The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-01-30
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY's oPPOR-
TINITY.

II the Democratic party were wise. 1t
has to-day the opportunity that does not
come twice in the life Of party much
oftener than II comes in the life of an
individual A review OF the past five years
which divide Themselves into three stages
ought to maize that as plain as day.
At the beginning of February, 1885,
four years of the first Democratic Adj
minstration which the country had
known for twenty-five years were about
coming to close. The country was in
boom OF prosperity with but a single
cloud in sight, and that, the silver ma
mia. no larger then than a mans hand.
The United States Treasury was burst
Ing with cash for which no use could
be found except TO anticipate the pay
ment of bonds. not due. at high pre-
MUM which Harrison Immediately pro-
ceeded to do. There were S1S5, 900 of
surplus cash lying in the Treasury for
which the government had no other use.
BY one Of those strange fatalities through
which nations have often been caused to
act on case before it was fully under
stood, the American people turned the
Democratic party out of power in the
fall Of 1883, upon the very issue on which.
four years afterwards. they returned 1t
to power by practically unanimous
vote. Coming into possession by that
election OF every department of the gov
eminent, what did the Republican party
proceed to do? They FASTENED to loot the
Treasury and squander every dollar OF
the surplus that Democratic thrift had
accumulated. But they did not stop at
this. They added to the permanent ex-
penses of the government millions in the
way OF fixed appropriations which were
unnecessary, but which we will probably
never rid the government of-so much
easier is II to secure an appropriation
than to end 1t. Rloting in their power.
they imposed tariff taxes upon every
thing that Americans must use in their
daily life that robs them Of hundreds OF
millions OF dollars which go into the
pockets OF tariff protected monopolists
who In return contribute TO the Republican
party a percentage OF these profits as a
corruption fund with which they may
debauch the elections of the people and
their reckless and corrupt work leaves
the Treasury now with a list of annual
expenditures $4,000 900 greater than its
receipts. This Is the state of affairs which
the first stage presents. ana 1t is bad
enough. The next stage Is one for which
the Democratic party and the Republican
party arc jointly responsible but the DEM
ocrats more largely than the Republi-
cans.
That little cloud which was TO larger
tlan a mans hand in February. 1850. had
grown by June. 1898. into tornado that
threatened the very life Of the nation.
Yielding men. procrastinating men. and
weak men. had allowed the wild men
TO organize and consolidate all those rest
less elements In every society that look
10 change for all good, until they had
fastened a maign grip upon the throat
Of order and rest. that threatened death
to the nation from asphyxiation and dry |
rot. The Republican party is beyond ques-
ton responsible In part for the disaster |
which free silver brought on the country. |
but the Democratic party must just as |
certainly bear the greater parts of that.
burden. This Is the second stage in the /
case and this stage lost the Democratic |
party the confidence of the nation.
The third stage Is now upon the coun-
try. The Treasury is without money ex-
cept the gold fund provided as reserve
and this must back more than one thou
sand millions OF demand gold obligations,
and that fund is reduced to but little more
than te0.ooo.0oo The Secretary OF the
Treasury has advertised . government
loan TO build up this fund and the Ju-
dietary Committee Of the House Of Rep.
ressntatives, the court Of that body, on
the motion Of southern free silver advo-