The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-08-20
THE DEADLY PARALLEL" ONCE
MORE.

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disturbed the nation.
The parallel consists OF a quotation from
President HARRIsoN's message of Deem
Der, 1892, and one from President CLEvE-
LANDS message of August, 1888. One
boasts of $50 high degree of prosperity
and so general diffusion OF the comforts
ct life as were never before enjoyed by
our people, The other speaks of ''the
existence of an alarming and exraordin-
airy business situation involving the vel
fare and prosperity of all our people. "
Both are endorsed by the Tribune as de-
scribing truly and exactly the business
situation at the time each was written
Supposing that were true. Does it fol-
low that the change during the past few
months is due to change of administra-
ton? Not at all. The inference that it
is, comes from Republican demagogues
and is contradicted by the facts which
have been repeatedly called to mind.
What neY law or policy has been in
augurated TO upset previous conditions?
The silver iniquities remain and their
effects are directly chargeable to Repub-
lican causes. Just the same with the
tariff system. So with all other laws and
policies which are the legacy of the de-
parted administration.
This patent truth has to be repeated be-
cause, in true pothouse politics fashion,
Repu blicans pretend that every i'll which is
the consequence of thirty years Republic
can misrule, comes FROM two or three
months OF incipient Democratic govern
ment, without the change Of law or the
abolition of a policy. And whatever
alarm there may be or dread of something
that has not yet materiaIized, is of Re
publican invention or sensational exag-
geration.
But is it true that the unprecedented
Dragged of by President HAIR
RIsoN existed at the time of his official
boast? The Tribune says it is. Well.
here comes in the real deadly parallel, -
which is fatal to its position. Right in
the parallel column to this stuff about the
access of the Democracy causing the trou-
bles of the present, it declares that:
ssThe Tribune has consta ntly held up
the danger flag and has repeatedly warned
the people of the East that If they per-
sisted in their insane warfare on silver,
their cities would be turbulent with riots
and the skies above them red with incen-
diary fires.'' Also that:
1.-THE logical sequence of the handling
of the financial question for the last TWEEN
ty years is just such outbreaks.
Yes, that is 1.-THE logical sequence" It
is the course pursued for the last tlcenty
yedrs,' not the change of officers few
months ago, that is responsible. That is
neither logical nor sequence; it is par
tisan buncombe. Deadly parallel, - Ell?
Let us see further. Here is what the
Tribune said when it was showing the ef-
fects OF the demonetizing act of twenty
years ago:
When the money of country is cut
in two and half thrown away, the effect
extends beyond business. Not only do
property interests fall one-half, but
crimes double and so do all the weak
nesses of poor human nature.
And further:
Our Judgment is that the original act up
to date has cost this country sum equal
to 40 per cent. of the value of all the
of the United States, that it has
caused more misery than mighty war
would cause.
Yet again:
In short, it strikes a binding blow at
every producing industry in the country.
Beyond that, it goes TO civilization itself.
With that decline mortgages have in
creased in the same ratio as is marked by
the decline, and that shows how wide
spread must be the distress. There is in
creased crime, increased ignorance, in
sod fc1-i,, chr oil
land.
The wages of common laborers, farm
laborers, which constitute the greatest
number of laborers, are reduced to the
level of 1919, when they were lower than
ever before in the United States.
But, out in the country, where the
millions work, there has been steady
decline, just exactly corresponding with
the seeming decline in the price of silver.
The effects of the Republican act of 1873
were thus pictured by the Chicago silver
and endorsed by the Tribune;
1.-The ruling industry of the people who
inhabit one-third the area OF this republic
has been stricken down; property values
Workmen compelled to fly as
if from pestilence; everywhere honest
toilers numbering hundreds of thousands
are thrown out of employment to eat the
bread of charity or starve; the products
Of industries from the workshops have de-
preciated Ii price until production ceases
TO be profitable; the money of the country,
for the business of the land,
has gravitated to the banks, while the
people, distrusting the banks, demand
deposits to hoard or hide Mercantile
houses are going to the wall by thousands
because the masses have not the means to
buy even the necessaries of life.
Parallel these quotations with the
T'ribune's prosperity" persifiage and its
of HARRIsoN's bombast,
and how do they compare? When the
ex-president was exalting his own adj
the official reports, with
which he was or ought TO have been
familiar, showed that during 1891 and
1892, corn decreased 1894, 392, 59S; wheat,
S191 1860, S39; oats, S23, 053. 656; cotton,
$50, o00, 200; live stock, 5000. SAC, 1897. The
5otal decrease III agricultural products
reached about seven hundred millions of
dollars. So much for the unparalleled
nigh degree of prosperity.
Some of the more respectable Republi-
AN organs, preceiving the error and
iolly of attributing present distress to
Democratic sources which have not yet
oeen able to show their course and effects.
leprecaJe the sophistry of their confreres
ind call halt. They think it is better
% join in efforts to ameliorate existing
conditions than to attempt to blame any
3ody for promoting them. They are
wise. For, every such effort only re-
pounds upon the party intended to be ex-
llted. In fact it has about the same
Eject as the 7ribune's ideally parallel. -
TAXEs CAN BE REDUCED.