St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-03

from this policy, but 1t was regarded
rather as stump speech than as a
dogma or ruietD be acted upon. 1t is
wonderthat it did not lead to the defeat
of the Democratic party in 1892. but the
reason of this Is apparent The tariff of
1890. though strongly protective, did not
in practice materially advance the rate
of wages of workingmen. 1t enor-
mously developed old and new indus
tries, but it did not materially Increase
wages. WOrklngmen were DISCONTINUED
with the division of profits between the
employer aud employed. They perceived
that the employers were growing richer
and richer, while their wages were not
increased. They naturally turned
against their employers without remem-
Derlng that while the protective policy
maintains wages, it reduces, by compe-
ton. theeo OF production and cheapens
commodities to the consumer who thus
shares IN the benefit of protection.
As prices fell the purchasing power of
money increased, and thus the value of
their wages Increased. beneficial re-
suit overlooked by them. The attempt
In certain places, and especially in
Pittsburg, to reduce the rate of wages
in the midst of the contest carried
against the Republican party the
great b0uy of the workingmen
of the Northern states. They did not
regard the Democratic platform as a
serious threat against their Industries.
but, disappointed at the first results of
the Mckinley tariff. they struck blow
at the Republican party which brought
about tile election of Mr.. Cleveland and
the overwhelming triumph of the DEM
ocratic party.
The inevitable effect of this victory
was to create profound distrust in the
HTNF
tected by the tariff laws. They could
see that if the policy announced in the
Democratic platform was carried into
execution they would be compelled to
| compete with foreign productions by
| cheaperslabor.
1t waSzeOrrectly assumed by importers
| and dealers that prices must fall, and at
once the demand for American produc-
| tons was reduced, and industries that
had been prosperous became languid,
! and sales difficult. The manufacturer
| of wOolens could only afford to pay free
| trade prices for wool when he believed
that within year his woolens would
| have to compete with goods man
| ufactured from free wool by
! poorly paid labor. This feeling of dis
| trust extended to all branches of indus
| try, and perhaps was magnified by the
uncertainty OF what was meant and
what would be done by the Democratic
| party in full power in all branches of
! the government. believe this distruSt,
more than any other cause, produced
| the remarkable change in the vote of
| the great manufacturing and agricult :
ural states of the North.
Another cause which contributed to
| the defeat of the Democratic party was
the unfortunate suspension, without
hearing or trial, of more than 10000
| pensions, and the slow progress in pass
| ing upon pension claims. As tine great
body of the pension claims grew out of
| our Civil war IL was a mistake to
| place at the head of the interior depart
ment gentleman whose synpathies
would naturally not be III favor of
| pensions. However careful ami mod
crate might be his management, his po-
sition would invite criticism. Though
our pension system is very liberal, per
! hapS uneXampled. yet the deep, strong
feeling among those who were OH the
side of the Union in the Civil war is
| and will continue to be that the soldiers
| of the Union army, their widows ana
| orphans, should be treated with the
greatest liberality and with SYM
| pathy for their services and sufferings
! While the burden of pensions is heavy.
| yet the losses and sacrifices of pen
SionerS can scarcely be estimated. The
results attained by them are SO deeply
cherished by our people as not to be
| measured by money. know 1t Is said
that from Revolutionary times the
power to suspend pensions has been
| exercised without notice or hearing
from the pensioner, but if this is
so it is departure from the established
| principles of justice which prevail as to
| all other claims or obligatlonS-tha no
| one shall be deprived of his rights with
out notice and hearing. No Union SOL
der d eSires the pension roll to be en-
numbered by one who is not lawfully
entitled to the pension received,
| bnt they insist that their rights
once adiudicated shall not be dis
turbed without hearing. This feeling OF
| pensioners and of those who Sympa-
thize with them had deep and strong
influence in the recent election. |
| know this to he especially SO in the
| Democratic counties of Ohio, where all
parties freely contributed the flower of
their population to the Union cause.
| also believe that the prolonged dis
| cussion of the silver question in the
recent called session had much to do
! with the result of the election. The al
| States is in favor of the bimetalIic
standard OF silver and gold, and the
largest use Of both metals for coinage
that can be maintained at par with
each other. But this indispensa-
BILE requisite of the equality
of the purchasing powers of
the two metals when coined must be
| maintained. The efforts made in 1878
and 1890 to maintain silver and gold on
parity by the purchase of silver bull
ion and its coinage by the government
f,,I oh
| ject of these experiments was to pre-
vent the further fall of silver, but the
result was in both cases the constant
decline of silver compared with gold.
| When congress Met we had come
| to the forks of the road and had to
| choose between either the free coinage
| of silver at its present ratio, or the suS-
| pension OF the purchase of silver. The
| president, in accordance with his well
| known opinions, earnestly recommended
congress to suspend the purchase of
silver bullion. That opinion was sup
| ported by an overwhelming majority
of the house, and. l think, by a
still stronger weight of popular opinion.
| The bill came TO the senate, where for
| weary months we had a spectacle of
| endless obstruction, talk, talk, talk. No
one could fairly blame the represen-
tativeS of the silver-producing states for
supporting leading industry of their
constituents. But time soon developed
that there was much more numerous
| population that cared nothing about
silver or the parity of the two metals,
but wanted cheap money in any form in
which it could be produced. AS the
silver in the silver dollar was worth
in the market about 81 cents they were
in favor of that; they were IN favor of
revising the issue of state bank paper
money; they were in favor of issuing
United States notes and loaning them
to the people at per cent. These and
many other ideas approaching the Dor
ders of insanity threatened to overthrow
the stable principles upon which the
credit and honor of our country and our
financial system rest.
| Tbaca cnaon mODav idaoc prayo;IoJ