Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1902-04-18
MAKES THE BLOOD BOIL.
Western RepublicanRfsesU Up Against
His Swinish brethren of
the East.

republican representative who is
prominent enough to be a member of
the ways and means committee is
quoted as saying: My blood boiled
when L STOOD IN our last conference on
Cuba and watched the members of my
party passing through the tellers.''
why did his blood boil? Was it be-
cause SO many OF his party voted
against aHordIng any relief TO Cuba?
was 1t because they disregarded every
consideration of honor and expedi-
ency? Not at all. This was a western
republican, and his blood boiled be-
cause the eastern members of the
party would not vote their western
pals their Share of the spoils, says the
Chicago Chronicle.
Says this unnamed westerner: For
the first time. there was a chance to
apply the principle of protection to the
advantage of western agriculturists.
Yet these men from the east walked
up, virtually saying that
when it came to division of the pro-
lection spoils the west had no rights
which they were bound to respect.
That was what made my blood boil
with Indignation.
This at least has the merit of frank
ness. This statesman's blood did not
boil because of the wrong done to the
consumer, who is the victim of the
tariff system of rapine, but because
the eastern republicans would not vote
to victimize him Still further.
There is more of cold blood than of
boiling blood in his statement of what
the western republicans have done for
their eastern pals. They (the east
erners) have never asked anything we
have not accorded them, irrespective
of the rights of the consumers"
Here we have very cool confession
that this western representative (of
what?) knew perfectly well that con-
sumers had. rights and that western
consumers were the victims and not
the beneficiaries, and yet that he and
other western republicans never hesi-
tated to give the eastern benefciaries
all they demanded, regardless of the
rights Of western consumers.
Will western consumers who read
this confession entertain more kindly
feelings toward these western repre-
sentatives, who it is admitted have rep
resented eastern rather than western
interests and who have voted to bleed
their own constituents to build up the
private fortunes of eastern capitalists,
than toward the eastern members of
the tariff robbers roost?
Not if they have perception of the
fitness of things.
While il. has been true in the past
that the members of the great tariff
trust have succeeded in pulling to-
gether at critical times, there is much
that is hopeful in the current dissen-
sions among them. When they begin
to admit that their system is one of
organized rapine and to fall out over
the spoils the leaders may get together
again, but the followers are rather
likely to perceive that they have been
victims as we'll as followers and make
up their minds that they have followed
long enough and that it is high time
for them to assert their rights as con-
Sumers.
Mere quarrels among leaders may
not signify party disruption, but quar-
rels which expose the leaders in the
character of confessed plunderers OF
the people may reasonably be expect
ed to produce some effect upon the
minds of the people.
1t may reasonably be expected TIC
oturn them away from leaders who con
TESS to being robbers to leaders of an,
other kind.