Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 October 1898 — Page 3

MY POPULIST FRIEND

HIS WIFE TEACHES HIM A LESSON IN CONSISTENCY. How the Tariff Enhanced the Value of the Sheep He Sold in Order to Invest in Some of the Government War Bonds. In argument my Populist friend seldom knows when he is beaten. He had -chafed sorely over his gentle wife’s reminder of the vivid contrast presented by the facts of history and the dismal foreshadowings of the calamity-croak-ers whose lead he had followed for several years past. She had, you will remember, in the last conversation pointed out the splendid achievements of a .great nation in the war just closed, and the splendid outlook for progress and humanity growing out of those achievements, and had asked him how he reconciled these things with the declaration of the Populist platform: "We meet in the midst of a nation brought to the verge of moral, material and political ruin.” And when he had apologized for this ridiculous asseveration as among the first utterances of a new party six years ago, the good wife reminded 4iim of something more recent in the same line, when, only two years ago, he had carried a banner which declared that "a vote for McKinley means 25 cents a bushel for wheat and 10 cents a bushel for corn.” So my Populist friend had retired from the controversy hurt and humiliated. But he had been thinking of things over night, and the next day he sought to recover some of his lost ground. “Tell me,” he cried, pointing his finger scornfully at his wife, “Tell me, if you can, what McKinley has to

“HOW CAN YOU BE SO INCONSISTENT.”

do with the prosperity of the farmers; point out, if you know how, where the toiling masses on the farms get one direct benefit from him and his protective tariff policy.” “Oh, husband,” and she stamped her foot lightly, betraying the impatience which she felt, “how can you be so inconsistent? Where did you get the money to buy the few hundred dollars’ worth of Government bonds, which made you feel so good? What did you sell?” “Sheep.” And he flinched before the argument which he knew was coming. "Yes, sheep. Your business sense was l>etter than your political sense, thank goodness. When McKinley's election was assured didn’t you buy sheep? Didn't you think they would go up? What made you think that? Was it because you thought that more wool or less wool would be imported unor the laws he would give us? Didn’t you know that his tariff law, his protective tariff law, on wool would shut out most of the cheap wool that was coming from the four corners of the earth, and that the law would enable our home farmers to raise wool at a profit? Hasn’t thaf made sheep go up in price? Isn’t that where you get your profit? Answer me.” But he answered not. "Now, think of this,” she proceeded. “Taking the average of all our people, the country over, it takes the wool of one sheep to supply the needs of each person; possibly a trifle more. In 1897 it took about 8% pounds to each person, ■while the average weight of a fleece of ’ wool was about <94 pounds. YA on a basis of the amount used in 1894, 1895 and 189 G that quantity would have very nearb' supplied each person. Then we have it, one person, one sheep needed. We have over 72,000,001) inhabitants, but how manj’ sheep? Ixxik up the Government records and you will find that in 1893 we had almut 47.000.000 in the entire country—enough to supply a little over halt our wool. Did the tariff reform party that was in jtowrr then try to help you nud ine by waving our home market for us? You know as well as I do that they put wool on the free list, so that It could come from everywhere; and In four years our flocks dwindled down so that In 1897 there wore only nltout 36,000,000 sheeji In the country—not enough to supply half our wool. "Why this decline? It was because the American farmer could not produce wool at a profit and compete whh the cheap wool of the world. Think of It. husband—think of It. Wo, an agricultural people, suffering hardships during those tariff reform times, looking for diversified branches of agriculture, actually sending everywhere for wool, when we could have produced It in Abundance on our own pastures. Why. that coat you have on. you don’t know ■whether the wool came from Servia, or Turkey, or China, or some other country of cheap labor and cheap living. In the last yiwr of nji.it free trade In wool policy England sold us over $28,000,■OOO worth, not raised In England, but bought of Russia and Sirvla and Spain And Turkey and Argentina and Peru

STATE STREET IN CHICAGO DURING THE JUBILEE ILLUMINATION.

