New-York tribune., 1880-02-18
cONGRFSS AND THE PEOPLE.


Is il possible that tho demagOgucs in Con-
gress do not sec that the people are laughing
at them Here they are, Democratic dema
gogles, Grecnback demagogues, and possibly
some besides, busily engaged in trying to make
political capital for themselves out OF the very
prosperity which they predicted could not
come, and stubbornly tried to prevent. Some
have small schemes on foot TO make people
believe that all prosperity that may como here
after ia their handiwork. Some are engaged In
little tricks to make people believe that the
existing prosperity is manly due to some empty
or mischlev0us measures which they pushed
through a year or more ago. Others are dis
charging most solemn and gloomy OratiOns,
full of hard words and startling figures Of
speech, to prove that the country is not pros
perous after all that the "tOiling millions"
are frigutfully oppressed and suffering; and
that everlasting smash must come at an early
day. Meanwhile, the people laugh. The tricks
of the demagogues deceive no longer. The
DersOpal distress, which made so many men
ready to swallow arrant nonsense not long
ago. blinds their eyes and dulls their brains
no longer. There is prosperity in field and
factory IN store end shOp,.in mine and mill,
and the people enjoy it. Moreover, they know
what caused it, and know that the demagOgues,
had they been permitted to have their way,
would have prevented the coming of that
brighter day.
Theorists may dispute until they are weary,
but the plain people have seen that resump-
ton of specie payments wakened trade and
industry TO life. That was the Promethean
fame that kindled the fires in furnaces that
had been dark SO long; that was the mighty
and magic wOId that started the wheels in
thousand factories. 1t will not pay any dem
agogue to hide the fact or to deny it, Men who
have eyes see the fact, just as they see that
fire burns and that the rains fill all the
brooks As long as resumption was doubtful.
capital hesitated, new ventures were deferred
the miIl-owners waited, the railroad builders
souobt in vain for loans. AS soon as resump
ton was accomplished many in every branch
| Of business leaped forward with new energy
and the very best of the rich harvest
rewarded their courage and good sense. OH
ers waited still, for they feared that resump-
ton might break down after little. AS soon
| as its maintenance was assured, these also
rushed forward to get share Of the gains.
AS early as April last business began to grow
brisk i'm every department. The large crops
| of 1879 had not caused this swift revival, for
| a decent harvest was not then assured. The
failure of harvests abroad had not caused it.,
for at that time there was still great hope of
q generous yield in England and France.
Men went to work with courage and conf
dence, because they saw that resumption was
a success, and felt firm ground under their
feet at last That is the fact which every
plain man in the country saw with his own
ewes last year and the factory bells, when
first they gave tongue to call back the work
ers, scattered and idle so long, rang the death
I knell Of financial dcmagogues by the thousand.
Unhappily Tor the Democrats and Greenback
demagogues too. it was equally plain that
they had d.,nA nothing to bring alnnt resump-