Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 October 1890 — Three Things Tom Reed Did. [ARTICLE]

Three Things Tom Reed Did.

Albion W. Tourgee In Chicago Inter-Ocean. 1. Thomas B. Reed discovered -and utilized the ‘‘Visible Majority.” 2. By means of this the Republican majority, which was hidden by Democratic fraud in several districts of the South, became effective, and the iniquity of Democratic methods became visible to the naked eye, _ 3. Thomas B. Reed, on his own personal responsibility, first of all the official representatives of the .Republican party, proclaimed himself in favor of wholly separating National from State elections, and choosing Repre. sentatives in Congress and electors for President and Vico President at elections held by National officials acting under National laws. These three things constitute the most important extension ancT application of Republican principles since the enactment of the reconstruction measures of 1867. Fair Trade, tho English protection journal, having been asked to join in the foolish protest against the McKinley bill, replied: ; "Why should fair-tradors protest against a country like the United Suites doing very much what we are urging we should do ourselves in our own interest? True, the United States is doing what we advocate rather more savagely than we propose—still the object is to protect the home market, and make the country self-sufficing for itself. Isn’t that our object too?”

Once in a while a free-trade advocate makes a fatal admission. The New York Herald, speaking of reciproerty with Americtn nations, says the benefit to our farmers will not be ‘ ‘by new markets for their grain and other products,” but "by the greater prosperity of the manufacturing operations which will result from a wider market for American manufactures.” That is to say, the more people we "gsfngy flrfflan ufactu rim*. the ustter market for our farm products. How, then, can it benefit our farmers to import from Europe goods we can make here? Senator Sanders, of Montana, gave the long and shorlrof the tariff ques - tion in opposing Senator Plumb’s motion to reduce the duty on lead ore from 1£ to } cents a pound, He said that what the American miners ask is to be saved from contact with the peons of Mexico—laborers who build no homes, seek no civilization,'live on the cheapest and most spontaneous products of nature, and content themselves with the pittance paid to them as wages. The amendment was reject** ed. Mr. Plumb was the only Republican who voted for it, and he does not act much like a Republican. Reciprocity may now die regarded as. one of the accepted doctrines of the Re publican party, the majority in both branches of Congress having indorsed it by a practically unanimous vote. It will come very handy in the next Presidential election, and the Democrats may as well prepare to lose a great many votes because of their pronounced hostility to it.—Globe-Democrat. The yield of grain this year is estimated to be about 20 per cent, smaller than usual. From this cause the passage of the silver bill and the good prospect of the tariff bill, prices have advanced over those of a year ago from 84 cents to sl.ll on wheat, or about 32 per cent.; from 43 oents toss} cents on corn, or 29 per cent., and from 261 cents to 44 cents on oats, or 69 per cent. It was observed by Speeker Reed the other day that whenever there is, anything to do the Republicans do it; aud now he can point to the passage of the new tariff.' bill as a striking confirmation of his statement: Speeker Reed is coming West to make some speeches in the doubtful districts. Of all living statesmen, he is probably the one best fitted to stimulate Republican enthusiasm and make the Democrats realize that life is anything but ah empty dream.