Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1886-09-24
Tie Democratic Administra tfOn and
ssHard Times

voters regarding the present "hard times
being brought on by the Democratic Pres
ident. These were, however, as far as our
information went, only agitators of low
degree, who had been detected in so many
falsehoods before, that they have become,
even to their cololed auditors, like unto
the fabled boy, who raised the cry of wolf
so often that his cries were not needed
when the wolf finally came in fact and de-
voured his flock. We had not been pre-
pared, however, to hear this absurdly false
statement rehashed and dwelt upon in an
open meeting by the most reputable of the
local bosses, as was done by DIR. Lancaster
in the court house on Monday. DR.. Lam
caster, while known to be we'll familiar
with the devious ways OF politicians and
not unscrupulous in the use of buncombe,
still he has generally preserved enough OF
self respect not to bring himself quite
down to the level of his co-workers.-
Hence we were not prepared for what he
said.
As gentleman presumab'e fairly well
informed upon the current public affairs
of the country, he must have been aware
that the statements he made have no just
foundation in fact. That the agricultural
interests of the country in general and OF
this section of Maryland in particular, are
now and have been for years, in languid
and depressed state, and that we are at
this time realizing the full force of the
term "hard times" cannot be gainsaid.-
But that no fair minded man of informa-
tien can charge this result to any fault in
the government OF the country under the
present administration is quite as plain.
For years past there has been a steadily
declining tendency in the value of wheat
and other cereals This has been shown
by intelligent investigation to be due to
several causes, but the chief cause has
been recognized to be the protective pol
icy of tie Republican party, which by
practically excluding the foreign import
trade, destroys all facilities for the expor
tation of our superfuous grain. The ships
that formerly came here loaded with man
ufactured merchandise for our market, fur
nisbed cheap and abundant transportation
of our superfuous grain to Europe. But
now that they are driven away by the pro-
hibitory tariff, the people of Iadia, and
other places enjoying the privileges of
free trade, are afforded an undue advan-
tage in competing with America to supply
the densely populated countries of Europe
with bread; and a boom has been given
to their agricultural interests at the ex-
pense of our own. And to add to this,
the protected industries, unduly stimu-
lated by the protective policy, have manu-
factured largely in excess Of the demand
for .hsi! pIoductions and this over pro-
iHa sqi i'1frstiAT Sf ST 1,% Ip r=anu-
grain market snrs us vsn.,, se
sion of the general agricultural interests Of
the country shown to be due to bad gov.
ernmen.. Not, however, Democratic, but
Republican bad government, which the
Democrats have not yet had time to cor
rect; but to the early correction of which
every present indication points with
most encouraging certainty.
But there is another important element
in the depression of agriculture in this
part of Maryland and that is the very poor
foreign demand for our tobacco aud con-
sequent great depression of values. To-
bacco is the chief staple product of South
ern Maryland and our production, as at
present managed, is adapted almost exclu-
sively to the foreign market, not being
suited to domestic manufacture. Hence
lull in the foreign demand Immediately
results injuriously to our industrial pros.
perity. But to charge this impairment Of
the foreign demand for our tobacco to the
present Federal administration is worse
than absurd. This. like the depression in
the g ain market, is due to divers causes
the most important of which is the Ger
man tariff on American tobacco, which
has in late years been materially increas-
ed. Now this German tariff is thought to
be due ia large measure to our Ameri-
can prohibitory policy, having been adopt
ed as reciprocal measure. The prohibi-
tory policy is Republican measure to
which the present administration and the
Democratic party are opposed. Under
the continued supremacy of the Democra-
tic party the prohib;tory policy viii be
most certainly overthrown and the only
element in the policy of this government
which tends to depress the market for our
Maryland tobacco he swept away.
From these considerations it viii be
seen how false and utterly unfounded is
the assumption that the Ahard times'' is
due to the Democratic administration
But further and more convincing proof
Of the falsity Of the contention is found in
the fact that the "hard times" which had
been steadily coming on for years under
the Republican policy which totally ig-
nored agricultural industry, is already be-
fore two years of Democratic government
has been given to the country, beginning
rapidly to disappear. All the commercial
reports from every section of the country
bear evidence of reviving trade and re
newed industry and all the indications
point hopefully to the early disappearance
Of the lamentable "hard times" which all
can feel but so few understand.
We commend to the attention of DR..
Lancaster and his compatriots the follow
ing extract from the reliable New York
of the Baltimore Sun of