The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1894-09-15
A GOOD RECORD.
No democrat need be ashamed of the

While it left some things undone,
and did some things it ought not to
have done, yet, Judging the record
from an impartial point of view, the
democrats have much to be proud OF.
The problem of government is the
most complex ever presented to the
human mind. Great issues, which
affect over sixty millions of American
freemen, are not settled in a day or a
week.
The democratic party received the
government with a bankrupt treasury.
The gold reserve and the large surplus,
turned wei to the republicans in 1888,
had been thrown away through repub-
lican extravaganza.
The capitalists and trusts had the
country bound hand and foot.
The consequence was a national
panic, equal in volume and disastrous
in effects only to the memorable one
of 1873.
The democratic congress had these
conditions to meet, and while ii has
not settled all of them, 1t has done
much to restore confidence in the
government and prosperity to the
people.
Recorded to the credit Of the demo-
cratic congress is the repeal of the
iniquitons federal election laws, re-
storing to all men the right of fran
chise, without being hampered and
dictated to by federal officials. The
federal election laws were encroach-
ments upon liberty which should not be
tolerated in any free country. The
democratic congress, had it done no
more than repeal these laws, would
deserve the plaudits of all liberty-loving
people.
As far as tariff legislation is con-
cerned, 10 democrat has q just cause
to be ashamed of the senate tariff bill.
OF course it Is not what the west and
south wanted, but it is far better than
the cowardIy Mckinley bill, which
bred and fostered the trusts and monOp-
Olies, and which robbed, with a dare
devil hand, the many to enrich the
few. The tariff bill is q long stride In
The r,rht I;.ao,;o, and ,,har -o oon
slider the number of real democrats in
the senate, We have much to be proud
Of in the measure which reduces the
burdens of taxation millions of dollars.
The income tax feature of the tariff
bill covers a multitude of faults. It
equalizes the burdens of taxation. A
more equitable proposition was never
passed in legislative halls.
Congress has pronounced its undying
hostility to trusts and combines.
The democratic party, advocating
economy always, has, through its rep
r~esentatives, reduced the expenditures
VI tuc government.
Believing that the pension roll should
be one of honor, it has purged the list
until nearly $50, 900 900 has already
been saved to the people.
The party has not forsaken a princi-
pie, nor forgotten a pledge.
A minority of democrats in both
houses, assisted by the entire republican
party, has prevented the passage of
free sugar, free lead. free iron ore aud
free coal. Likewise has this minority
retarded needed financial Legislation.
II these things are enacted into law,
1t will be done by the democrats.
The people complain because they
did not get free raw materials and free
silver, but they q look at the question
and judge for themselves who pre-
vented them from getting what they
wished.
When the next congress assemblies,
the so-called ''pop-gun" bills, which
have passed the house and have been
recommended favorably by the senate
committee to the senate, will be taken
up and passed.
Sound financial legislation must aud
will come.
In the meantime, the country, once
tired of, and almost wrecked with, re-
~publicanism, will get back to its normal
condition.
When we judge by the light of the
surroundings, we have not much Of
which to complain of the last congress.
The record will hold water. 1t is the
finest of campaign literature, and when
the people have studied it we'll they
will praise and endorse it.
They complain a little, not because
the tariff is too low, but because it is
too high; not OF democracy, but OF
rep%ublicanism; not of low taxstion,
but of high taxation. Then the only
logical conclusion is to keep that
party in power which will remedy the
wrongs complained of.
Considering the fact that the product
of thlrty-six years of republican legis-
latiOn was on the statute books on the
fourth day of March, 1898, the demo
Gratis have done a remarkably good
eighteen months job.
Let us be a little patient, and not
expect too much in a short period OF
time.
II the republican government is per-
petuated on American soil, it will be
through the democratic party.
The fool Englishmen who are coming
over here to investigate the negro
lynchings in the south, ought to be run
out of every state they enter. Charity