Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 May 1896 — AMAZING MENDACITY. [ARTICLE]

AMAZING MENDACITY.

DISPROVED CLAIMS OF REPUB* LICANS. That Party Has Been One of Extravagance, Repudiation, and PanicBreeding Financial Stupidity—Protection Leads to Inevitable Disaster Historical Indiana Wboop-’er-Ups. Indiana Republicans are singularly successful In epitomizing what they ask people to believe is the history of their party. “From Lincoln to Harrison,’’ they say, “under a wise policy of protection and reciprocity, we steadily decreased our bonded debt, resumed specie payments, maintained the public credit, kept unimpaired the gold reserve, increased the wealth of the whole country and added to the comfort and happiness of the people to a degree unparalleled in the history of nations.” “We” Republicans did all this, of course. The industry, skill, enterprise a»d Inventive faculty of the people Irrespective of party do not count. It was the “wise poliey of protection and reciprocity” that did it all. And, strangely enough, the reciprocity, which was not thought of until 1890, and then only as a vote-catching device, is, so far as It goes, the diametrical opposite and contradiction of protection. “We” steadily decreased our bonded debt. But who increased that debt from a mere trifle in 1860 to more than $2,700,000,000? “We” maintained the public credit But who brought it so low that greenbacks.: were worth at one time no more than 37 cents on the dollar and bonds were worth no more than greenbacks? “We” resumed specie specie payments. But who suspended In 1862 and continued the suspension for nearly seventeen years, even repudiating the promise to give bonds for the irredeemable greenbacks? “We” kept unimpaired the gold reserve. But where was that reserve before 1878 and who sent it flying in 1800? TSie Indiana epitome of Republican party history If It had been put forth In 1877, after the party had been in full control for sixteen years, would have been regarded as the work of a bitter enemy, full of broad irony and derision. Indiana Republicans now send it forth in all seriousness, trusting to the short memory of the American public. This historical work is equaled In the wild wlioop for McKinley with which the Indiana platform ends. In this the Ohio Napoleon is described as “one who, at 17, fought with Hayes and Crook and Sheridan at Antietam and In the Shenandoah In the defense of our flag against foes within, and for fourteen years In Congress contended against our country’s foes from without, beating back British free trade and aggression.”

It appears from this that the Indiana Republican Idea of foes from without is that of people who offer to sell us things that we want to buy. In Ike manner the German landlords look upon us as foes from without because we offer to sell beef, pork, wheat and some other things that the people of Germany would be glad to buy from us because we offer to sell at prices they can afford to pay. The British people buy from us more than half of all the products we sell to foreigners and more than they buy from the people of any other one country. According to the Indiana Republican Idea, we are their worst foes from without, and If they were to serve us as McKinley would serve them we would have a great deal of stuff left on our hands for which we now have a good market. How would the Hoosler Republican statesmen like that? Would they not howl louder than ever for a tremendous navy wherewith to batter down the walls and open British ports to American products? There’s not a doubt of it

False Protectionist Claims Exposed. The McKinley orgnns are claiming that the repeal of the duty on wool has caused a large reduction In the number of sheep In the United States. As proof of their assertion they quote from a recent report of the Department of Agriculture, which shows a decline of about four million sheep during the year 1895, as compared with 1894. This is alleged to have been wholly due to the Wilson tariff, and the wool growers are urged to vote for protection and restoration of the duty on wool. While It is true that there has been a falling off in the number of sheep during the past year, it Is not true that the decrease was caused by the Wilson tariff. The business depression which prevailed throughout the country in the last two years of the McKinley law, was chiefly responsible for the low prices of wool and mutton which led to a reduction in the wool-growers’ flocks. The revival of business which followed the adoption of the tariff of 1894 has not yet had time to bring about the better conditions in the wool Industry, which will undoubtedly come with the rapidly increasing demand for wool. If trade and manufacturing are left undisturbed by high tariff agitators, the American sheep-raisers will soon be more prosperous than under MaKinleyism. To show that the number of sheep in any one year does not depend upon wool duties, It is only necessary to give the official figures during certain years when protection was in full force. Thus, in 1884 there were in the United States 50,(526,600 ■heep. In 1887 there were only 44,759,814, and by 1889 the number had fallen to 42,599,079, a reduction from 1884 of over eight million. Will some high taxatlonist explain this great, falling off while there was a heavy duty on wool? Why did American sheep growing decline so rapidly under the alleged stimulation of taxes on foreign wools? If It is free trade which has caused the decrease in sheep during the past year, what caused the greater reduction in years of Republican protection?

To Whom McKinley la Indebted. McKinley has not yet won, the Boston Transcript (Rep.) says. “We are yet to see, as the race narrows down, just how much fighting power exists in the ranks of those who believe that there are other Republicans far better fitted to meet the present emergency than the Ohio politician, whose reputation for statesmanship is altogether inflated and artificial. This must be said of Mr. McKinley, that he has had for

eighteen months pant an active corps of astute and well-drilled workers In all parts of the country—men who ordinarily don’t work for patriotic lovs of the country solely. And a question of considerable Importance for tha country connect* Itself with that fact viz.: How are these men to be paid, by office or legislation?”

