention about the Nesbit law
is Of like character. Republicans de-
clared that they would be perfectly
satisfied with it should three amend
ments they suggested be adopted.
These amendments were adopted, but
the howl against the Nesbit law still
continues. AS the Nesbit law applies
only to the city of St. Louis, the in
terest its discussion will arouse in
| other parts of the State will not be
great. Both parties in the city Of St.
Louis haye declared they are satisfied
with that law as it now stands. So
the Nesbit law issue may be classed
with the other clap-trap with which
they are making their Punch aud Judy
show for the present campaign.
The deficit in the State funds is an
other piece of stage machinery that
the logic of circumstances has obliter-
ated. Republicans claim there is a
deficit OF eleven million dollars, but
their experts cannot agree as to the
Items. The sum they have been set
to work is like one of those problems
in Rays old third part arithmetic,
where the answer was placed at the
end. They are required TO find a de-
felt of eleven millions, but no two
have yet agreed as to how the result
shall be obtained. Until the experts
find some common ground upon which
to stand, Democrats will not take very
much interest in the Republican de-
felt scheme. With these things out Of
way We come directly back to national
issues.
In the front rank OF these, and the
one that will probably o%vershadow all
others, is the money question which
the Fowler bill brings into the arena
of public discussion. This ubiquitous
measure touches everyone. 1t pro-
poses to increase the public debt by
the amount OF silver dollars in circu-
lation by providing for their redemp-
ton in gold. This, by contracting the
money Of final payment in this country,
will make every debt in the land
larger. The farmer who can now
pay his debts with a thousand bushels
Of wheat will, after that legislation,
find that it will take twelve hundred
bushels to discharge 1t, provided there
Is no sudden and enormous increase In
gold production. In making this pre-
diction the REGISTER recognizes the
law that a contraction OF the money of
final account enhances It's value and
reduces the value of all property not
artiicially protected by trusts and
other combinations-a law which is
appealed to every week by financial
journals on both sides of the Atlantic.
When people understand that the
Fowler bill will have the tendency to re-
duce the price OF wheat they have to
sell and enhance the price Of the
money they are compelled to buy, they
will not be pleased with 1t. Besides
adding to the public debt and each In.
dividual's private debt, 1T proposes to
retire the greenbacks and the present
national bank notes and substitute
therefor a national bank note secured
by commercial stocks and bonds. In
that event, as has been before pointed
out by the REGISTER, the shady stocks
and bonds OF a corporation may be un-
loaded upon the country. The pro-
motors OF this scheme want to know
why the holder of government bonds
should enjoy a monopoly Of double in
terest. They demand that the holders
OF municipal, railroad and trust stocks
and bonds should share the sam
privileges as the holders Of govern
ment bonds. They demand that the
present private banking system should
L. ---y--.l iii 49, 1891 I.-t-