The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1888-02-25
NO CHANCE IN ,eea.

NO CHANGE IN 1883.
Why the Business Interests Of the osuntry
WIN Support the Democratic Party in
the Presidential ElectIon-Dangers 1nci-
dent to . Change Of Admiuistration.
In making forecast Of the forces
that will enter into the Presidential
election next year, the attitude of the
business interests of the country must
be taken into account. The Repub-
lican party has made the people
familiar with the argument that. ex-
cept for the gravest cause, change of
administration at Washington is in
furious to trade and depressing to in
dustry. We have the authority Of the
foremost Republican statesmen for
saying that to transfer the general
government from the party in pos
session to the party in opposition in
wolves heavy risk to the commercial
and manufacturing activity of the Ma
ton. That such transfer would tend
to unsettle public confidence. disturb
values. alarm capital. check invest
ments, discourage enterprise. throw
labor out of employment and gener-
ally disorganize business. we know
from the speeches of men as far
sighted and clear-headed as Senator
Sherman. Senator Allison and Senator
Hawley; in fact we have the word of
all the best Republican thinkers and
orators that such q change of National
administration must be full OF danger
to our vital interests.
The people have been 90 thoroughly
indoctrinated with this fear of change
in the character and policy of their
general Government that it is not
likely they will venture to make such
a change IN 1888. unless the Republican
party can show clear necessity for it.
That no such necessity for exposing
business to the extreme perils of new
and untried administration has yet
been shown to them is evident from
the verdict rendered at the polls in
New York. II the prophecies of
ruinous results to trade 30 freely made
BY the Republicans in 1884. in case Mr..
Cleveland was elected, had been even
partially fulfilled, then the merchants.
manufacturers and tradesmen of the
great business State of New York
would. by this time. have been found
at work in dead earnest to rectify their
misfortune. In that case New York
would have gone Republican the other
day by decisive majority. But the
people well knew that all those proph-
ecies of disaster have not only failed of
fulfillment, but that, on the contrary,
the business outlook has improved
steadily since Mr. Cleveland was in
Hence. New York is
where she is, in the Democratic coll
umn Of States. by largely-increased
margin; and there she will remain,
barring some unforeseen occurrence. in
1888
After all the noise that is made from
time to time by the professional indie
pendent voter, and by all the other ex-
cellent persons who form third parties
to promote special ideas and reforms,
the really formidable body of inde-
pendent voters are our business men.
They make fewer speeches, no doubt
but they muster more votes; and
though their voice is not loud their
influence is controlling. 1t was they |
who decreed the election Of Tilden in |
1876. Alarmed in 1880. it was they |
who turned the scales in the closing |
month of that years campaign and |
gave New York and victory to Gar
field. And it was because they were |
afraid of Blaine and . spirited foreign |
policy" which was to lead nobody |
knew where. that they permitted his
iefeat in 1884; for had they supported |
him with half the vigor which they
threw into the canvass for Garfield, il |
8 certain that Cleveland would not
nave been elected
The secret of the business-men's |
power in . Presidential election Is an |
'pen one. It is not in their votes
'hough they are numerous and help; it
8 not in their money. though they are
lpt to be generous supporters Of =
'ause they heartily spouse; but far
more potent than either their votes or
heir money il the weight Of their
and the force Of their opinion.
Trade is in our day highly-organized
hing; its brain il in New York and
he other great metropolitan centers of
xchange. and, quick as an electric
- IL n /