The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1894-04-06

time, Tor tney are as uncnaugtaole as
the laws of the Modes and Persians.
His chief personal trait is obstinacy,
apparently greatly exalted and made
aggressive and dogmatic through the
vanity arising from his extraordinary
political success. He has two elements
of political faith, and has never in his
speeches, messages, or addresses pre-
scented any other general issues than
these two, in which he thoroughly be-
leves. Wall street nor the Bank OF
England has no more sincere believer in
gold as the only money standard; nor
the Golden club or the free trade
theorists more earnest advocate OF
the abrogation of all restriction of trade
that should favor the protection OF
American industries.
To do the president justice, he has not
developed any new political features.
He is the same now as formerly, only
now he has power to make the baleful
influence of his doctrines felt, whereas
during the period of his former admin
istration he was comparatively harm
less. At that time he thought we were
in danger from too much prosperity,
for in his annual December message he
deprec ated the accumulated surplus in
the national treasury, which was
practically equivalent to deprecating
the prosperity of the country, through
the business activity of which that sur
plus was derived. For, with nations as
with individuals. the meeting of all
financial obligations and the steady in
crease of surplus denotes a healthy con-
dition of business affairs.
When Mr.. Cleveland was first elected
president he found the government
regularly paying off the national debt
as fast as any obligation became due.
He found all demands easily liquidated,
and still vast and constantly increas-
ing surplus in the treasury. This latter
fact made the text of his sermon when
he preached reform-"Tariff reformy"
The great danger that impended over
this country he said, was a surplus in
the treasury. A Democratic president
is averse to that by tradition 1t never
happens when Democrats control the
government. When Mr.. Buchanan,
the last Democrat president before Mr..
Cleveland, went out of office he did not
leave cent in the treasury. His
successor is likely to appear in the same
category.
When Mr.. Cleveland was elected
president in November 1892, there was
not, nor had there been up to that time,
the least indication of the business adj
versity which has befallen this country.
The country was never more prosperous.
The wheels of industry were everywhere
in motion; employment regular at good
wages; money abundant And yet, AS
soon as it became known that not only
was Mr.. Cleveland elected, but that
the Democrats had secured both houses
of congress, thus giving them control
of the government in its legislative and
spread, distrust and paralysis invaded
every branch of industry People began
to realize what an invidious power for
destruction they had invoked. Under
the Republican policy of protection
every industry in the nation, agricultural
and manufacturing, was cared for and
all our own markets were secured to us
against foreign competition, and by
treaties of reciprocal trade with
other nations our foreign exchanges
were increasing and made equable.
The Democratic policy declared
against all this. That party went be-
fore the country and carried it over
whelmingly on the declaration that
there should be no protection, no
fostering of American products, no
preservation of home markets, no care
for American labor, no reciprocity; that
henceforth American workmen must
compete on a par with the under fed,
under paid hirelings of Europe. The
American farmer must sell his products
in his own markets, in unrestrained
competition with those of all other
countries, and manufacturers and
miners likewise. In fact, that the en-
tire domestic policy which had made
this nation the most prosperous in all
history must be utterly changed and
the policy of England substituted in its
stead.
No wonder the people were alarmed
and the industries of the nation
paralyzed by the impending calamity
that overshadowed the country.
If an enemy discloses his intention of
destroying you, and you realize that he
will do IL; that ne has the power to do
il and that you are utterly helpless to
save yourself, you naturally become
alarmed, possibly demoralized. Such
was the condition of the country after
the election of 1892 The industries of
the country were threatened with de-
struction by danger that thay had no