Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1893-06-09
what Democracy Cost, the People.

a New York Democratic newspa.
per asserts that outside the specu.
latiye .industrials" the recent shrink.
age in stocks dealt In on the New
York Stock Exchange amounts ia
about four hundred millions Of dol.
lars, and that the total loss to the
puplic, direct and indirect, has been
nearly one thousand million dollars
The organ In question remarks come
placently that 1T Is surely a wonder1
ful country in which so great q ca
lamity is borne without a panic and
without ruin to legitimate industry
or even to tolcrably well founded
speculative enterprises" The fact
that the nation has been able to en-.
dure tremendous loss without panic
or widespread disaster shows how
firmly and deeply the foundations Of
the national prosperity have been
laid. For thirty-two years the
country has been governed by Repub-
lican laws: for twenty-eight years
OF this period Republican administra-
tions have been in power at Wash
inRton. In that time the mightiest
rebellion in history has been sup
pressed, the political Institutions OF
the nation have been largely recon-
structed, an enormous na.ional debt
has been practically extinguished, :,
and yet the country's wealth has In
creased more than fourfold. No single
interest has been unjustly favored by
Republican legislation. The pro-
tective tariff has brought about q
magnificent industrial development,
the dollar Of the workingman has
been made equal to the dollar OF the
millionaire, and the nation has been
made so strong that it has Just borne
losses mounting into the hundreds of
millions without panic. No better
eulogy can be pronounced on Repub-
lican rule than the simple statement
Of this fact.
But the strength OF the nation does
not excuse the assaults which the
Democratic party has made upon IL
and which 1t contemplates making In
the future. The prospect OF the pros.
tration ofAmerican industry by Dem
ocratic free trade and the egregious
blunders in finance committed by
Cleveland's administration have work
ed serious damage already. The en-
durance Of nation, like the endur-
ance OF a man, has its limit. 1t is
the duty OF the Republican party to
prepare to resist to the utmost by
every constitutional means the exc
cution OF the Democratic program
OF destruction. The losses lately sus-
tained by the country are trivial In
comparison with the overwhelming
disaster which must follow free trade
and the degradation of the currency,
and the BOurbons that rule the Dem
ocracy are bent upon both.
Democratic Gs r.ymsnd ,rs In liilnols.
The Illinois Legislature has just
passed a Senatorial apportionment
bill which is declared, by 80 good an
authority as the Chicago Inter Ocean,
to be "the most outrageous gerry.
mander that ever disgraced the stat:
ute books. The purpose, OF course,
is to give the Democrats control OF
the Legislature, and the districts
have been so cOntriyed as to make
less than seven Democrats count for
more than ten Republicans. This
bill was rushed through the Legisla-
ture only by defying all parliament
tary usage. Fortunately, the pro-
visions OF the Illinois Constitution,
which this gerrymander violates, are
explicit, and the Supreme Court of
the State cannot well avoid declar-
ing the act null and void.
In both Michigan and Wisconsin
Democratic gerrymanders have been
recently set aside by the Supreme
Courts Of those States. The Demo-
Gratis OF the Illinois Legislature now
propose to resrrange the Congression-
al districts in similar outrageous
fashion. The Republicans should
neglect no point which may aid In
presenting the issue clearly to the
Supreme Court. The fate OF these
gerrymanders Is OF interest to the
whole country, because they are de-
signed to affect the representation
Of the State OF Lincoln and Logan
in both branches Of Congress.