Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 102, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 August 1904 — The Lesson of Experience. [ARTICLE]

The Lesson of Experience.

Will the thoughtful voters of this country, irrespective of normal party affiliations, forget the startling change in business conditions which occurred within the short period of eight months from December 1892, to August, 1893? In December 1892 President Harrison sent his last message to Congress. It was an able an exhaustive review of the canditions of the resources of the country. “There never has been a time in our history, said he, “when work was so abundant or when wages were so high whether measured by the currency in which they are paid or by their power to supply the necessaries and comforts of life. The general average of prices has been such as to give to agriculture a fair participation in the general prosperity.”

The subsequent message of President Cleveland abounded in descriptions of the deplorable industrial and financial situation of the country. On August Bth, 1893, President Cleveland addressing the 53rd Congress which he had called together in extra session, said: “The existence of an alarming and extraordinary business situation involving the welfare and prosperity of all our peopeople has constrained me to call together in extra session the people’s representatives in Congress to the end that through the wise and patriotic exercise of the legislative duties with which they solely are charged the present evils may be mitigated and dangers threatening the future may be averted.”

What a startling and sudden change within a short period of eight months. What had occurred? A change of administration; all branohes of the Government had been entrusted to the Democratic party which was committed against the protective policy that had prevailed uninterruptedly for more than 82 years and had brought unexampled prosperity to the country, and firmly pledged to its complete overthrow and the substitution of a tariff for revenue only. The change having been decreed by the elections in November, its effects were at once anticipated and felt. We cannot close our eyes to those altered conditions, nor would it be wise to exclude from contemplation and investigation the causes which produce them. They are facts which the voter cannot disregard and by which he ought to be guided in contemplating the present conditions of affairs.

We never had greater prosperity up to that time in this country in every field of employment. As soon as the Democrats came into power the situation changed with speedy and deadly effect. Business was stagnated, the life blood of trade was checked and congested. The question today is shall we repeat the history of that time? Shall we entrust to the party of free trade and hard times the administration of this Government and again run the risk of going through what we experienced when we last turned the Government over to the free traders.