Another Republican Gone Wrong. Ex-Mayor Charles A. Schieren, of Brooklyn, one of the largest leather manufacturers in the country, was recently interviewed by a New York Tribune reporter In reference to the attitude of business men on the agitation for a higher tariff. Mr. Schieren’s reply was brief but emphatic. He said: “What business needs now most of all is to have the tariff left severely alone. I am convinced that our industries have nothing to fear from foreign competition. With our highly skilled workmen and improved machinery we can compete with the products of any part of the world.” This is the impartial testimony of a practical business man, who three yean ago was elected the Republican Mayor of the fourth largest city in America, He certainly cannot be accused of being a Democratic partisan, and his sensible views should therefore carry weight with merchants and manufacturers everywhere. As a large exporter of leather he knows what he Is talking about when he says we can now compete with other countries. He also knows that if McKinley is elected President he must, if consistent with his promises of protection to farmers, see that a tariff tax Is Imposed on foreign hides which now come in free. This would be a serious blow to our leather Industry; would practically kill our export trade in leather, and would greatly Injure our manufacturers of boots and shoes. This Is a prospect which has no charms for Mr. Schieren, so, although he is a good Republican, he Joins the Democrats in opposing the agitation for McKinleyite tariff tinkering. Is his counsel not wiser than that of the office-seeking politicians and monopoly organs which are howling for higher taxes? McKinley Poet’s View of the Situation McKinley—All Is over but the shouting, Please get onto where 1 am; There Is scarcely any doubting, Gentlemen, wnat say your Reed.... 1 Morton Cullom Allison “Damn!” Manderson.. Davis Quay McKinley—Jump into my wagon, brothers. Don’t, I beg you, be a clam; After me there are no others, what say you? M0rt0n..... - .!. Cullom Allison “Damn!!” Mandorson.. Davis Quay McKinley—l have got the whole convention; All of you aren’t what I am; Why continue your contention? Gentlemen, what say you? Reed V Morton Cullom A11i50n...;.. "Damnlll" Mandorson.. Davis Quay McKinley—There Is no longer any doubting, And my fight has been no sham. All Is ovi r but the shouting, Gentlemen. what you? • M0rt0n....!!! Cullom Allison “Damnllll” Maaderson.. Davis. ■ Quay —New York Sun.

Frre Wool for Japan. A new danger confronts us. Those terrible Japanese have put wool on their free list! Taxing wool, of which It is Impossible that any nation should ever be able to supply itself with all desirable varieties, is one of the barbarities long ago abandoned by the more civilized nations of Europe. In this country wool was taxed for political reasons. It was thought that the farmer, robbed in every direction by tariff duties on the articles of his consumption, might be placated and silenced by a tax on Imported wool. When the farmers began to study the tariff question, and to measure their tariff advantages against their tariff disadvantages, the wool was literally pulled from their eyes. The acute Japanese have been swift to see the disadvantage of taxing a raw material. It is a most striking commentary on the political and commercial tendencies of the time that at the moment when these remarkable people are striking down the shackles of trade a powerful party in the United States should take up the cudgels to restore them!—Philadelphia Record. Buncoins a Green-Goods Gang. The wire nail trust has been the victim of a heartless bit of jobbery. The jobbers, it appears, have been getting the nails for export at a dollar a keg less than the American citizen who basks in the sunshine of protection has to pay for them, and have accordingly been shipping them to Hamburg, where they have been reshipped to this country without unloading and sold in the home market for $1.90 a keg, or 55 cents less than they would cost a mere American at the factory. The moral is that nails are hot sufficiently protected! If the present tariff can give them such an export and import .trade, a tariff twice as stiff would evidently double It —Philadelphia Record.

Factions Alone Threaten Democracy. The results of the town elections show that the Democrats of Indiana have every reason to buckle on their armor and go in to win this fall. If factional disturbances are pushed aside there is no reason why Indiana should not go on record against a restoration of McKinley taxes and the perpetuation of a Congress which does nothing except for the benefit of the privileged classes.—lndianapolis Sentinel. The Ohio Man's Adj nstabte Conscience If the Major be nominated he may be relied upon to come boldly out of his cyclone cellar and announce in trumpet tones that his financial views are in exact accord with those of the platform. On this leading question of the day his conscience is as elastic and as adaptable as that of a chattel mortgage shark.—Detroit Free Press. Foraker’s LojraUj Rather Leaky. Since Mr. Foraker’s visit to Mr. Platt there is a growing belief out in Ohio that his “loyalty” should be deposited with some reliable cold storage company. It is to be hoped that the knife will not drop out of Foraker’s sleeve while he is ndmiflating McKinley.— New York Journal.