The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-11-12
WILSON TELLS WHY.
The Congressman Discusses the
Result of the Election.
He Says Tariff Reform Was Not
to Blame.
DELAY AND SCANDAL.
Action of the Senate and Hard
Times Did It.

NEW YORK, Nov. 12--In a letter to
the Press from Washington, HOnOra-
bic William L. Wilson of West Vir-
ginia, chairman Of the committee on
ways and means, gives his views of
the causes of Democratic defeat IN
the recent election. After declaring
that it is neither a discreet nor dig
ni6ed thing for a member of a de-
feated party to attempt to explain his
own or his party's defeat, he says;
''None the less, however, it is the
duty Of the Democratic party, after
such reverse, to make a del berate.
honest and unsparing scrutiny into
the causes and forces which wrought
its overthrow and into the condition
on which it may gain its ascendancy
with the American people.
Undoubtedly there were local in
fuences, as there were individual
candidates and factiOnal fights that
trlbuted to and phaslxed the
general result, but it must be adj
mitted that there were strong forces.
everyW here operative, that really
shaped and brought about that result.
And the greatest Of all these forces
was the severe ind ustrial depression
that for a year or more past has
hardened the lot and made anxious
the lives of a large section of our
people. Hard times is an enemy be-
fore which no political party IN
America has ever been able to make
a successful stand when in power.
This is, and perhaps always viii
be, weak point in popular govern
ment- When labor IS out of employ
ment when farm products are low,
when our financial system is dis
organized. the wisest admins tration
of government and the most whole
some laws do not avail to save
party from temporary and disastrous
Without attempting to apportion
the possibility for the hard times
between tie two parties and stOutly
discl aiming any large share Of it for
the Democratic party, l pass from
these general issues to the second
point and that is The defeat of tariff
reform I do not believe the people
have rebuked or discarded tar IF re-
form in their action last Tues lay,
for when / look over the whole cOun-
try L do not find that to have been
the common q Ound of their action.
IF they have inflicted chastisement
because of its dealings with the tariff
it has been ia ther because the party
did not carry out with sufficient
promptness and thOrOughness the
work they committed to 1t and be-
cause they have held the whole party
responsible for the action of a few of
its represe natives in thwarting, de-
laying and ma ming this great work.
The long and indefensible deldy IN
the senate. the sinister suspicious
that gathered around certain sched-
uies and duties, as they are framed
nowhere more vigorously denounced
than in the Democratic press of the
cOuntry-k q He'd disappOin tment
and disgust among the rank and file
Of the party that led to apathy and
even misjudged hostility IN the re-
cent elections
1T is hazardous. of course. to in
dulge in hypOthetics. but l have no
doubt that had the bill which passed
the house on the 1st day of August
passed the senate as early as April or
May in su Substantially its original
shape, the result IN Missouri and IN
many other sections of the country
would have been reversed and the
Democratic party might even have
weathered the industrial storm with
credit, If not success
Not only did this long delay and
the mutilation of the house bill chill
and anger the Democratic masses, but
it kept the business of the country in
torture of suspense and uncertainty,
thus hardening and exasperating the
crisis, and storing up wrath against
the whole party for the actions of a
small number of its public servants
The bill, as finally passed. though a
vast improvement on the Mckinley
bill, was still so obnoxious in some of
It's features that the president allowed
it to become a law without his sigma
ture, and it had been in operation too
short a time before the election for
the people to appreciate its benefits
Again. I do not accept the view
that tariff reform has suffered defeat,
because / have not anywhere found
Republican candidates advocating
rQnesal of the law.
by 1896 let US hope the present
clouds, already breaking. will have
vanished from our skies The new
bill will then have shown its merits,
the temporary scare and resentment
against it will have spent their force
and DO not believe the Republican
program will call for its repeal and a
relapse to McKinleyism and mad
protection Every one knows that
such reaction would not mean peace.
but a fierce and unrelenting renewal
of the old struggle