Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-03-24
Six Years of Democratic Legis-
lation.

gress on the first Monday of Decem-
ber, 1873, the people were stricken
with poverty and want from one end
of the land to the other. All kinds
and every class of our manufacturing
industries were at stand.still. Every
branch of business of whatsoever kind
felt the oppression and blight which
had fallen upon the land. More than
three millions of laboring men had
been thrown out of employment, and
they and their families left to exc out
an existence as best they could in pen.
ury, suffering and want. In short,
no man can draw the picture as dark
nor as full as the evils that then rested
upon the American people. How all
this was brought about is not now our
purpose to inquire, but rather By what
means were the people relieved and to
whom belongs the credit.
The first act of the Democratic con-
gress was to drive out and kill off the
arrogant and powerful lobby, whose
sole business il was to rob and plum.
der the people, under the care and pro.
lection of the former Republican con.
gress. In making appropriations for
the year 1876 it saved to the people
100000, 900; it refused mail, steam.
ship and railroad subsidies. A Dem.
ocratic congress passed the silver bill
and directed that the United States
Treasury should coin and distribu c
silver dollars at the rate of s2,0OO,00j
per month until sl00,00O00O were
coined. Republican legislation requir-
ed that Greenbqcks should be retired
and destroyed. Democratic legislation
required that they should be reissued
and the policy OF contraction and op.
preston stopped. When this was done
intelligent men who possessed capital.
said, 1--WE will have no less value in
commodities we will commence to
buy again" The manufacturer said,
II will kindle my fires, for the destruc-
ton of the values brought about by
the Republican party are now check.
ed. There will be no less value. !
can go to work, for we are now n; the
bottom" The Grcenback legal tend.
ers are now par, and were brought TO
par by wise legislation on the part OF
the Democratic congress. During this
period of six years there was saved to
F. the people in cutting down the expcu-
ses of the government by their repre-
sentatives reviving aud putting in
practice the true principles of wealth
--economy-more than one hundred
and forty millions of dollars in actual
appropriations, beside stopping the i'm.
mense steals carried on by. aud under
the Republican congress. During this
same period many hundreds Of mil.
lions of the public debt were refund.
ed, bearing interest at the rate of four
and four and half per cent; but
mark it, not until both houses Of Con.
gress became Democratic was the gov.
ernment able to float her four per cent
bonds. And to complete this magni.
ficent record and make still brighter
the crown of glory that belongs, alone
to the Democratic party, the last ses.
sion Of congress passed bill to refund
$3.50, 100000 of the public debt fall
ing due this year, which bill con
tained a section compelling the nation
al banks to accept the three per cent
bonds in exchange for the bonds bear
/. ing twice that much interest. And tC
fill out career of infamy and fraud
this bill was vetoed by r. b. Hayes
Why was it vetoed2 The influence,
that caused it, and the effect Of it, may
more properly be considered hereafter
THE Greensburg Messenger has dis
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