Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1894-06-20

Mighty Has Fallen.
A Year of Democratic Administration.
In the Forum for May Senator Cullom
reviews the work of the Democratic adj
ministration for the past year, the chief
points of which are here reproduced:
In March, 1893, President Cleveland
received from President Harrison a solv-
ent treasury, a prosperous country, and
the control of the interests of a happy,
thriving people. The only shadow upon
the horizon at that time was the intangl-
BILE but universal fear of the people that
the Democratic party, with uncontrolled
power in the political branches of the gov
eminent would bear out its 'proverbial
reputation for doing exactly the wrong
thing. The entire country had cheerfully
and patriCtically concurred in the wis
dom and Americanism Of the foreign pol
icy of the retiring administration, and
from Cape Cod to the Seal islands not
dissentient syllable was heard in regard
to the cherished proposition of President
HarriSOn's administration peacefully to
extend the sovereignty and jurisdiction of
this republic over the waiting population
of the beautiful islands of the Western
sea. The surviving and dependent par
tlc1pantS IN the great and fearful war
had long received at the hands of the
government such aid and bounty as a
course of generous legislation had apprO-
priated for their welfare. They felt that
rescued republic had recognized the
salvation which their DalSied arms had
wrought out upon bloody fields, and they
were satisfied and thankful. The reve-
nueS of the United States were SubStan-
tally equivalent to the current necessi-
ties OF the government, and sufficient for
the welfare of the growing nation, while
the eXtinguishment of the public debt
was progressing with due rapidity.
Having thus briefly shown the situa-
ton at the beginning of the presidential
term, let us turn the page and see the stu
alton today.
In March. 1894, the treasury is so
nearly insolvent that an issue of $780,
100000 in bonds has been made, with a
probable deficiency of So, 100000 during
the current fiscal year. Every industry
throughout the land is stagnant or dead.
lie shadow of last year became cloud,
and the cloud has been followed by cy-
clone of ill-fortune from which there ap-
pears to be no present relief. Let me
classify approximately the penalties which
have followed as the early result of the
political tornado of November, 1892. Far
below the very lowest Intelligent estimates
made from statistics of value, | may
charge the dominant party with having
caused an absolute and tangible loss in
recipients of weekly wages, the working
men and women of the United States, of
S0O0,OO0,0O0. l mean by this that by
the depression in business consequent upon
the advent to power of political party
which Is not responsible to any higher
authOrity-hardly even to public senti-
ment-more than $500. 100000 in wages
have been taken from the years due of
men, women and children who stood ready
and anxious to give a good dollars worth
of labor for every dollar of wages. To
the farmer of the United States the loss
in value of products caused by the GER
tainty Of the impending imprOvident and
reckless legislation which is now in prog
ress>a dded to the loss by reduction of the
vaIla of farm lands make an aggregate
sum which will appal the statiStician who
investigates the subject. A thousand mill
ions of dollars is but a small and modest
estimate of the difference between the
value of farms and farm products in
March. 1898, and March, 1894. This is
the penalty which the labOrerS and the
farmers of the United States have paid
in one year for the privilege of listening
to the eloquent speeches of Senator Roger
Q. Mills, William L. Wilson and others,
and for following the supreme fallacies of
the Chicago platform of 1892, that pro-
lection is a fraud and a robbery, and that
the federal government has no cOnsti-
tutional power to impose and collect tariff
duties, except for the purposes of revenue
only.
But the story is not yet half told. Our
interests are so Independent, every
avocation has such a close relation to
some other, that the blow which pros
trates one industry Injuries or perhaps
ruins several others. The knife which
draws the blood from the heart of labor
wounds and cripples capital. The dis
ease which lays low the farmer breeds
contagion which is not confined to the
agricultural districts; nor IS it restrained,
for it sweeps the continent and searches
out all industries. Nobody escapes. Cor
pOrate enterprises, manufactures, rail
WAYS tradeSmen DrOfeSSiOnS-eYery in
terest is reached, and all the people wear
ashes. These various interests, corporate
and individual, in which capital has been
so largely invested. including every fac
tory, mill, store, shop, railroad, mining
company, vessel owner and transportation
company. have sunk, III valuation of in
vestment and in loss upon business. much
more than $1,000, 100000 in addition.
From North to South the smOkeless Chin
neyS are monuments of the spread of the
peStilence: here the pOWerleSS water
wheel and the silent mill; yOnder the
bankrupt store; ships rotting at the
wharves; and on every hand the idle
labOring man. Add together, then, the
recorded results Of wrecked industry and
Stagnant business which have met our
eyes and ears; give ample allowance
shine; and upon the most undoubted
proof we find our country more than
50, 800 100000 to the bad in twelve
months.
The status of the case today is this:
The administration stands condemned by
the people; it comedies by presidential
MESA &c that its policy is total failure:
and, after discovering that the executive
is not the only branch Of this government
the President abandons the scheme and
asks Congress to condone the wrong
he has brought upon the country
If there is any one thing upon which
this country may congratulate itself. it
is the fact that whenever and wherever
public opinion finds expression. it sets
the seal OF emphatic disapprobation upon
the entire work of the Democratic party
during its first year of control No his
torian viii volunteer as the apologist
of that party for its years work of de-
struction and retrogression."
How the Tariff Agitation Affected the