Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1893-09-13
Will the Sherman Law Repeal Give
the Country Relief?


Editor Union: Will the repeal of
the Sherman law furnish the country
relief? No doubt the purchasing
clause had better be repealed, yet we
shall look in vain for substantial i'm
provement in the money now in use,
if it should be repealed. No one knows
better than Mr.. Cleveland that the
Sherman law is not responsible for
this great depression in business. But
the law serves as an excellent scape
goat to hide the real cause of our troub-
les, and to occupy the attention of con-
gress at its extra session.
He knows very we'll that the fear of
reductions of the tariff is the real cause
of the paralysis in business; it's closing
of so many factories; the consequent
cut in wages, and in thousands ofcases
no wages at all. Had be convened con-
gress to consider reduction of the
tariff, as he expected to do, before he
saw the alarming effect it would have
| upon the country, the depression would
have developed into panic, rarely, if
ever, seen in this country. Hence, be
retired the "tariff reform" and at
tackled the Sherman law.
| have been unable yet to discover
any real mischief resulting from this
law, nor hive [ noticed that any one
has been more successful in that regard
than | have do not expect that men
like Mr.. Cleveland, under the immedi-
ate influence, if not control, of Wall
street, can see good in any kind of
money but gold. All the free traders
and importers of New York cling to
gold, as they expect to purchase their
goods In countries where gold coin
alone can be used. There is one charge,
however, made against the Sherman law
by extreme partisans in the absence
of anything better to say. They claim
the law was passed by Republicans to
please the silver states. There are
seven of these states and it is true We
desired to please and ASSIST them in
their chief product. / wish we could,
and [ think we did, please every state
in the Union. We would have contin-
| ued to please them had not the free
trade Democracy, through false pre-
tences, obtained possession Of the gov
ernment. The Republican party was in
power nearly three years after the pas
sage of the Sherman law, and more
prosperous period was never enjoyed
| by the people of this country. The
law gave us large volume of currency,
and money would have been plenty to-
day if the people had not become
alarmed at the prospect of visions of
legislation in store for them by Dem
ocratic congress and administration.
When they saw this they began to
hide their money away until the storm
is over. The people have no confidence
| in the administration or in the party in
power and they will neither engage in
business or trust others with their
money until it becomes apparent
that the Democracy will not carry out
the principles of their platform. The
great and only hope of the country
now is, that Mr.. Cleveland and his
party will not undertake, at this or
the next session of congress, to carry
into power. The people want neither
free trade nor wild cat money. They
want gold, silver, greenbacks, national
bank currency, and no other. With
such money. and protection assured for
American industries, confidence will
soon be restored, business resumed,
and the laboring classes supplied with
abundant work, at fair wages. This
could all be speedily accomplished if
congress, now in session, would declare
by resolution that they would not dis
turb the Mckinley law in any essen
tial part. But such action would stul-
| tify the leaders who have drawn the
rank and file into the vortex. They
dare not act or refuse to act. The re-
suit will be that nothing will be done,
except to draw their salaries for the
presidential term. The curtain will
drop, and the show will be over. The
damage they have done to the country
and to capital and labor will remain,
however, for long time and will be
repaired only by Republican states
manship and patriotism.
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