Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1893-10-24
uNFULFILLED PLEDGES.
HATTIEsBURe. MISS, Oct. 10, 1893

HATTIEsBURe. MISS, Oct. 10, 1893.
Editor Of The Leader:
During the late Presidential election
the leading difference between the Re
publican party and the Democratic
party was the tariff question. For
many years this had been the leading
difference, and the Democratic orators
pleaded eloquently and loudly for an
opportunity to set matters Alright by
adopting wise and just system of
raising the public revenue. They de-
nounced Republican protection "as a
fraud, as a robbery of great majority
of the American people for the benefit
of a few" and denounced the Mckin-
ley law "as the eliminating act of
atrocity" They arraigned the tariff
legislation of the Republican party as
being Oppressive" as the cause of the
reduction of wages" and of strikes"
as leading to the then prevailing
"dullness and distress" and as being
responsible, in great measure, for the
mortgage debt of the country"
The people saw, and felt, and real
lied, all these alarming conditions.
They knew that the Republican party
was largely responsible for the tariff
laws. They desired change. There
fore they turned the country over, soul
and body, 50 to speak, to the Demo-
Gratis, who claimed to be the real re-
formers of the country and who claim
ed to have the panacea for all these
woes. By doing so they expected the
relief to be applied at once; and as
consequence, they expected the imme-
date repeal of the Mckinley tariff act,
relief from its Oppressive features"
increase of wages, the cessation of
strikes, the dissipation of the dizziness
and distress, and a speedy and substan-
the nation.
| The Democratic press, and the people
generally, were clamorous for an extra
session of Congress soon after Mr..
Cleveland's inaugu ration to rectify
these ills and to put into effect the
blessings that were to accompany Dem
ocratic supremacy. The extra session
of Congress was called by Mr.. Cleve-
land, but not for this purpose, and it
has not troubled itself much about the
tariff question.
After the election was over and he
had entered upon the discharge of his
official duties, the President decided
that the general stagnation of business
was due to the Sherman silver pur-
chasing law, and he convened the Con
gress to repeal this act. Evidently the
President was mistaken, or else the
people were duped in the election
However that may be they have waited
patiently for many weeks to see if the
Democrats would be true to their
pledge and repeal the Sherman act,
which the National Democratic party
had denounced as ''cowardly make
shift The Democratic party has so
far succeeded admirably in demonstrate
ing their utter incapacity to do what
they promised, and so the relief that
the President intended to give, his
Congress withholds. They neither re-
deem their pledge to the people by the
repeal of the Sherman act, nor by the
repeal of the Mckinley law. In the
mean time, while the Democratic doc
tors are consulting, the people are I'M
dergoing the severest and most pro
longed financial panic of several de-
cades.
If the President is correct the Con-
gress ought to repeal the Sherman act.
If the ante election orators were cor
rect the Congress ought to repeal the
Mckinley law. If the Democrats are
honest they ought to repeal both, as
they promised to do, and put silver on
a parity with gold
If they do not know what to do they
ought to adjourn. If they are in favor
of public economy they ought to do
something or quit spending the public
moneys in everlasting talk. The peo-
pie are tired of a discordant ruling par
ty. 1t is just possible that the Demo
cratic party is incompetent to govern
the country properly under existing