Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1904-09-15
HARMONY IN PARTY
UNITED DEMOCRACY IN READI-
NESS FOR CAMPAIGN.
Strong Contrast to the fractional Dis
turbances Prevailing in the Repub-
Iican Ranks-Seemingly Little Doubt
of Victory in November.

The Democrats are united as they
have not been before for ten years,
and Parker and Davis will receive the
normal vote of the party with good
many recruits from their opponents.
The Republicans are split into fac
tons on several issues. Nearly all the
old Hanna machine men are disgrun-
tied as they see a young element of
their party in the saddle and they will
not pull hard on the traces unless they
are paid for their work either in
money or promises. In West Virginia,
Delaware, New York, New Jersey,
Massachusetts and Wisconsin, the
rival Republican factions are intent on
defeating each other and one or the
other faction have no faith in or love
for Candidate Roosevelt, though most
of them declare they will vote for him.
In these and other states there are
minor factions and important Repub-
licans who while keeping within party
lines are opposed to their candidates
for president and do not mind saying
so in private conversation. The
glamour of the Rough Rider has worn
off and the business interests of the
country have more weight in politics
than the imperialistic element.
That is the great danger to the
Rough Rider. The farmers have dis
covered that the trusts are bleeding
them and that the high price of wheat
is more than offset by the increased
cost of what they buy. The work
irn
their protection, for the Republican
majority in Congress refused to lis
ten to their prayer for legislation for
the eight-hour bill, the anti-injunction
bill and other lesser laws labor thinks
necessary for its salvation. All the
Republican leaders favor the open
shop and most of them are openly in
sympathy with the Parry organiza-
ton of protected trusts and manufac-
turerS.
Wages and being reduced and strikes
are numerous, and the cost of living
is still advancing, which does not
inspire confidence in the economic pol
icies of the Republican party of those
who are suffering from loss of wages
and increased cost of food.
The trusts have decreased the prof
its of the small storekeepers, while
rents and household expenses are
higher than ever before, and the op-
portunities for increased business is
monopolized by the great department
stores, who can purchase of the trusts
at much less than the small store
keeper has to pay.
People with limited incomes find
| their expenses have increased while
their reveneus are stationary. All
| these people are inquiring why the
trusts should be protected by the tar
iff in selling their products at the
highest possible price here and a
much lower price in foreign coun-
tries. Many of the voters have dis
covered that the tariff prevents COM
| petition and fosters monopoly and that
| the increased cost for their products
that the monopolists charge is much
greater tax than the government re-
| ceives.
The revenues of the United States
are declining and the expenses are
| greater than ever before in time of
peace. Not only have the expenses of
| the government increased much faster
in proportion than the population, but
| neither President Roosevelt, his cabi-
net, nor the Republican majority in
Congress have offered any solution of
| the problem, but are all intent on
| letting we'll enough alone" and have
| paralyzed the industries of the coun-
try with a do-nothing policy by fight
ing all proposals for reform.
The government departments are
extravagant and filed with grafters
which the Republican party has re-
fused to investigate, although evil
dence was plentiful that but begin
ming had been made in exposing the
| frauds through a partisan investiga-
ton of but two bureaus of the post
office department.
knowledge of all these sins of the
Republican party is finding lodgment
in the hearts of many voters and they
have determined on a change. Upon
the surface of the political field all is
still and serene, but there are mutter-
ings in the homes of the farmers, the
cottages of the artisan and the tene'
ments of the laboring men that bodies
i'll for the Republican candidates. The
still small voice of reason is working
more changes of sentiment than the
hired and blatant notes of the trust
apologist can overcome, blare he
| never so loudly, and there is quiet
determination to turn the rascals
out"