Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 September 1894 — THE CAMPAIGN. [ARTICLE]

THE CAMPAIGN.

The Democratic Failure a Na tional Disgrace. A National nisgraee. Indianapolis Journal. All.-JLhingS- considered there is nothing in our National history more disgraceful to us as a people than the record of the present Congress. The foreign press, in commenting on the recent strike, concluded with almost one accord that it revealed the inherent weakness of popular government. Of course this was not true, but in so far as it expressed the opinion of intelligent foreigners the strike "NatiotmL-disgraae. and no doubt it was a cause of humiliation to the friends of popular government, throughout the world. Butjthe strike was a small disgrace compared with the record which the present Congress has made. This may seem at first blush to be an unwarranted assertion but a little reflection will show it to be true.

President Harrison, in his last annual message to Congress, Dec. 6, 1892, said: “A comparison of the existing conditions with those of the most favored period in the history of the country will, I believe, show that so high a degree of prosperity and so general a diffusion of the comforts of life were never before enjoyed by our people.” These words were well weighed and true. They were fortified by a convincing array of facts and figures, and the conclusion was drawn that the unprecedented prosperity which the country had enjoyed during a long term of years and was then enjoying was due in a large degree to the policy of protection. In referring to a prospect of a change in this policy President Harrison said: “I recommend that the whole subject of tariff revision be left to the incoming Congress. It is a matter of regret that this work must be delayed for at least months; for the threat of great tariff changes introduces so much uncertainty that an amount, not easily estimated, of business inaction and of diminished production will necessarily result. It is possible, also, that this uncertainty result in decreased revenues from customs duties, for our merchants will make cautious orders for foreign goods in view of the prospect of tariff reductions and the uncertainty as to when they will take effect.” At the date of this message com-* ing events were casting their shadows before, and Gen. Harrison already foresaw the disastrous effects of a prolonged tariff legislation. Recognizing that a new tariff bill was iaevitable he expressed 'regret that the work “must be delayed for at least three months.” Mr. Cleveland was to be inaugurated March 4 following, the Democratic Congresselect would come in at the same time, and it would have been possible for the work of tariff revision to have been taken up and completed before midsummer. When Mr. Cleveland came into office the reasons for a prompt disposition of the tariff question were more fully developed than they were at the date of President Harrison’s message. The cloud of apprehension and distrust, at first no larger than a man’s hand, was assuming ominous pro--portions and rapidly covering the whole business sky. There was every indication of an approaching storm and every reason-why the work of tariff reform, if it was to be done, should be done as soon as possible. But month? passed and nothing was done. Meanwhile the stdrm broke with most disastrous results. The Cleveland panic of 1893 was the most memorable and destructive in our history. Congress, called together in extra session on August 7, 1893, spent nearly three months in repealing the Sherman silver act, and adjourned November 3 without doing anything with the tariff question. A month later the regular session began. A year had passed since President Harrison had congratulated Congress on the extraordinary prosperity of the country, and probably no country ever underwent so great a change in so short a time. The conditions that prevailed a year before had been completely reversed. Universal prosperity had been replaced by universal disaster, and an army of busy workmen had been turned into an army of unemployed. When Congress met everybody hoped that whatever it was going to do would be done as soon as possible.". This reasonable expectation had been bit|i terly, cruelly disappointed. Eight months have passed, and yet nothing is done. On the part of the domi--liTanT''pill'Ty^f f,~t^ngiT^"-"t^icT'"hfm-kbeen months of delay, of wrangling, of jobbery, of impotence and imbecility. On the part of the people they have been months of business suffering and financial torture. Twenty-one months have passed since President Harrison said it was to be regretted that the work of tariff revision must be delayed for at least, three months, and a Democratic Congress is still playing football with the tariff question. The public welfare is still subordinate to party policy and the interests of the people are sacrificed to those of the Sugar Trust. Tt is a National disgrace.