The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-05-27
rHE NEW


The People Are Not Calling for Repub-
lican Rule to Any Alarming Extent
A Republican organ at the West
c~omplacently observes, in view of the
apparent failure of the Democratic
House to accomplish what was hoped
from it, that sit has served at least to
show, by practical contrast, how much
Republican rule was worth to the
country. and to satisfy doubtful voters
that the great duty of the times is to
restore the old situation as soon as pos
sible."
What was this sold situationP" 1t is
well to recall it before accepting the
assumption that it was something
which it would be desirable to restore.
The old situation must have been bad,
or the people would not have decided
to change it. 1t was bad. Without in.
Justice, it may be said that every unset
tied question which now troubles the
Democracy. and every evil in the Gov
eminent which they are striving to cure,
is a legacy of Republican neglect or
misrule. To restore the ''old situation
is to restore a civil service thoroughly
and intensely partisan through
out, and to permit its use as an adj
jlnct of a party machine. One year of
Democratic rule has brought a great
improvement in this respect. The pub
lie service is being departisanized, and
| there is no complaint of the neglect of
their duties by officials to engage in
partisan work, nor of the Interference
| of the peoples servants in the man
agement of elections. The new situa-
ton is vastly better than the old one in
this respect.
OF the labor troubles the same thing
is true. 1t was under Republican rule
and Republican laws that cheap o n
tract labor was introduced to this
country, that over-production was
stimulated by the bounties of protec-
ton, and that the wages of miners
were forced down to eighty cents a day.
1t was the sold situation" that saw the
panic of 1873 and the depression of
1881, and that ended with a million un-
employed laborers in the United States.
The rise of the many millions and the
combination of gigantic corporations
were both incidents Of this former
regime. In 1860 the men in this coun-
try who were worth $5, Co., 900 could
be counted on the fingers of two hands.
In 1884 fortunes of $40, 600, 900 and
$50, O00, COO were not surprising, and
men, erich beyond the dreams OF
avarice," were piling still higher their
superfiuous wealth. The rich have
grown richer and the poor poorer, in
spite of the better condition of some
classes of working-men and the larger
earnings of salaried persons. Tramps,
strikes and labor riots are develop.
ments of the Republican era. The
ICredit Mobilier, the grand l%arcenous
land grabs, the star route frauds, the
decay of the navy, and the department
thieveries were all incidents of the s'old
situation"
Coming down to matters of current
interest, did not a recent Republican
Congress fail to pass a national bank
ruptcy law, as well as bills for the re.
lief of the Supreme Court, the regula.
ton Of the presidential count and pres
idential successionP Did not the last
Congress of that complexion enact 8
river and harbor grab of SIS, OO0, 00C
over the Presidents vetop Did not il
and its successors run the pension uI
to a sum in excess of the entire expenses
of the Government in the year before
the war;? The Republican party .sas il
was" did many great and beneficen1
acts. But the Republican party as it il
offers no inducements to the people tt
'~srestore the old situation. n-Bostos
Sunday Herald.