The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-11-09
TuE COUNTRy.s RrspoNsE


In January next
THE CoUNTRY'S RESPONSE.
The result of last Tuesdays election will be
known in history as the decisive Democratic
victory of 1890 The contest which it closed
was one in which both parties were fairly
ranged. Its issues were clearly defined The
party which for two years had been in posses
sion of the Government challenged the op-
ponents of its policy to the test of popular APP
proval, The challenge was accepted, and,
with no appreciable evidence of hesitation or
uncertainty, the people have decided.
The Republican majority in the House of
Representatives, early in the career of the
Fifty-frst Congress, determined upon a course
of action which contravened all previous
practice ignored the precedents of hundred
yearS,an trampled under foot the rights of the
minority. Liberty of debate was so hampered
and curtailcd that the House was no longer
deliberative body, but one which simply re-
corded the edicts of its presiding officer, or
rushed measures through which had been pre-
viously agreed upon in the party caucus. Chief
among those measures were the tariff law,
which, mainly in the interest of a small class
OF manufacturers and monopolists, added
greatly to the burdens of the laboring and pro-
ducing classes of the people, by increasing the
price of clothing and other articles in common
use, and force bill, which was framed to Sc
cure to Republicans control of all Congress
sional elections and to enable them to make q
partisan count.
In passing both of these bills in their novel
and peculiar way the Republicans of the House
proclaimed vehemently and continuously that
they were fulfilling their pledges to the people,
t1yar 80 -,
and were sure of being sustained by popular
approval. These measures were advocated and
defended by their orators in all parts of the
land, the issues were placed squarely before the
people, and the response of the country has
blown the thin Republican pretense into view
less air.
Beyond question, the Republican defeat is
due to the MCKINLEY tariff act more than to
any other single cause. Specially intended to
benefit certain allied and colossal industries, it
aroused the antagonism of vast array of
widely-scattered and diversified interests. By
Withholding from the free list the raw mate
rials and fuel required in the manufactures of
New England, the trade of that section was
threatened with destruction, and its peo-
PIE were swift to express their condemna-
ton. The great carpet industry of PhiladeI-
phia is partially paralyzed by its provisions.
| The increased taxation which it imposes on
nearly all the means af ordinary living affected
all the voters of the country, and especially
those of the agricultural States of the North
west, West, and South.
The even impartiality with which the late DO
litical cyclone struck all sections of the country
is one of its most striking features. It's force
was all in one direction Where constituent
ctes were already Democratic it intensified
their Democracy. Where they were Republi-
can it either changed them to Democratic or
greatly lessened their Republican maiorities
The full-handed wealth of the benefciaries of
Republican tariff legislation, together with the
most conspicuous stumping talent of the Re-
publican party, was concentrated upon Nc
kINLEY's district, but, in reality, MCKINLEY's
defeat is in no sense a greater Democratic vic
tory than the reduction of LODGES majority by
1000 votes in favor of his scholarly opponent.
1t must be admitted that in some States local
issues were aids to Democratic SUCCESS In
Massachusetts, BRACKETT's gubernatorial can
ddacy weakened by the discussion of the
questionable lobby influence that has recently
dominated the politics of the State. In Penn
sylvania PATTIsON's election was a rebuke of
QUAY's bossism and DELAMATER's silence
under charges of dishonesty In Wisconsin
and Illinois the question of compulsory educa-
tion had considerable influence. In some of
the Western and Southern States the opposition
of the Farmers Alliance was the model in which
dissatisfaction with Republican rule manifested
itself But when all these disturbing influences
are fully allowed for the fact still remains that
the Democratic triumph of last week implies
! popular disapproyal of REEDS arbitrary auda-
city, Of MCkINLEY's subseryiency to monopo-
listic greed, and of LODGES attempt to take
the control Of elections from the people in
order to give it to party.
As the smoke Of battle clears away the extent
! Of the victory begins to appear. month ago
! Speaker REED adjourned the House with a ma
jority Of twenty-four Republicans in 1t. The
members OF the House in the Fifty-second Con
gress have just been elected, and it will contain
Democratic majority over one hundred and fifty.
A confident combination Of wealth and all the
talents went forth to maintain Republcanism,
and it is enough to make an American proud of
our system of free government to note how
quietly and easily it was laid low. This is a
good time for politicians to learn anew that
ours is a government by the people for the
people.
Cincinnati's New Opera House.
CINCINNATI, ONO, Nov. S.-The older citizens
have been enjoying this week a reminscence of