CHICAGO’S PEACE PARADE.

BALL NETS A LARGE SUM.

Needy Soldiers Will Benefit from Chicago’s Society Function. Twenty-two thousand dollars was raised for the families of the soldiers and sailors who are in straitened circumstances as a result of the lath war by the Chicago jubilee ball at the Auditorium. It was a brilliant and enthusiastic society function, graced by the presence of the President of the United States, army and navy heroes, and many other notables, The gowns of the women were of the richest, and the uniforms and peculiar, highly colored costumes added attractiveness to the scene. The welcome accorded President McKinley was hearty and prolonged. The President’s boxes and those occupied by the diplomatic corps were draped with flags.

SKINNING HUMAN BODIES.

Excitement at San Francisco Over Doings of Medical students. San Francisco is somewhat excited over the revelations concerning the skinning of bodies at the Cooper Medical Institute, the medical department of the State University, and the dissecting room of the city and county hospital. According to indisputable evidence young physicians in the employ of the health department of the city and students at the medical schools mentioned have been engaged in the ghoulish practice of skinning cadavers for months past, and regular stations have been located where the skins are taken to be tanned and manufactured into keepsakes.

MIXED FLOUR AGAIN DEFINED.

Revenue Bureau Modifies Regulations of Manufacture. ; The internal revenue bureau has issued a circular modifying the regulations governing the manufacture and sale of mixed flour. Under the new ruling wheat flour must be the principal constituent in the mixture. The circular also provides that any card or advertising matter for insertion in n package of mixed flour must first be approved by the commissioner of internal revenue, and must not be of such character as to deceive the consumer as to the contents of the package.

DEWEY REMAINS ON GUARD.

Was Asked to Go to Paris, but Will Stay at Manila. ’ Secretary Long said that the reports .that Admiral Dewey would return to the United States were erroneous, as the Navy Department had no such information. It has been suggested to Admiral Dewey wveral times that he go to Paris to advise the American peace commission on the situation in the j’hilippinea, but he has adhered to his purpose to remain at Mani'a until the Philippine question has l>een set'Jed or all danger of trouble there has passed.

Novel Court Decision.

A novel decision has been given by a New York jury in the Supreme Court in the suit of Mrs. Grace Frezevant against Mrs. Mary L. Ifrexetant, claiming <50,CtM) for alienating her husband’s affections. The verdict was as follows: “A rich woman cannot alienate the affections of another woman’s husband if he is poor. For, being poor, he will try to win the affections of the rich woman, and she should not further suffer, pecuniarily, if ■he reciprocates the poor man’s love, real or pretended.”

NABS A BAD GANG.

NAVY IN NEED OF MORE MEN.

Department Wants to Re-Establish the Foreign Stations. The Navy Department is hampered in its desire to re-establish the foreign naval stations by the limited number of fullterm men in the service. The enlisted force now includes about 8,000 men, who enlisted for the war only, and it is necessary to keep them on the North Atlantic or home station on account of the probability that peace will soon be officially declared, and they will be entitled to their discharge papers. Nearly all of the 12,500 long-term men of the regular navy are with Dewey’s fleet or on battleships of the North Atlantic station. It will be necessary to place some of the armored vessels out of commission if the ships are sent to foreign stations, and the department wants to keep all battleships and armored cruisers in active service.

BANK DOORS CLOSED.

German National of Pittaburg Goes Into Liquidation. The German National Bank of Pittsburg has closed its doors. The directors, in a public statement, announce that the bank is solvent aud that all depositors will be paid in full. The suspension of the bank can be traced directly to two causes —the carrying of too many securities of the Natalie Coal and Coke Company and heavy loans to Charles Burkdorf, until recently cashier, and Adolphus Groetzinger, the present president, on insufficient collateral. The suspension of the bank was precipitated by the confession on Monday last of Adolphus, William C. and O. H. Groetzinger and A. Groetzinger & Sons to Edward Groetzinger of judgments aggregating $490,725.42.

