Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-08-30
THE N. Y. HERALD y
A VERY FAR SEEING JOURNAL, ON
THE TENDENCY OF THE TIMES.


The Democratic Party Can Afford to Wait
While the Country Surely Drifts in
Its Observation-Disclosures Educational
Term.
The Democratic leaders can afford to
sit still while the country slowly drifts in
their direction.
The people made mistake last autumn
when they voted for Republican policy,
and are beginning 10 see it.
As to Mr.. Harrison, he is an able and
honest man. There isn't a Republican on
the continent who could make better
record than he. Personally he has a
claim on the respect and goodwill of
every one.
Herepresents certain party policies, how
ever, which he is bound to carry out. He
will undoubtedly be true to his convic-
tions, and there is the danger, for the
more he insists on carrying out those con-
victions the worse it will be for the coun-
try.
Hamilton, the father of the Republican
party, was an aristocrat. He had no
sympathy with the governing masses, al
ways distrusted them and preferred
monarchy to a republic. He had very
little faith in the perpetuity of American
institutions, because he despised what are
known as the people"
He felt that the moneyed class should
be the ruling class and that the masses
ought to be kept in the background.
Mr.. Harrisons party has inherited that
conviction and represents it at this mo-
ment
Under the rule of that party the rich
continually grow richer while the poor
continually grow poorer.
Its policy is, therefore, a political blum.
der, and in its last results will become a
political crime,
1t consistently throws its influence in
favor of the monopolist and is the natural
parent of the combine.
While it continues syndicates flourish
like a green bay tree and the workingmen
will be ruthlessly sacrificed.
What it calls protection is simply pro-
lection of a few, while the many are
driven to strikes in order to obtain wages
above the starvation point.
The word pro,ectic1 " has an alluring
sound; the thing it really stands for is
damnable.
The mill owners of Connecticut and
Massachusetts were hoodwinked last au.
tumn. They were told If the protective
tariff were taken off their raw materials
they would be ruined. They therefore
voted for the Republican policy, and went
to sleep with the feeling that they had
done a public service.
They now see that unless they get their
raw materials free of duty they will soon
have to close their works and lose what
little they have made.
A very great change in this respect has
taken place within few months. East
ern manufacturers are in the dumps
they voted for the sword which cut their
own throats, unless they jam it back in
its sheath. They now demand a very
material reduction of tariff duties 1t Is
a matter of life and death with them.
They couldn't understand this last year.
but now their decaying business has made
it altogether too plain. They are penitenL
but the penitence comes too late.
If they had re-established the Demo-
cratic policy of lower tariff their bust
ness would now be booming. They want
a large market for their products. If
they could get access to the markets Of
the world they would undersell all com
petitors, and their mills might be run on
full time with profit to the owners and
workingmen alike.
But the Republican bosses won't admit
this, and so the mill owners must dodge
bankruptcy if they can and the laborer
must keep from starving if possible
1t is not Mr. Harrison's fault He is
good man with a bad theory, that is all
The Democrats have been sneered at by
party workers because the last campaign
was an " educational one, in which the
Democratic party was knocked out
All right. Mr.. Hanison's four years
will also be educational, and when they
end the people will refuse to be the cats
paws of monopolists any longer Then
the Republican party with its protective
humbuggery, will be sent flying.
The people are learning their lessons
very rapidly.
The Apple Crop.