The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-07-31
The Republican of last week says !:

The laboring men who are working for
from ninety cents to dollar day in this
community and board themselves, begin |
to enquire OF each other, about when the |
good times promised under q dem Ocratic |
administration will set in. These assur-
ances were so positive that many voters
were misled and cast their vote for a
change None for the better is apparent
but every day makes the depression still
worse. Business In Bloomsbury is more
depressed than it has been for twenty-five
years. There is less being done and we
need not be surprised that there is discon-
tent apparent. The change has not
brought the promised improvement, and
from all indications the prospects are far
from bright.
The Democratic party never made
the assertion that if it were placed in
power it would bring about good times.
1t did say that the Republican
party had made such promises
repeatedly and failed to keep them, ,and
asked the country to try q change and
see.whether it would make any differen-
ce in business. The republican party
has always claimed to be the only
party that could run this nation its
great battle cry has always been that
it alone could bring prosperity
to the people, and that If the Dem
ocratic party came into power that all
furnaces would be closed, and gener-
al panic result. The Democratic party
claimed that business cannot be control
led by tbs administration, and that
prosperity depends upon the laws of
supply and demand.
The Republican forgets that within
five years the men employed by republi-
can manufacturers of highly protected
industry were paid only 6s cents day
in this town and that it has been a
long time since laboring men received
more than a dollar day, under any
republican administration. Our con-
temporary makes statement that will
not bear investigation, when he says
that business is more depressed than it
has been for twenty-five years. 1t is
no duller now than it has been for
three years lit is not nearly so dull as
it was in 1877, when republican occu-
pied the White House it is no duller
than in 1880 when the organs and the
orators of the G. o. p. predicted gen.
eral smash if Hancock should be elect
ed, and promised great prosperity in
case of Garfield's success. Well, Gar
field was elected, and most of his term
was filed by Arthur, and for four
years there was no Improvement.
Then the people said "we have had
enough of these false promises. Let
us try change" And 80 the change
was made, and 10 and behold, before
the new administration is FIVE months
old our contemporary wants to know
why it does not cause sudden revival
of business, why wages arc not higher,
and money more plentiful. If they
are right that an administration con-
trolls the business of the country, still
they ought not TO expect that Demo
cratic President can do in few months
what successive republican Presidents
failed TO do in so many years.
We have no doubt that there is dis
content at the low wages paid laboring
men 1t would he strange if there were
not, for it is almost impossible for a
laborer to keep a family on what he
gets for his work, but it is nothing
new. 1t is the same complaint that he
has made for many many years, even
when he was induced to vote the repub.
lican ticket under promises of better
times. The promises were never re-
deemed, the better times never came.
And now our neighbor would make ii
appear that the Democracy made the
same old promises last fall, that the
Republican party has lived on for six
teen years. But the charge is alto.
gether too attenuated and cannot be-
sustained. Confdentially however,
we fear the Republican would be very
much disappointed if there should be
revival Of business during this ad-
ministration. BY its gloomy predict
ions il is only following the lead OF
the bigger organs, and their hope is
that the revival of confidence can be
avertri until the next Presidential
,lrulior, when they will raise the same
I'D war cry, aud attempt TO deceive
the laboring man by the repetition
of promises which they have never
kelt.