The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-02-04

Born and brought up a farmer, having
lived most ofa lifetime, now not short,
among farmers, being in full sympathy
with them, the writer desires to give to
the farmers of Pennsylvania, his native
State, the benefit of his studies in the
political history Of this country, his OBJ
servation and thought generally, on that
subject.
He believes the outcome will show that
the 'third party" movement of the farm
ers is unwise. Indeed, the indications
are somewhat so already If the late
elections indicate anything they show
that the third party movement will eth
er distract and disorder National legisla-
tive policies, so essential to confidence in
business, and hence useful and safe to
the farmer. For although the farmer
stands at the source of all permanent
wealth and prosperity, that prosperity is
always seriously affected by the instabil-
ity and uncertainty of all other enter
prise.
Manifestly, the farmers best interests
and the country's general prosperity, are
nsepsrably joined together The party
and the policy, then, which insures the
largest measure of general prosperity are
the party and the policy to which the
farmer should give his unwavering sup
port. Ifthe policy ofthat party should
at any time seem to be going away, let
the farmers combine within the party to
secure, by petition, and the use of per-
sonal power in the primaries, the county
conventions, and further along the re-
forms needed. The manifestation of will
power within party hasbetter promise
nisms pressed upon that party from with
out Besides, the history of these third
party moyements-all back for fifty
years-have only shown a merely spas
modic success for Their aims, which, in
nearly every case, the results have been
damaging to those ainaS and helpful to
the opposition.
Now, we have in this country two graat
parties-the Republican and the social
Democratic. The latter claims age and
venerableness, which is indeed nearly all
it can claim as a recommendation, if that
be recommendation. Let US look at
the history of these parties as Indicative
of their real character, and therefore of
any claim they may have, or not have,
upon our support. | would ask any man
to name and define any series of acts of
the Democratic party that has been pro-
motive of the highest welfare of our
country. We may begin with Jaekson's
administration sixty years ago. During
that period the country had notification.
Who led off in it? Some of the promi-
nent leaders in the Democratic party.
What started notification? Opposition
to the tariff measures of the opposite par
ty, which measures under the leadership
of Henry Clay sought to establish true
American system of industries. The same
battle has been on the country of late,
led by Mr.. Cleveland and Mr.. Mills and
their followers, seeking free trade and
working in the interest, and it is believ-
ed, under the pay of foreign capital
Then after Clay and his Whig asso-
ciates had overcome Calhoun and his
Democratic following, began the distri-
button among the States of the surplus in
the United States Treasury, followed by
the practical overthrow of the United
States Bank, and by that means the utter
ruin Of the business of the country, when
there was no legal tender among the
farmers but silver coin gold, what little
there was, being locked up in the vaults
Do not some of you remember the time
when in Pennsylvania you sold wheat at
fifty cents bushel, good COW and calf
for twelve and fifteen dollars, fine
young horse or mare for forty and when
for your wedding coat you paid five to
seven dollars yard for British broad
cloth-and that, too, under low tariff;
when calicoes were twenty-five cents
yard, and the commonest spelling book
for your child twenty-five cents? need
not go on to specify. Then your labor
ing man got fifty cents per day, and
little more in harvest. These were grand
times indeed for the poor man, but they
were under the prevalence of Democratic
policy or rule. Have you forgotten the
disasters and bankruptcies of ,lS4l and
1912, following close on the vetoing by
John Tyler of that policy of high tariff
for which the people fought in the Hsr-
rison campaign of 1910, and which
Wing Congress had passed, but which
traitor, acting President, obeying the be-
hest of the other party, had defeated by
his veto? Those were hard times for the
farmer-for everybody. How much bet
ter under the next, Democratic admin
istration? What measures did they
bring forward and pass for the relief of
the country? If there were any such, it
is in order for some one to rise up and
show it.
Passing by the brief administrations of !
Taylor and Fillmore, signalized by the
treaty with Mexico, the acquisition of
California, the Gadsden purchase-so
valuable now to our country-and the
grand compromise measures of 1850, Clay
and Webster's last great achievement
in which movement every leader Of the
Democratic party antagonized the scheme |
which gave us California, the newly ac-
quired territory adjoining, as forever free.
And again we find the country quiet, |
confidence restored and business of all
kinds looking up.
Then we come to eight years of Dem
ocratic rule, the darkest of ALL First,
the repeal Of the Missouri compromise,
solemnly made by and among the States
more than generation before the con-
sequent notification of all the sacred |