The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-11-26
SENATOR STONES SPEECH
A Small Crowd at the Capital
Hears a Speech About the
Tariff and Small Matters of
State.
Special Correspondence

Special Correspondence.
Jefferson City, November 22-
The Democratic Demosthenes
of Missouri has spoken and nc
upheavel in Missouri politics will
follow. Stone has made his much
advertised speech without touch
ing the Missouri situation, side,
top or bottom. On the tariff
question he simply reiterated his
remarks in the Senate, bolstering
his claim that the new tariff law
has raised prices on certain artic-
les Of merchandise by the state
ment of two well-known Demo-
cratic merchants of ST. Louis.
who are to be still more enriched
by the schedules which affect
their merchandise. He explain
ed his votes in behalf of some
features of the tariff bill by de-
claring tht he never has been a
free trader, and believes in a
tariff to produce revenue, with
special reference to putting the
heaviest burden on luxuries,
whereas his tariff votes were in
favor of protective schedule
on metals, the iron and lead pro-
ducts of his own state having
been the special objects of his
solicitude in the Senate, because
a vote by him against protec-
tion of these Missouri products
would have meant his political
destruction. Such is the con-
sistency of the tall leaders of the
Missouri Democracy.
In comparing the expenditures
of the national government of
to-day with such expenditures
during the Cleveland regime, he
talked like any other Bourbon,
utterly ignoring the fact that the
country is now bigger, more pro-
gressiye, better equipped for all
emergencies, engaged in gigantic
enterprises, is in charge of sew
eral new possessions and cornpell-
ed to spend millions more than
Cleveland ever dreamed of. He
also ignored the growth an6 de-
velopment of Missouri in speak
ing of state expenditures. Like
all Democrats of his ilk he seems
to want the people to go back to
old times instead of going for
ward to something better. And
he also failed to note the fact
that the people now have the re-
sources with which to bear the
public burdens, condition which
did not, and could not. exist un.,
der Democratic rule.
Ignoring every matter of inn
portance involved in the policies
of the Hadley administration, he
limited his remarks on Missouri
politics to illusions to small ex-
penditures made bv Governor
Hadley out of the fund provided
for maintenance of the mansion,
including small special apppro-
priation by the last Legislature
for the purchase of surrey and
horses for the governors use.
His remarks concerning the per-
sonal expenditures of the COVER
nor were of kind in which any
back woods orator, devoid of in
formation and sense of propriety,
nigh have made.
About the larger issues of
Missouri politics he said but lit
tie. His speech, was heard by ev-
cry Democratic official and clerk
at the capital, was a distinct and
rather bitter disappointment to
his political friends, and is not
likely to be used by any intelli-
gent Democratic editor or orator
as a text or guide in discussing
the issues of the opening cam
paign. The St. Louis Republic
printed only a condensed report
of the speech. and had no editor
ial comments the day following
its delivery.
The speech was heavv frost
on the flowers of the Missouri
Democracy.