The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1892-09-23
BLUE DEMOCRATS.
THEY ARE ALL AT SEA AS TO
THEIR CAMPAIGN ISSUES.
Farmers Fear u Repeal OF the Tariff and
Dread Return to the Old State Bank
ing system-Republican Prospects In
the South.
Especial Correspondence

icans, while the Democrats admit quiet
ly that the outlook is very blue for
them. The overwhelming evidence Of
the value of the tariff legislation enact
ed by the Republican party two short
years ago, which evidence came to the
surface in the report of Commissioner
Peck, has alarmed the Democrats.
Democratic Endorsement of Mckinley
Tariff.
Scarcely had the figures given by Sec
rotary Foster in this correspondence
been made public when they were sup
plemented by an equally striking an
nouncement of the value Of the McKin-
ley law, which announcement came
from Democratic source. These two
statements fairly took the breath away
from even the most hopeful Democrat.
1t left them scarcely leg to stand upon.
With the evidence of prominent Demo-
crat that the wages of over quarter of
a million of people have been increased
70 the amount of over Sc, 900, 900 in New
York state alone under the first year of
the Mckinley law, there is disposition
to drop the tariff issue.
No Issue for Democrats.
The difficulty, however, is that nothing
is left worth making an issue. That the
great battle must be upon the line laid
down by the Democratic convention of
free trade against protection seems to
be evident, and the leaders here admit
that the contest has gone too far to
make it possible to change the issues
now. The force bill cuts no figure in
the mind of the average citizen because
he knows it simply means fair ballot
honestly counted, and the average citi-
zen is not willing to go into campaign
against that right.
No wildcat Banks Wanted.
The only other issue left is that of
state banks, and the Democrats are get
ting very weary of that. Advices from
all over the country show that not only
the business men but citizens generally
dread the thought of the return to the
old state bank system and to the I'M
stable currency which it furnished when
it was in operation. Hence the propo-
sition of the Democratic platform to re-
move the tax of state bank currency is
proving one of the most unpopular prop
ositions that has made its appearance in
the platform of either Of the great par
ties for many years.
Republican Prospects In the South.
The reports received from the south
ern states indicate that the Republican
prospects in half dozen Of them are
good. Ifthe Republicans set themselves
actively at work in West Virginia, Vir-
ginia, North Carolina, Alabama, Ten
nessee and Louisiana there is reason to
believe that they may break the solid
south in many spots. If they are de-
termined and active both in their or
CARNATIONS and in seeing that they have
fair vote and fair count there will
be number of electoral votes from the
south for Harrison and an increased
number of Republican congressman
from that section. Hon. Thomas Settle,
candidate for congress from the Fifth
North Carolina district, talking upon
this subject said:
1.-THE prospects of the Republican
party in North Carolina and other
southern states were never brighter.
The Democratic party is in q sad state
of confusion. 1t endeavored to placate
the Alliance, but the Alliance could not
be placated."
Protection Strong in the South.
"What are the issues upon which
the Democrats are making their fight?"
"The offices. That is all they have to
fight for. The protection sentiment has
grown so strong in the south that they
dare not make fight on that"
Farmers on Tariff and wildcat Banks.
Two subjects seem to be interesting
the farmers of the country very greatly.
One of these is the continuation of the
present tariff system, and the other is
the danger of return to the old state
banking system which troubled them so
much years ago. No class of people
suffered so much from the losses and
business annoyances attendant upon the
state bank currency as did the farmers
The people of the cities and towns, es-
pecially the business people, had means
of keeping themselves well posted on
the value of the various kinds of bank
notes that were put afloat by the banks,
but the farmers had not this opportu-
nifty.
Every farmer who is old enough to re-
member the troubles in handling money
before the war breads return to the
system of those days. He knows that
he will be in constant danger Of losses,
that he will never know whether he is
getting the full value of his merchan-
disc which he sells, and he is sure that
he is likely to be imposed upon at any
time. This is not the case now. When
he is offered national bank note, a
greenback, silver certificate, coin
certificate, a gold certificate, or dollar
in coin, he knows that its value is fixed
and absolutely certain. Hence his
dread of returning to the old state bank
ing system.
In regard to tariff the farmers are
equally anxious as is shown by informa-
ton received here. Not only have their
sales to other countries increased enor-
mously since the passage of the Mckinley
law, but the home market has greatly in
creased. The importations of farm
products Of the class produced in this
country were greatly restricted by the
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