Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-10-25

/ Yesterday were IN. 9'aT ~ 'rsee I"itb "29s
( Understand how be could have made
such an address 20 auy people Of intelli-
gence. III DO be true that the Demo
| cratic party is responsible for the state
| of affairs depleted so eI0Quently by
I Major Mckinley, I will agree with him
I that that party ought TO so down In de-
I feat and be
WIPED OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH.
Our large industries were closed down,
factories had ceased 10 be operated, and
labor was out OF employment, aud | re-
I peat, it the Democratic party is resUOn-
sibIe for that state Of affairs, / agree
with Major Mckinley and the RepubIi-
eau party that 10 ought 10 be banished
from American politics forever. But
ii the Republican party be responsible,
then the same Punishment should
be accorded 20 them. The
Democratic party has had
COutrO. OF the government for about
Two years. ] admit that that party is
responsible for two years OF govern
mental administration, but / deny that
it is responsible for thirty years OF mai
administration. Applause. 1 admit
that we are sDOusibe for two years OF
government, but I deny that we are re-
spOnsIbIe for thirty years OF misgovsru-
menL Applause / admit that the
Democracy found an empty treasury 10
Washington, bur l deny that the De-
mOCraCy was tle cause or its emptiness. /
Applause. invite the intelligent |
Judgment OF this country TO the fact |
that 10 1889, after four years Of Demo !
cratic administration, the vaults OF the /
treasury were bursting with . surplus, /
and that the people we're in prosper !
Gus condition. Our manufacturers were /
proSperiug and our merchants were /
doing thriving trade, and the great |
body OF the people were happy and con- /
tented, and the only question before us /
was how we might dispose OF our sur /
plus treasure. Contrast that condition |
of affairs with
THE CONDITION FOUR YEARS LATER,
after the Republicans had held sway.
The question was not then how 70 dis
pose OF the surplus, but how 20 hide a
de6cu? Applause Who was res ponsi-
O.e for thar? What has been the record
OF the Republican party TO Congress-?
What became o. this treasure? What /
stood before the American
people anxious for the welfare OF the
masSes2 On the cOntrry we saw every
where trusts ard mOnOpoies fattening !
upon the industry aud thrift Of the peo.
pie, aud indjyida.S rolling in wealth and
luxury, and az the same time a people
distressed beyond measure, all as a result
OF the policy OF the Republican party.
"NOw, my friends, l said that I would
willingly admit that any party resp0u-
S bic for the financial disasters Of 1898
should be excluded FROM the control OF
the government Can that responsibility
be fIed2 Can we trace theCsuSe OF this
depression and distress? IL
seems 10 me So, and that any one who
makes the effort can.
FIND THE REMEDY.
Let Us see what the course OF the Re-
publican party has been in the past.
For thirty years, partially, and for
tweuty-Six years completely, it has had
control OF the national government.
Let Us commence witn the period start
Ing with 1872 Grant was elected
President in that year by almost the
unanimous vote OF the electoral college.
Congress was largely Republican, and
the cOuory was apparently pros.
porous, aud yet at that moment
the dark clouds of financial de-
preston and panic were settling |
down upon the laud aBd il was not
long until We we're In the throes OF 3
panic, our factories and mills were
closed down, and hundreds OF thou
sands OF American workinEmen were !
.ramping the highways. searching vain