The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1893-08-12
CLEVELANDS PLAN.

The country hes been anxiously
| awaiting the message Of President
Cleveland to The special session OF cen
gress, and i; is published in this Issue
of toe TIMES MoUNTAINEER. L. may
satisfy that portion of our fellow clti-
| zens who supported the Democratic
ticket last November but there are
very many who believe that it does
not go to the real cause Of the evils now
existing. The burden Of his complaint
IS against the silver purchase bill,
which be acknowledges "may be con-
sidered truce, after long struggle,
between the advocates Of free silver
coinage and those intending to be more
conservative" and he lmagInes with
the repeal of this measure business
would readjust itself and the country
would again be prosperous. 1t may
be acknowledged that the president is
correct when he says that sound,
stable currency is necessary for con-
merclal prosperity. Deprecated coin
is disastrous to any nation, and if the
dollar in circulation is not worth its
face in any market, laborers suffer in
consequence, because they are forced
to pay more for the necessaries and
conveniences of life. The Republican
party has never occupied any equivocal
position on this question, and has
waged an unceasing warfare against
lntiationists aud those in favor of fiat
money. The Sherman act has been in
operation since july 1890, and, al
though it may be one of the immedl-
ate causes of financial depression, it is
not the principal factor that sapped
the solid foundation upon which pub
lie confidence rested and made capital
fearful Immediately after the inaugu-
ration of the Democratic adminlstra-
ton. There has been more
powerful agency at work since the
people demanded by their votes a
change In the economic policy, and
this has made the great structure of
trade relations unsafe, so that the least
adverse wind would cause it to fall iii
ruins. The disturbing zephyr may
have been the Sherman act, which had
been in operation for years without
the least discernible effect upon the
edi6ce.
The platform on which Mr.. Cleve-
land was elected declared that rariff
for any purpose, except for revenue,
was unconstitutional, and the country
expected the president either to sup
port or oppose this particular plank,
in plain and unequivocal language. 1t
will not restore confidence to the
country to have it stated by the high
est authority that tariff reform is in
tended, as soon as it can be convent
entity done. On the contrary, factories
will continue to close until the wreck
and ruin of all industrial enterprises
will be fitting collapse to the work
of destruction begun. If the execu-
tive had plainly stated that he ex-
pected this congress to repeal all tariff
la ws the culmination might have been
expected at once, and business would
have prepared itself for the emer-
sency. As it is, the uncertainty will
remain. and capitalists will. withdraw
their investments and hoard their
This picture is not over
and the disasters already suf-
fered will be only prelude to those
yet in store for the wage-earners.
The army of 100000 men out of en-
p)oyment, now parading the streets of
New York, and an equal number in
other cities in proportion to popula-
tion, will be increased. Want and
starvation will have a wider range,
and the cry for bread will be louder
than ever. The breakers have been
but the pilot at the helm
is determined to steer the ship directly
On the rocks. 1t is to be expected that
the fatal crash will come in little
while, and the disastrous effects will
be as terrible as If drouth and pesti-
ence had destroyed the crops and
Iscimated the population.