Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1892-11-17

While the Australian system has many
excellent features, especially that of
being practically a secret ballot, it
seems to be much more subject to mis-
take than the old way, and the difficulty
which one experiences in scratching
his ticket certainly tends to largely in
crease the number of straight party
votes. This latter tact becomes womb
erfully apparent when examining the
local returns as they come in the ex-
changes.
If the democratic psrty is sincere in
its platform and its promises, it means
a complete reversal of the policy of
protection which has seemingly brought
the highest prosperity to the American
people. Business activity was meyer
before so noticeable as it has been the
past two years. Nearly one thousand
new industries have been inaugurated,
seemingly direct result of the McKin
ley bill. Many millions of dollars have
'been set afloat ia the starting of these
new enterprises and in adding to old
ones Now the democratic parry is
emphaucally pledged to repeal the
''robber tariff at the earliest possible
moment The people demand it and
will have it, or woe to the democratic
party. The great burden of taxation"
must not only be lifted from the should
ers of the people, but it must be lifted
at once and in such a way that the
people will at once feel that the burden
l. lightened. They have no reason for
waiting. If tariff reform is so great
a panancea for all the evils that are,
according to democratic authority,
hanging over and infesting this count
ry, it must take effect, and like the
magician's wand. bring forth the wond-
rous results at once. A party measure
which ''makes the rich, richer and the
poor, poorer" "a measure which tends
to build chinese wall about this
country" must be wiped from the
statutes without delay. No matter if
the wall is yet so far from compile
ton that our imports during the past
year have been nearly eight hundred
and fifty million dollars, while our ex-
ports have gone a good way above the
one billion dollar mark. II is true that
European newspapers, European man
ufacturers, and the great importers of
our eastern cities have loudly condemn
ed this ''robber tariff aud it is also
true that then interests were not
consulted by he congress that wrought
out the bill The fact that there is
rejoicing among our neighbors across
the water can be safely ignored and
may have but little if any influence,
but the fact that half million more
than half the American votes demand
changed condition of things, demands
the closest and promptest attention.
Political parties are made up of indiVid-
uals, and like individuals. are likely to
be mistaken in theories. Now what is
good for our democratic neighbor is
good for us, and vice versa. and as
individuals we are equally interested in
the welfare of the country. We can
not know the correct theory of govern
ment too soon, and since the demo-
cratic idea is the one to be next placed
on trial, let there be no half way about
it but give it full swing; but it will
not be in order for the democratic
party to use for future capital, the pre-
sent prosperous condition of the count
~, which they claim is mot because of
the Mckinley bill but IN spite of it,
THE change in the political situation
in the United States is most complete
The democratic party has smooth sail
ing for the next four years so far as
having control of the government is
concerned, The only hitch that can
possibly occur at any time can come
only from the presence of four or five
senators elected by the peoples party
and who will likely hold the balance OF
power in the U. S. senate. They will,
however, offer but little opposition to
any measure of national Importance adj
vanced by the democratic party. The
only time when they are at all likely tc
pull back in the harness VIII be wher
they think they can gain a little person
al prominence in some political position
for one of their leaders, We believ,
that it is under the present circumstan
ces the wish Of every republican
| that the democratic leader.