The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1893-11-18
RATHER INCONSISTENT.

The Oregonian never grows weary of
posing as a seer, and proudly repub-
fishes from time to time, under the
caption of what 1t Means" an ed
itorial from its issue of November o,
1892. The article Is as follows: 1.-THE
country has decreed q change of fiscal
and Industrial policy In the most pros
porous time 1t has ever known. This
is largely the result Of the immense
foreign vote in the great cities. = 4"
A majority of the voters have
for the time put experience aside, re-
1ected the policy under which employ
rient was abundant and wages better
than ever before in our history, and
have decided, though without knowing
II to put their labor on an equality with
that of the cheap-labor countries of
the Old World.
There will be rude awakening V
shall now have free-trade policy. We
ought to have It, The country has
voted for 1t, and the present genera
tion should learn from experience what
II means. Naturally and inevitably
there will be timidity in making in
vcstments, particularly In industrial
enterprises Labor generally will find
the demand for it checked, since new
establishments will net be founded,
nor old ones enlarged under existing
uncertainties The election of Cleve-
land will carry with 1t a democratic
majority both In the senate and the
house, and there will be no obsacle to
legislation on the basis of the demo-
cratic platform. 1t win be more than
ore year till the new policy can be for
mulated into law and set in operation;
nevertheless 1t is sure that the result
of the election of yesterday will be the
beginning Of y period of ind istrlal stag
nation. resulting from the timidity of
capital and uncertainty of business,
and that the consequences will recoil
with terrible force upon the labor
classes, through whose votes chiefly
the result has been brought about,
They who know these things have but
to wait regretfully for results to come
about which they so plainly foresee,"
A glance at the above would con-
vince an ordinary mind that the editor
knew tor at least thought he knew
what he meant, but after reading an
other article from the oregonian of the
same date, It is not quite clear whether
he, or any one else either, knew what
he really did mean.
It would be scarcely possible to con-
cclve Of language conveying q more
adequate expression OF ones belief in
state OF facts exactly the reverse OF
the foregoing than will be found In the
following;
THE proverblal calm that succeeds
the storm may now be expected to
settle over the nation. A few DAYS
more OF noise and exultation; few
days In which the defeated will be
busily engaged In telling "how IL hap
pcned," and the vlctors will indulge in
exaggerated statements Of their ''easy
triumph; a few days OF reckoning nm
majorities and pluralities. and the long
contest viii be over for another four
years.
1T Is In the quiet, natural subsistence
of a national political gale, reganiless
OF the triumph of the one party or the
other, that the stability and etiiclencv
OF republican institutions is most clear
" made manifest. No matter who Is
chosen president, the country Is nafe
The great tidal wave OF prosperity e
onward. and not even the most rancor-
Gus partlsans, who have criticised its