People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1892-11-25
The Election.

u
once powerful political party has been
absolutely destroyed. There is no
Disgusting the fact that the Repubi-
can party has suffered a defeat from
which it can never rally. This
crushing defeat should not be con-
sidered as an Endorsement of Demo-
cratic principles, but rather as re-
buke to Republican neglect of the
peoples wants.
Mr.. Cleveland was elected in 1884
simply as protest against Republl-
can administration, and with
little if any regard for party doc
trines. Mr.. Cleveland was turned
down and Mr.. Harrison elected In
1888 for precisely the same reason,
since he had failed to better the con-
dition of the people. Mr.. Harrison
and his party have trifed with the
condition of the country, and as a
result have just met their Waterloo.
Unless Mr.. Cleveland has learned
wisdom and profits by these examples,
his party, likewise, will meet with a
similar fate in 1896. The outcome
of this election is not an Endorsement
of Democratic doctrines, but plain,
unmistakable disclosure of the I'M
easiness and discomfort among the
people, and is warning to all politi-
cal parties that the distress and I'M
favorable conditions which obtain in
every section of the country cannot
be ignored with impunity. The
coming four years will be crucial
period in the life of this nation, and
may we'll fill the most hopeful with
gloomy forebodings. A change in
tariff taxation, to which Mr.. Cleve-
land and his party are so strongly
pledged, will, as the national expen-
ses now stand, necessitate other
methods of taxation. What will
they be and how will they affect the
business interests of the country, are
questions that call for higher class
of craftsmanship than the present
Congress or the campaign has de-
veloped.
Again, the demand for more cur
renoy is imperative and acknowledge
ed almost universally. When and
how is this to be supplied are also
matters that must be considered and
acted upon at once. So far the
Democratic party has neither dis
closed a plan nor brought forward
men capable of handling the subject.
It is really a party without states
men, without a fixed policy, and is
divided into hostile factions upon
all the great questions it is compelled
to meet successfully or be driven
from power at the next election.
The bitterness engendered by the
campaign, the extravagant promises
made, the high hopes and great ex-
pectations raised among the people,
all seem to point to a thorny path
for the incoming administration.
AS to the final disposition of the
Republican party there is room for
much speculation. Naturally, yet
not imperceptibly, square contest
has developed inside the party be-
tween the West and the East, both
as to men and measures, which has
destroyed both it's solidity and union
of action, if not of purpose. 1t was
with the greatest difficulty that the
last national convention avoided
trouble, even with its misleading and
meaningless phrases and propositions.
But with this recent disaster and
each faction charging the cause to
the other, the breach becomes so
complete as to preclude the posi-
bility of it's being bridged over.
Taken altogether it is quite safe to
predict that the next Presidential
campaign will be struggle between
the East and the South and West.
The election of Cleveland will doubt.
less precipitate just such contest at
that date. When the smoke of the
recent political battle has cleared
away, the people will realize more
fully than ever before the unwisdom
Of their action and clamor loudly for
relief. This first year of the new ad-
ministration unless an extra session
of Congress is called will be spent in
filling offices.
At least six or eight months of the
second year will be consumed by
Congress in matters of legislation,
the effect of which cannot be felt to
any appreciable extent before the
next congressional election. In the
meantime the distress among the
people will continue, and the already
uneasy feeling among business men
will be aggravated by the disturb
ing influences which always follow a
change Of administration. Such con-
ditions will dispel all hopes, Danish
all expectations, and again fill the
people with desire for a change.
That such situation is more than
probable the history of the past few
years will fully sustain. In this
event, the most natural course would
be union of the independent ele-
ment in the South and West against
the element in the East, which is Ger
tain to dominate and control the
policy of Mr.. Cleveland's administra-
| tion. When once such action is