Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1902-09-05

Now that they are assured OF
good times for at least another
year, the experts have told the
president no financial disasters
need be feared. 1t is true that
there has been a dreadful orgy
of stock watering. It is also
true that what Secretary of the
Treasury Shaw calls the mass of
undigested industrial securities
has absorbed an alarming share
of the peoples savings. 1t is
true, again, that in New York
the reserves of the banks are
lower than prudent financiers
would wish them to be, due to
heavy loans. But the stjudges
have assured the president that
the country is rich and strong
enough to work all this out in
safety, provided no untoward
influence be exerted by the gov
ernment through legislation" !"
1t would be well if every voter
would carefully observe Mr..
Wellman's state ment. There
must be no tariff revision even
though tariff revision might ap-
pear to be an appropriate RENE
dy, because "overcapitalized in
dustrial corporations-and their
name is legion-might suffer
either loss of trade Or disappear
ance of public confidence in their
securities.
Mr.. Wellman says, SIT is
agreed by leading financiers that
if anything were to happen to
knock the props from under the
hundreds of millions of Industrial
bonds and stocks, the most seri-
Gus trouble would ensue." What
kind of "props" do these con-
Germs rest upon that these
"props' are so frail that a revi-
sion of the tariff, to meet condi-
tions which even many republi-
can newspapers and leaders ad-
NIT require, would result in
"most serious trouble?"
1t is admitted by this republi-
can correspondent that there
has been a dreadful orgy of
"stock watering" 1t is also de-
clared that what Secretary of
the Treasury Shaw calls ''the
mass of undigested Industrial
securities has "absorbed an
alarming share of the peoples
savings And yet in the face
Of these conditions nothing must
be done to disturb the advan-
tage which these watercuring
speculators enjoy through the
favor of the republican partyl
1t is interesting to observe
that these spokesmen for the
administration, these represen-
tatives of the republican party
admit that unjust advantages
are being enjoyed by the inter
ests that provide the republican
party with campaign funds and
the interests most active in op-
posing tariff revision. The only
''argument" they have to pre-
sent is that the people are not
strong enough to cope with the
evil which has grown up through
republican legislation and is
growing and thriving on the
peoples money.
1t will be remembered that
many years ago this was the
same argument used to the
American colonists who were
suffering under British oppres-
sion. Patrick Henry had heard
this same plea of ''let well enough
alone" coming, as it did, from
the Tories ofthat day. And what
did Patrick Henry say in reply
to the very kind of argument
that is being used by the spokes-
men for the republican party to-
day2 ''They tell us, SIR" said
Patrick Henry, "that we are
weak; unable to cope with SO
formidable an adversary; but
when shall webe stronger ?Will il
be the next week, or the next
year? Will it be when we are
totally disarmed and when q
British guard shall be stationed
in every house? Shall we gather
strength by irresolution and in
faction? Shall we gain means o
effective resistance by lying su
pinely on our backs and huggine
the delusive phantom of hop'
until our enemies shall hav'
bound us hand and foot?"
There is food for thought il
Patrick Henry's answer to thos'
who in 1775 advanced the ples
''let well enough alone" a ples