Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 March 1893 — “Plunging Into Wild Disaster.” [ARTICLE]

“Plunging Into Wild Disaster.”

The Manufacturer of Dec. 3 says: “If the tariff permits the manufacturers to filch from the people their substance, It cannot be repealed a day too soon. If free trade is to bring higher wages to the workers and lower prices to everybody, then Mr. Cleveland’s duty is to call Congress together in March and to insist that we shall have free trade before July. To defer for any reasons the precipitation of these blessings upon the nation would be a crime. To postpone the day of jubilee out of consideration for the feelings or the interests of the robber manufacturers would be to betray the people for the advantage of their enemies.” We find no fault with this logic or with these statements. Congress cannot stop the robbery any too soon to suit us. The Manufacturer, however, leaves us in doubt as to the sincerity of its opinions when it says: “The mass of the Democrats are well aware that the summary overthrow of protection would plunge the nation into wild disaster.” We confess the provocation was great, but we are unable to make ourselves believe that out of spite or for pure cussed ness the mass of the Democrats —that is, the mass of the people—have decided to plunge Into wild disaster. We incline to accept the first conclusion of the Manufacturer, and to Insist that we shall have free trade, or as near to it as we can get, before July, and that the day of jubilee be no longer postponed because of the interests of the robber manufacturers.