Mr. Coni—“Going down?” Mr. Mercury—“ Yep." Mr. Coal—“ Then I'm going up.”

EXPLOSION IN ASHTABULA.

Caused by a Hritlsh Hhell Fired Dnrln K 1812. During the* war of 1812 n British warship tired several shots nt Ashtabula, Ohio. Some of these have been preserved as relies. The other day one of them accidentally got into a heap of scrap iron at the PhAenix iron works. It went into the furnace, and a terrific explosion followed. The furnace doors were blown to 'atoms. 'The workmen were in other parts of the foundry, and n* mm was irAnee*.

WILL NOT FREE SPAIN.

America Recognizee Only Cuban Municipal Indebtedness. The American peace commissioners have been instructed to recognize and give standing to Cuban municipal indebtedness. This is not an important matter from a financial standpoint, as the amount cannot be large, but it is peculiarly significant in view of the stand taken by the commissipners in regard to the so-called “Cuban debt.” They rejected the Cuban debt proposition-largely on the theory that the money represented by the bonds was not expended for the benefit of the people of the island, and, therefore, should not be a burden on the new Government. Pursuing the same line of argument, it is held that money borrowed by the cities of Cuba was spent locally and directly for the benefit of the communities, and should therefore be continued as a lien upon the property upon which the loans were originally made. The logic which frees the island from obligation in connection with that portion of the Spanish bonded indebtedness labeled the “Cuban debt” clearly establishes the validity of the distinctly municipal debts as a continuing claim. There is no data at hand to show the aggregate amount of the Cuban city indebtedness, but it cannot be monumental, as investors would not make extravagant advances on that sort of security.

STORM HAMPERS FARMERS.

Plowing and Thrashing Stopped by the Snow and Kain. Reports from various points in Minnesota and the Dakotas say farming operations are much impeded by snow and rain. Kennedy, Minn., had twenty consecutive hours of snow and rain. Thousands of acres of wheat and flax are still in shock, and the fields are so soft that machinery cannot be moved. It is too wet to plow, and less than 50 per cent of the plowing is done. Lisbon, Minn., reports from six inches to a foot of snow on the ground; thrashing stopped and the prospects for resumption far from promising. Considerable flax in scattered localities is still on the ground. At Marion Junction, S. D., the snow was accompanied by a strong northwest wind, drifting it badly. Aberdeen, S. D„ says a strong northwest wind has been blowing, and it is snowing hard. At Tyndall, S. D., several inches of snow has fallen, and it lies in heavy drifts.

EPIDEMIC NEARS ITS END.

Back Bone of the Yellow Fever in Mississippi Broken. The force of yellow fever in Mississippi is broken, and if the weather remains cool next week will mark the end of the epidemic. Small towns are discarding the shotgun and quarantine guards are looking for other work.

Brings $3,750,000 in Gold.

The steamer Mariposa arrived in San Francisco from Australia and Honolulu. She brought 735,000 English sovereigns, equal to about $3,750,000, the largest single shipment of specie which has yet been received from Australia.

AS USUAL.

New Peach Tree Disease.

A new disease has appeared among the peach trees in the vast orchards of southwestern Michigan. It is said to be more serious than the dreaded "yellows.” Several large orchards in Saugatuck township alone—about d.Otttl trees—arc said to have been destroyed.

At the home of Henry Holdback, in Trenton, N. J., three persons died of toadstool poisoning, and tour others are in a dangerous condition.

Three Are Dead.

