The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-11-06
TUESDAYS GLORIOUS WORK.


don were simply astounding. THE HERALD
confesses to being somewhat overwhelmed
by the news We had, as we thought,
rather carefully followed the drift Of pub
lie sentiment in the nation, and had noted
the many evidences of popular disapproval
of the aims and acts of the party in power.
1t would have been sad disappointment if
the people had not administered rebuke
to Republicanism as exempiified in the per-
sons of REED and MCKINLEY and CANNON,
the President and the leaders and rulers of
the organization. Our faith in the intel
igence and the common sense of the
American people, and in their patriotism,
was such that we were confident that on
this occasion they would rise to check the
mad bosses who were rushing the country
to ruin and the republic to destruction. For
months evidences have been manifest of
popular discomfort throughout the land,
aud we have not doubted that when No
vember came the voters would show
that after all they, and not the
MCKINLETs and the REEDS, are the
power which gives direction to this great
government.
A few days before the election what was
thought to be close and careful canvass
of the various Congressional districts in
which discomfort prevailed and the
probability of change in the politics of the
Representative existed was made, and
being liberal with our own side we figured
it out that the Democrats would have
majority in the lower House of the
Fifty second Congress Of twenty to twenty
five. More than the latter figures was
not thought possible. But we had miscal-
culated the temper of the American peo
pie. We had not taken full account Of the
depth to which the fear and distrust aroused
by Republican legislation and threats had
struck. We had not realized that the voters
had been fully educated to the evils which
were upon them and the dangers with
which they were threatened.
The election came on, and instead Of con
tentlng themselves with warning the
party of recklessness and defiance the
voters wrought complete revolution. In
stead of sending to the House enough honest
and trustworthy men and patriots to hold
the hot heads level, the voters have simply
driven the desperadoes into retirement
placing them in such insignificant minority
that they will WELD no influence in legis-
lation. Instead of a Democratic majority
of twenty, which would have been sufi-
Gent for all practical purposes, the party
will have majority of sixty, and perhaps
seventy, in the next House. Never before
in the history of the republic has there oc-
Cured such a revolution. What took place
in 1876 was remarkable, and astonished
ing, and will go into history as the most
wonderful political demonstration that has
ever taken place.
The meaning of the vote cannot be mis-
understood or mis-applied. 1t is popular
revolt againt the Imperialism of the Repub-
lican autocrats. 1t is protest against
Reedism in the national legislature-a de-
nunciation OF the doctrine recently born
ard put into practice which in little
while would have deprived legislation of its
representative character and made all our
laws partisan in sentiment and
in operation. The vote means that the
American people have put the seal of con.
demnation on the rule which has prevailed
in Congress during the past session by
which one man, in defiance of decency and
in spite of right, of justice, of the popular
will and of legislative rules as old as con
stituuional legislative bodies, has dictated
as to the passage of bills, saying which
should fail and which should become laws
Never again, we apprehend, will speaker
of the House assume the power and au-
thority which Mr.. REED has exercised FOL
months past. No speaker will assume Sc
much and no party would sustain him while
the memory of Tuesdays emphatic rebuk,
continues.
But the greater meaning of the vote ap
plies in another direction. The notice il
given that the American people have a
last gotten their eyes open as to the infa
nous principle of protection" and thai
they will not tolerate it. The voters hav,
seen that this principle as applied in oul
laws simply enriches the few at the ex
pense of the many; that it makes tn,
masses poorer in that it vastly increase.
the cost of living; that it deprives the pro.
ducers Of a market for their products, ant
thus takes from them the right which is in
herent in man TO get the most for his skill
and his labor, that it prevents the citize,
from selling in the highest market ant
buying in the lowest-rights which shout,
attach to all; that it will certainly impov
erish the country, as it has already done O
is doing to the masses: and that it is ere
ating, encouraging and fostering rich an,
privileged class in proportion as it is en-
shaving and pauperizing the many.
The voters, we say, have been educate,
as to this ruinous system of protection,
which is responsible for the robber trust
and capital combines which boldly and i'm
pudently and corruptly control elections
frame bills in their interest and direc
their hired or owned representatives il
Congress to pass them.
We also interpret the vote to mean tina
the people are disple ased with the unex
ampled extravaganza of the party which, in
less than two years. with a revenue SO
enormous as to be almost fabulous in
amount, has found ways for sauanderin
more than hundred millions surplus az
cumulated by the economy of previous ad
ministration, and which threatens to Great
deficit in the treasury which only burden
some taxation can overcome The people
have protested against reckless pension
legislation which shovess money from tn
treasury. not as reward for patriotic Sc,
vices. but as the purchase price of votes.