The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1893-08-30
AMONG OUR EXCHANGES,
What Some of the Bright
PenciI-pushers Think of
Important Matters.
WHERE THEtsLAME LIES.

1t is not undergraduates thousands
of honest American workmen are de-
prived, by the shutting down of the
mills, of a chance to earn their bread,
and as the whole nation finds business
contracted by money stringency
caused solely by the threat of indus
trial revolution try to fix the re-
sponsibility. With whom does it
rest? Did any one person set in mo-
ton the train of circumstances which
has produced these lamentable re-
suits? Let us see.
During his term Mr.. Cleveland be-
gan the movement which ended in his
reelection upon free trade platform.
Up to that time the Democratic party,
having strong inclinations to free
trade, but fearing the patriotic in
stincts of the American people, had
usually shuffled with the question.
But Mr.. Cleveland in 1887 sent to
Congress a message which was de-
voted wholly to denunciation of the
protective system. This attack upon
home industry rallied the free traders,
and finally the Democratic party, to
the British system ofwhich Mr.. Cleve-
land made himself the champion. In
the same strain, in 1888, Mr.. Cleve-
land wrote his letter Of acceptance.
He expressed his purpose though the
fundamentally Of "tariff reform" to
cheaper "the cost of the necessaries
of life," and to ''increase the pur-
chasing power of the workingmad's
wages" The cheapening process has
been performed, but where alas are
the wages of the workingman?
Following Mr.. Cleveland's example
the entire Democratic press of the
country began to denounce as plum
derers Of the people the men who
conduct our great industries. Day
after day for years past these journals
have endeavored to arouse evil pas
sions and to pervert public opinion to
the view that manufacturers are pub
lie enemies, who have enriched them
selves by flching the substance Of the
people with the help of the federal
government. Last year the Demo
cratic platform described the McKln-
ley Tariff law as "the eliminating at
rocity of class legislation. Thus the
control of the machinery of the gov
eminent, with unlimited power tc
break down and to destroy, passed
into the hands of man and party,
both of whom had for years been
waging war upon vast industries, in
which hundreds of millions of capital
were invested and which could moi
hope to continue successfully wher
the influence of their own government
should be welded directly agains
them. Under such conditions what
could have happened but that pros
tration should befall? What could be
expected by manufacturer from ;
President who, over and over again,
had denounced him a robber, anc
from Congress elected to root on
and to go on with his business oper
atoms precisely as if no revolution
had occurred and as If he had the as
surance he possessed under Republi
can rule that he would not be mo
Tested.
Silver purchases were made montl
by month when Mr.. Cleveland sen
to Congress his first incendiary mes
sage in 1887. They were still made
when he wrote his letter of acceptance
in 1888. They were made when h
accepted the nomination last year up
on a revolutionary platform; but still
the business of the nation prospered
But no sooner had he and his party
come into Office, with positive ability
to make good their threats, than ;
great wave of depression swept owe
the land. 1t is impossible not to per
ceive that the whole cause of thu
trouble was the success Of the Demo
cratic party, or to deny that the maj