Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1893-10-17
DEMOCRATIC RESPONSIBILITY.
Party Promises Compared with Party
Performances.

Party Promises Compared with Party
Performance.
The Democratic party, or those who
claim to be that party, now have ALSO
lutte control of the government They
have a clear working majority in the
Senate, an overwhelming majority in
the House. and they have the presi-
dent; or at least they have the name
of having the president, as the gentle
man whose name stood at the head of
their ticket occupies the chair.
The Democrats have therefore reach
ed point where they cannot shift
their responsibility. For years they
have insisted that Republicans we're
responsible for laws which they de-
nounce as infamous class legislation,
and in violation of the constitution.
The financial policy of the Republican
party has been denounced in most en-
phatic language as inconsistent with
free institutions, inimical to the inter
ests of the producing class. Among
the measures they have seen fit to
criticise are the national banking sys-
TEN, the Mckinley tariff and restric-
ton of the coinage of silver. 1t now
rests with them to deal with these
problems.
The country is already disappointed,
if not disguised, at the beginning that
has been made. During the campaign,
the Democrats were both eloquent and
logical in pointing out the burdens
imposed by the Mckinley tariff. Ac-
cording to their statements, from the
stump and in the newspapers, the
country was going to the demnition
bow-wows, and that at very rapid rate
by the way of the Mckinley tariff. 1t
needed repeating, and it needed it bad
and at once. According to their fig
ures it was robbing the people, princi-
pally the farmers, of S13,0O0,O00 each
and every week. This was an enor-
nous sum of money and should be stop
ped. and stopped at once. The only
way to stop it, according to these pa
triotic politicians, who wanted office
by the way of Democratic faith. was to
elect them to office. 1t was done. And
then what The next breeze that
came from the east brought to our ears
the dismal sound of the most disgrace
full scramble for official pie that ever
was known in the national capital. The
4th of March came, and the man who
had given life to the issue of tariff re-
form was inaugurated President of
! these United States amid ceremonies
the most imposing, eXtravagant and
aristocratic that ever took place on
American soil. A Democratic house
with a majority of 147, whose members
had stumped the country with the cry
of economy ever on their lips, expired
by voting themselves an increase of
salary equal to more than could be
made on two ordinary farms. The new
administration with economy engrav-
ed upon its political creed, began bus
mess with hundred thousand dollar
ball.
Congress went home.
The new administration went over to
Hog Island to shoot snipe.
The colonies and majors went to
Washington to get Office.
The country kept right along going
to the devil, just where the Democrat
ic orators said it was going.
The Mckinley tariff kept on robbing
at the rate of S13,OOO,OOO a week.
No call for an extra session of Con-
gress to repeal the tariff laws.
All thought of pledges and promises
were lost in the disgraceful scramble
for office.
Then came the panic.
Then the political doctors discover
ed that it was not the Mckinley bill at
ALT was the Sherman bill.
They changed their tactics.
1t wasn't free silver we wanted at
all.
We couldn't have it unless England
said so.
The national banks are not so bad
after all. We will increase their circu-
lation to par with the bonds they hold.
And the Mckinley bill
Well, Well let it keep on robblng at
the rate of S13,OOO,OO0 a week. We
must have our salaries, and that brings
em.
We've got our "chance."
But we feel somewhat different now
from what we did before we got in.
The Republicans have got a road
blazed out and it is much easier and
more remunerative to us to follow that
than to carve out the new one we
promised the people. The people won't
care anyhow; they can feed their wheat
to the hogs-it's healthy for the hogs
and renew their mortgages. Life is
too short, and it's too hot to worry af-
ter we get the office.-Ptogressive Far
mcf.