Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-11-14
IT IS OUR BATTLE.
DEMOCRACY HAS PUT ITS HAND TO THE
PL0UGHSHARB,
And there is No Turning Back-A Ringing Addres
10 tho Voters Of the Land-The Tariff
Reform Issue VIII
Triumph.

PHILADELPHIA, November 13.-The
following circular was given to the press yes
terdsy by Hon. Chauncey F. Black, Presi-
dent of the National Lesgue of Democratic
Societies:
The Democratic party has met tempo
rary defeat in defense of just, equitable
and necessary principle of free government
It contendsd that unnecessary taxation
was unjust taxation; that the Federal
government had no right to take more
money from the people than might be nee.
eesary for its own support economically
administered; and that it had no
right to take money from the mass
Of men to confer it, ae mere largssS, upon
q class. This doctrine has been held by
the Democratic party from the adoption OF
the constitution to the present day. 1t
was the doctrine of Jefferson aud of every
Democratic statesman in our history. But
since the civil war the Federalists' scheme
of strong government, taking from the
people whatever those in power may think
useful, or desirable, building up few in
dustries at the expense Of Others, and con-
ferring upon favored enterprises great an
nual toanlies far in excess Of the public
revenues, has been incorporated in the
policy of the general government, and for
now more than quarter of century has
been steadily II aintained by our legsls-
ton and administration.
THE BATTLE NUsT GO ON.
The conflict between these two princi-
pies Of government is most assuredly IT.
repressible II must continue until the
indus trial people of the United States are
all free or all slaves. Tne Democratic
party has not thought Of abandoning the
fight. On the contrary it ta' Just begun
il. Considering that the Presidents re-
form message, regarded by many as per-
ilous new departure in favor of indus
trial freedom, was given to Congress only
in December last, sni that the ensuing
popular debate has been in progress less
than year, the results OF the voting
On November 6 furnish the friends
of tariff reform the moss abundant
announcement. Ifso much has been won
in so short time; if all Eerssy upon this
vital question has been crushed within, or
finally cast out of one Of the great political
parties in the United States in this brief
period, what may not be accomplished by
a fearless, resolute, persistent sgltstIon in
the years to come? Rising from this mo-
mentlry check, strengthened by the con-
sCiousness that it carries the ark Of public
safety, that it has in its keeping a sacred
principle upon the future success Of which
depends the industrial and political free
dom of ths people of the United States, the
Democratic patty will go on with this con.
test until it is gloriOusly won.
THE ODDS WERE AGAINST DEMOCRACY.
We have met the special interests, the
monopoles and the trusts, stimulated 10.
their utmost exertion by the new danger
which confronted them; we have met
their millions, extorted from the labor OF
the country, poured out in any quantities
demanded by the interruptions political
managers, and, notwithstanding all their
advantages of position. power ard means,
snd the meagre time allowed for the mo-
meptous struggle, we have fairly divided
the suffrages of the people with them; and
it will be weeks 10 come before il car
even be told upon which side tho actual
popular majority has..fallen.
There are now about 4, 900 Democratic
clubs and Democratic societies In the Uni
ted States. This convention which brought
these together and formed the National
AS ociation was held only on the 4th of
July last, and the Democratic Society OF
Pennsylvania was formed but a few weeks
previous. Considering the great work
done, and the important results accom-
plished in the few intervening months, it
must now be apparent 10 every intelligent
observer that had this campaign of organ
izstion and iniormstioa'-this vast Re
publican propaganda, formally founded
upon the indisputable and immortal pIin-
ciples of Jefferson-been undertaken at an
earlier date, and prosecuted with intelli-
gent vigor, the Presidential election OF 1883
| would have had q far different tsImina-
ton.
THE WORK BEFORE THE CLUBS.
Nothing is required 10 insure the Sue
cess of the DetAoCratic candidates but that
the issue should be clearly understood.
This is made only tco manifest by COM
garrison of the results in the msnufsctur-
ing centres with those in the agricultural
regions. In the former the tariff scare'
appears to have had no effect whatever
upon the minds of Intelligent operatives,
for whose alleged benefit fraudulent aud
dslusive pro; is invoked, while
| in the agricultural regions, whose people
are the almost confessed victims Of the
Fedsralist system of spOlistioD, the Fed
erslist msi orities seemed to have been
maintained, and even increased. In
other words, where the debate rsgsd,
where the conflict was fercest, wnere
the truth was most clearly and moso
thoroughly struck out betwesn the con"
tending parties, there the truth hss pre-
vailed. 1t must, therefore, be plain that
had the discussion been carried home to
the agricultural people of the country TO
the same extent aud with the same strong
Iimrresion upon that class as upon the
other. Let there be Democratic society
in every neighbortood, and let that society
boldly, cons tsutly, and energeticall7 con-
tinue the discussion of the tariff question
as il relates to the material interests OF the
people themselves. and the Democratic
psrty OF the United States will never lose
another general election during the exist
ence of this generation.
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.
Had the Democratic Socety of PsnrsVl'
yauis been four years old, instead of Tive
months, with It's primary societies IN every
election district, as they should have been
the electoral vote of Pennsylvania wOult
have gone to Grover Cleveland, where the
hest interests of the large msj ority Of hel
people required that they should go. Hat
the Nationsl Association of Democratic
Climbs been one year old, instead Of foul
months, New York and Indiana, and th'
whole Agricultural West, would have bse'
for Democratic revenue reform, instead o
Rsnublican or Federalist monopoly.