New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-24
svl1L wE v3TT 5WIr PaoSPEEI7Yi

SVILL WE V5TE AWAY PROSPERITY
Certain Democratic ohicc-seekers want " a
chancc.n Business men and w0rkinglnen
do not The question tins fall IS whether the
horde of unscrupuoUs and hungry oiico-
seekers can so dciuie or doiraud the people
that the majolity shall vote, or seem to vote,
fer tina! which the majority does not want.
The ofice-seckcrs have not the shadow OF
decent excuse for demanding "a change"
They are out of Office and want to get
into Office. That is the beginning and the end
Of il. They say that there il corruption to be
cleared away aud yet four years OF per-
pe;nal Democratic investigation have only
served to make plain the fact that this
is the ceanest Administration that the coun-
try has seen for fifty years Their excuse Is
shallow. \ set Of hungry -bcggars IN
experienced in public service and chosen be-
cause OF political work, cannot reform SER
vice winch is already far above the average
in efficiency and purity. The Oilicc-scekers
say. again. that a Democrat ought to be chosen
now because, they assert, another one was
chosen four years ago, but not inauguraied'
If the assertion were tue, as it l. false. that
would he no reason for making an unwise
change to-day. The people would be SUI
premcly foolish to expose all their industries
TO peril now, because somebody failed four
wears ago to get an Office to which he claimed
that he was elected.
ga CHANGE would please the oilice-seckers
who are out and want 10 get in. But II
would not help the producers of this country,
who are prosperous and want to remain so
il would not help the merchants who have
within reach q safe and healthy business II
the finances can remain unGLturbed; nor
would il help the w0rkngmen, who ROW have
ample employment and good wages, and can
not afford to have everything upset by new
financial experiments IL il true there are
workmen, merchants and manufacturers who
will vote against their own real inter
ests, either because OF ignorance, or De-
cause of thoughtlcssness, or because
intense party spirit, which makes them
Indifferent to their own good or because Of
the tricks of false politicians. The hungry
otfice-beggars will deceive the plain people If
they can. Night aud day they are struggling
and plotting to make the people believe that
prosperity has come without any Republican
aid. and will stay if the Republicans are de-
prlved of power. Night and day they are cir
cuating the most shameless falsehoods, In
order to make people believe that the country
is in danger unless the Republican candidates
and party can be defeated. The question is
whether the people, under the influence of
such falsehoods, Will vote away the prosperity
which they enjoy.
1t is wholly unnecessary TO array statistics
TO prove that the policy of the Republican
party has made this country prosperous. 1t is
not even necessary TO show that great crops
would have been only curse to ia, if wise
government bad not helped to build up home
markets by broad Investigation of indus
tries, by improvement Of orr channels OF COM
munication. by inviting immigration from
abroad. Offering land to the landles5 and
free schools for the children of the
Door. In these and many other respects.
which intelligent voters do not overlook, the
policy of the Republican party has laid the
foundation without which the vast superstruc-
ture OF commercial ard industrial prosperity
could not have been reared. But shorter
and more conclusive method can be taken.
Let any sane man ask himself what would
have been the condition OF business and in
dustry to-day if the Democratic party had
been able to NEEDLE with the tariff, the cur
rency and the public credit. rs it attempted
to do two years ago.
At the end of 1879, ont Of G92 iron fur
naccs in the country, 427 were out Of blast
and idle. More than half of the iron workers.
and. it. NAV be inferred, OF the far greater
nnmber OF worlingmcn who are now engaged
in mining and transporting iron ore and coal
useI in the manufacture, and in the various
branches Of the iron industry, were then Idle.
SnppOse that Democratic notions OF the tar Il
had been applied, just at that time, when
this great industry was ab ut 10 revive 90
e,raudly. Nearly all the Democratic members
of Congress tried desperately to oycrturn
lbe ni1, even at that most critical
and uDfavorable moment HID it been
done is II not evident that The vast increase
of demand tor iron and its proiucts during
I,e past year would have brought prosperity
to British manufacturers and wOikmcn, and
not TO our own2 The time WAS badly chosen,
il may be said. But il Was precisely at that
time that the Democrats began more zcal-
Gus effort than they had made before Tor
eighteen years 10 oycIturn the tiuii, 20 initiate
the currency and to stab The public credit.
Suppose they had then succo' dnd Ia repeating
that is to say, rcpudiaung-the solemn
pledge Of resumption. and IN causing vast
additional Issues of paper money, what would