Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-07-18
Democratic Promises.

The Democratic party has not enter
ed a campaign for many years without
coming before the people with splea
did outfit of promises prepared especial
ly for the occasion. Four years ago
Democratic Congressman were elected
upon the strength of promises of better
times, which were repea ed all over
the country wherever the Democratic
orator raised his voice. Two years ago
the country was passing through til 1t
terrible ordeal that accompanied the
great. railroad strikes. We seemed
upon the brink of civil commo'
tions of the worst form. The n ttion
had apparently reached that period in
history predicted by MacAuley and
other great writers wh9n th9 presence
Of formidable body OF troops would
be constantly necess Try to give security
to life and property. In the midst oi
this emergency the Democrats of Ohio
assembled in Columbus and their states.
manship only rose to the ordinary
level-that of making promises au1
condemning their political opponents.
How have the Democrats adhered to
their promises? In the way of bring
ing about better times, the country
knows they have done absolutely moth
ing. On the contrary their tinkering
with the tariff bill and their insane at
tempts to reverse the course of finan
cial legislation have had tremendous
influence in retarding prosperity.
These two subjects were the most inn
portsnt with which the Government
had to deal, and the Democracy never
touched them without developing its
fullcapacity for mischief. What did they
do for the working classes to whom
they were so prOfuse in promises?
Some Democrat presented an Eight
Hour law, and prominent Democrats
feigned strong sympathy for it.
But it was in vain that its author.
sought to bring it to a vote His par.
~ dared not comI0it themselves.
Towards the close of the session the
bill came up, and every Republican
voted in favor of putting it upon its
passage at once, while the Democrats
voted solidIy to have it postponed
until the next session. They were all
loud and emphatic in their expressions
of sympathy for the poor wOrkingman,
but were afraid to vote upon their own
measures, proposed, as they allege,
solely in the interest of the working
man.
When Mr.. Wright of Pennsylvania
presented his bill asking Congress To
enable unemployed men to settle upon
homestead lands good opportunity
was afforded the Democrats in Congress
to show their sympathy with the poor
men. But Mr.. Wright received
scarcely any support from his own
party in this measure. Indeed, he
found the Democrats so decidedly and
irreconclably opposed to every act
proposed in the avowed interests OF the
laboring classes, and 50 Impervious to
arguments upon such subjects, that he
at times went over to the Republican
side of the House for sympathy. I he
Congressional Record OF April IL de-
scribes one of those instances in which
this r3Lr ,ttltive the working class
es left his party and went over to the
He said: "I came over
here in order to get some encourage
ment." The Democratic tariff bill he
as a direct blow at the
of the nation. In
regard at the general course of the
Democratic majority upon questions
the working classes, MIR.
Wright said:
when came to this House last
October heard the expectation ex'
pressed outside, il not inside, the house,
that Congress was going to do some
thing to relieve the coalition of the
starving population of the country,
We have been here nearly five months,
Dut we have not yet done the first
hing Tor the relief of the starving poor;
ind my Judgment is that Congress is
yoing To adjourn without an effort to
10 anything1or the relief of the cJun'
.rS. Look at the statistics and you
will see that over 1000, 900 of men are