Middletown transcript., 1893-07-01

were the country in dire financial dis
tress. It is really God-send to the
country that there is an Improvement
in the financial outlook. although 1t is
natural causes and not any act or acts
of the administration that have
brought it about. If the Improvement
continues until after Congress meets it
will have the effect of preventing any
hasty and ill-considered financial legis-
lation, which might,easily make things
a great deal worse than they are or
would be with no legislation at all.
AS no one has c1ampioned the Sher-
man law it must be assumed that 1t is
not good law, but few men who are
thoroughly acquainted with the situa-
tion will pretend to assert that its un-
conditional repeal, that is to say, its
repeal without substitute Of some kind
dealing with silver, would not be any
improvement. Conservative men who
are not blinded by prejudice either for
or against either of the money metals
believe that Congress as far as possible
should take the question up without
partisan political bias, discuss it from
every point Of view and 60 deliberately
enough to allow the press and people
time enough to discuss and digest all
the propositions that may be submit
ted. before final action shall be taken.
If this be done some satisfactory law
may be the result, although 1t may not
meet the approval of the extremists on
either side. The fact should never be
lost sight of that the masses are always
conservative in all things and especially
so in regard to national finances, which
must always regulate the prosperity,
not Of the East, nor Of the West, nor
of the South alone, but of the entire
country. II a contrary policy be fol-
lowed and this question be dealt with
from a narrow partisan political point
of view disaster will as certainly fol-
low as night follows day.
And closely allied with the finance
a uestion-more closely than the aver
age Democrat seems capable of COM
prehending-is that Of the tariff.
There can be no doubt that the foolish
talk Of certain prominent Democrats
about radical changes being made in
our whole tariff system has had more
to do with bringing about the shaky
feeling in financial circles than every
thing else added together. While few,
if any, men really believe that the
Democrats will be foolish enough to
make such cuts in the tariff as have
been threatened, such cuts as would
if actually made make thousands Of
bankrupts out of men who are now
fairly prosperous as manufacturers,
large and small, and a million tramps
out of working men now proftably en-
ployed, still the making of those threats
has had the effect Of creating feeling
of dread and uncertainty as to just
what they will do, and as natural
consequence millions of capital that
would otherwise be actively employed
is now locked up and business men are
daily making assignments because of
their inability to borrow money upon
securities whilh under ordinary cir
cumstances would have been gladly
accepted as collateral for the money
they necessarily have to borrow to sue
cessfully carry on their business.
Although it has not been officially
announced your correspondent has it
from reliable source that the grand
jury has practically agreed to find in
dictments against Ainsworth, Dant
Sassy and Covert, for manslanghter,
in connection with the horrible acci-
dent at Ford's old theatre. Their trial
will probably take place early in the
fall session of the criminal court.
Secretary Lamont's action in dissolv-
ing the Army Court Of Inquiry re-
Gently appointed by him has been the
subject of much speculation. Of it
self this order indicates the belief of
the Secretary that the evidence is SO
plain as to make a Court Of Inquiry
unnecessary, and were it not for his
failure to suspend Ainsworth, Sassy
and Covert, who are still performing
their official duties, it might be SUI
posed that he intended ordering Aims
worth tried by court martial as soon as
the civil courts pass upon his case.
Perhaps that is what he intends doing.
1t is stated that Mr.. Cleveland has
said that he would not suspend Colonel
Ainsworth until he has been found
guilty by jury in the criminal court.
In an ordinary case that might be the
correct. stand for the President to take,
but this isn't an ordinary case.