THIS THE ONLY ISSUE

TERRITORIAL EXPANSION THE PIVOT OF THE CAMPAIGN. President’s Brief,Terse Speeches Have Reached the Hearts of the PeopleRepublicans Rally Around McKinley, and Contest Takes on New Life. Washington correspondence: President McKinley’s Western tour put life into the political campaign. The congressional committees of both parties are realizing this from the reports that come to them.' The principal effect is felt in the West, especially in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and lowa, the States through which the President traveled, and where he made short speeches. But the whole West seems to have felt the new vigor which came from the President’s plain talk about the war and its results. The Republican congressional committee has been hampered by usage, which confines its official efforts to sending out documents and literature relating to subjects upon which the party has either in national convention, in Congress or by act of the Republican President, taken a decided stand. The committee began its work in this campaign on the tariff and the currency questions, because it knew just where the party stood on those questions. It took no stand on the great question of territorial expansion, because no national convention had ever considered that question, 1 Republican Congress had not acted upon, it, and President McKinley had not made public his instructions to the peace commissioners. The committee found much difficulty in arousing Republican enthusiasm over either the tariff or the money question, because the people seemed to, consider those questions practically settled, and were giving their attention to another and more important question, which had been developed by the war with Spain. The flag had been placed over Manila, and Spain had been driven out of the Philippines, as well as out of Cuba and Porto Rico. There has been no mistaking the sentiment of the people regarding the Philippines, but Republican Congressmen, as well as the Republican commission, have hesitated to take a position upon this question until the peace commissioners should act and show to the world what were their instructions front the Republican administration. Another Issue. Some of these gentlemen, a few weeks ago, expressed the belief that the campaign would be fought out on the silver question, but they have changed their minds. Republican Congressmen who have visited Washington in the last three weeks have reported that there is another and a dominant issue, and the Republican party must take Its position on that issue and declare its purpose regarding the fruits and responsibilities of the war. President McKinley went West to attend the Omaha exposition and the peace jubilee at Chicago, lie did not start out on a pleasure tour. It developed, as dki his campaign of 1894, when he left Ohio to make a dozen brief speeches in as many different States and was kept busy talking to the people from the car platform over a trail of about 10,000 miles, which summed up more than 100 speeches to crowds that aggregated several millions of people. The President met the same demonstration from the people on his Western tour. Wherever ho went the people wanted to har him, and instead of three or four speeches, scheduled for him when he left Washington, he made seventy-five talk* of from two minutes’ duration to twenty minutes, and more than a million people heard him. lie knew what the people were thinking about, and he knew they wanted to know what were his purposes regarding the results of the war. He could not speak in detail about questions now in the hands of the peace commissioners, but he could enunciate certain principles which were governing his action* in making a peaceful settlement of all the questions which have been developed by the war. That the President’s speeches have been satisfactory to the Republicans of the West is shown by the reports from Western States to the congressional committee. The Republican Congressmen are more confident of a large vote and victory than they have been at any time since the opening of the campaign, and all over the West it is reported that the Republican candidates are taking their stand on tjii* question of expansion, and declaring their purpose to uphold th«* bands of the President in keeping the American flag where it has been placed by th«* army and navy. The same condition is reported in the East, and the Democrats have recognized the danger of the new lifv in the campaign. Ex-Senator Hill, in the first speech he has made since he left the Senate, began with a defense, claiming that there were no party differences regarding the war, that both parties stood together, and that there was no prospect of party differences in the settlement of the pence negotiations. The wily Senator from New York realized that his party could not hope to win by antagonizing the administration on this issue, and ho sought to pass it over as a war without politic* mid get the people of New York to consider State issues alone.

This and That.

Mexico has had flfty-tive presidents since 1821. Of these, sixteen have died violent deaths. At the Strozzl Palace, In Home, then* Is a lawk made of marble, the leaves being of marvelous thinness. Agents from the Congo Free Stale are scouring Slam and the far East for 80,000 coolies to be shipped the Congo. The lovely vivid green hiddenite, or llthla emerald/Is found In North Carolina. It has never been found outside the United States. The eye of the vulture Is so constructed that It Is a hlgh-power telescope, enabling the bird to see objects at an almost Incredible distance. The cost of keeping up the drinking fountains and cattle troughs In London Is $8,500 per annum. A single trough In a busy thoroughfare costs $250. The pupil of the eye Is so called because when looking In It a very small Image of the observer may be seen, hence the term from the Latin "pupillus,” or little pupil. _