The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-11-09
THE CAUSES OF 1T.

LIZ POpilSah gains LII uCSAoy .
elections were SO general throughout
the country that it is evident that some
general cause OF causes were operating
to produce them. In some places the
conditions were such that these causes
operated more intensely than in others
A conspicuous one of these causes was
the business depression brought about
by the vague threats or incapacity or both
of the Democratic party. 1t is almost
invariably the case that business depres-
sions operates to the disadvantage of the
party in power whether it be responsible
for it or not. Men not always act
logically and inf1ict punishment accord
ing to desert If therefore the party in
power had been in nowise responsible
for the bad state of business and the
distrust prevailing in the community, it
would undou btedly have suffered from
it. But in this case the party in power
is largely responsible for it, whether it
be attributable to the threatened changes
in the tariff OF to the silver legislation
Of previous Congress. If it arises from
the former then obviously the Democratic
party is to blame for it. That party
is the only party that has any power to
change the tariff, and that party has both
the power and the intention. But
though possessing both the power and
the intention it has neglected up to the
present time not only to indicate the
precise changes it intended but also to
indicate the general line along which
those changes will be made. Had it
indicated either much of the industrial
depression which has fallen upon the
country would have Eeen averted. If
manufacturers had been able to foresee
according to what principle the tariff
would be changed they might have to
some extent adapted their business to the
impending conditions. But the Demo-
cratic party has had no settled policy on
subject and has none today. A part
insist that the platform shall be carried
out to the letter, part demand very
essential notifications in the platform;
Democratic representatives from the
South protest that Southern industries
must be protected while the industries of
New England are exposed to unrestricted
competition. 1t is nearly year since
election and yet the Democratic tariff
programme is all in the air. Their lead
ers do not know whatit is going to be
themselves. Hence every manufacturer
is bound hand and foot by uncertainty,
his enterprises are stopped and the men
who have depended upon them for sub
sistance are left without the means
of gaining livelihood The Democratic
party cannot avoid responsibility for this
condition, since it is in large measure
the result of the uncertainty which exists
because of it's own lack of definite and
intelligent policy. And uncertainty
paralyzes worse THAI anything else.
If on the other hand existing depres-
sions is the result chiefly or in the large
degree of the Sherman silver law then
the Democracy cannot escape RESPONSE
bility. The law was a compromise
arranged to prevent the enactment of the
free coinage measure. 1t was the best
thing possible at the time. When it began
to threaten mischief, or the people
thought it did, and the Democratic Presi-
dent called special session of Congress
to repeal it the great majority of the
Republicans in both branches were ready
for speedy action to that end. But for
the resistance OF more than half of the
Democratic members of the Senate the
law would have been repealed several
months ago. Therefore if the silver law
was the cause Of the depression the
responsibility is on the Democrats for they
not only did not use the power which
they had to repeal it but intes posed an
almost insuperable obstacle to it's repeal.
The overturn Of Tuesday is clearly the
condemnation of the Democratic party for
its sins and it's incapacity. 1t is con-
dsmnation of the party for falsely
pretending that it had definite pro-
granlme of revenue taxation which would
bring larger degree of prosperity to the
common people whereas it had no definite
programme at all. 1t is condemnation Of
the party for refusing or months to give
the country relief from law which itself
declared was fraught with danger. II
is an expression of belief on the part of a
great majority of the voters that the
Democratic party has snowr. itself either
unwilling or unable 70 deal intelligently
and wisely with questions vitality
affecting their welfare. 1t is g
condemnation which we believe is
likely to be intensified later on, STINT ly
because later on the demonstration Of
Democratic incapacity will be more
complete.