Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1888-10-03
THE RECORD.
What Democracy Has Done During the
Time IL Has Been in Power.

What Democracy Has Zone During the
Time Ii Has Been I'm Power.
On this subject Mr. Villas, in his recent
great speech at Milwaukee, said A polit,
ical change of administration necessarily
imposes, at the best, arduous, painful and
long-protracted labor. There are many cir
cumstanceS which multiplied the harass-
ments and trials of the new Administration.
And yet it can not but be gratifying to
Democrats that their National convention
was able boldly to declare to the people that
the Democratic party welcomes an exact
ing scrutiny Of the administration of the
Executive power which four years ago was
committed to its trust in the election of
Grover Cleveland, President of the United
States, and it challenges the most search
ing inquiry concerning its fidelity and de-
votion to the pledges which then invited
the suhrages Of the people," / may with
out improperly assert that this challenge
was based on a safe foundation.
If you turn to the Department of State you
find that everywhere the National dignity
has been maintained, National rights care
fully and firmly protected, and the Republic
in peace and good will with all the powers
Of the earth, save only as Republican OBJ
struction leaves US a needless hostility with
our northern neighbor.
Hyou take the Treasury, its guardianship
Of our financial interests commands respect
on every hand. You recall the disturbed
financial relations of 1884 and the early part
of 1885, and the painful apprehension of i'm
pending disaster under which the lamented
Manning began his wise care of that de-
partment; how apprehension gradually
changed to confidence, how then shrinking
business put on bold and enterprising
face, how throughout every part of this land
our affairs have prospered. do not claim,
as our Republican friends were won't to
seem to do, that the sun has shone and the
earth put forth her increase by reason Of
Democratic rule, but ii is due to the Treasury
to award that measure of credit which the
wise, prudent and sagacious perception Of
all the conditions and circumstances af-
fecting finances and of the true measures
TO be pursued entitle it. More than that, it
has reformed gross abuses to the advan-
tage Of the revenues and the suppression of
vice, as well as to the increase of equality
and fairness among importers and mer-
chants. spoke few minutes since of the
former practice of differentiation of the
goods Of favored importers who made the
| proper deduction for political expenses"
as a euphemistic Senator has recently put it.
Note these figures and see if there be sig
nificance in them. The fiscal year ending
June 80, 1885, which embraced the campaign
/ of 1884, yielded customs revenue of but
] Sl,0OO,OO0, Sl4,OO0,000 less than the previ-
/ Gus year, while during the first year of this
| Administration they yielded S193, 900 600,
| during the second year S217, ,0O0, 600, and dur
ing the third year S220OO0,0O0. Is there no
significance Of political methods in the sud-
den drop of Sl4, 100000 in the value of i'm
ports during the campaign year and the
| prompt restoration in the following. At
| least, what a testimony is this to increase
/ Of business and business confidence under
| Democracy. And note also in another as
/ pect the product of honest methods of col
| lection. The cost of collection for 1884 was
.0344 per cent 1883, .0317 per cent; 1856,
! the first year of this Administration, .033O
the second year, .03l6, and the third year,
ending June 80, 1855, .O30S.
! Look, also, 9t the internal revenue for a
moment. The collections for the fiscal year
1885 the last Republican year,, S112, ,OO0, 900;
| for 1886 (Cleveland's first year,, S111, ,000,-
600; 1887, S1l9,OO0,OO0; 1883, $l25, ,0OO, 900.
And the cost of collection fell from almost
four per cent. in 1885 to barely three per
, CeuS. 10 1883.
An hour might be well spent in relating
with particular detail the methods of Just
valuation, the various economies by which
! this result has been effected, shortly sum
married. by the statement Of large increase
in revenues and large reduction in ex.
| penses. l must leave it now to the tale oi
simple figures, more expressive of fidelity
honesty and business than the highest
sounding words.