The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1894-05-04

which that party proclaimed in advance
of the election aud which it has sought
to carry out. Ever since the election OF
1892 the sword of Damocles has hung
over us in the form of the Democratic
threat and its power to annihilate the
protective tariff system.
Imediately after the election the con-
viction spread that the merchants and
manufacturers of this country must pre-
pare in the future TO compete i'm their
own markets in the sale of goods with
the products of the cheap labor of the
old world. The result has been that
speedily manufacturers began the pro-
cess of curtailment or ceased operations
wholly. Wages were reduced or cut of
entirely. The best distributor of wealth
in any nation is wages, and the loss
To this country in the past year
in the matter of wages alone would of
itself produce stagnation. When wages
are reduced, or men in great numbers
are thrown out of employment, there is
necessarily great lack in consumption.
Good wage earners are the largest con-
sumers, and for more than third OF n
century the American people have been
uniformly earning good wages, which
has made them the most generous
purchasers and thus giving to us the
best home market in the world. And
=. =, -, hinl, % 81 n pH
patriotic policy of the Democratic party
is determined to destroy. Their British
free trade policy involves the ruin of the
wage earning power OF the American
workmen; the opening of the American
markets to the free competition of all
the world; the depreciation OF the value
of stocks, lands, houses ana all other
evidences of property, and whital, where
is the quid pro quo? Where comes in
the compensation?
Industrial depression such as we now
experience effects every class of people.
We are 10000, 900 of people; we have
been enormous producers and equally
enormous consumers; but suddenly the
markets become glutted and the cry of
distress goes up from all over the land.
The people of the country know more
than they did. They have gained in po-
litical wisdom very rapidly, and with
good reason, for they have had very
palpable instruction Like the man
who got kicked in the face by mule,
they are "a little out of countenance,"
but they are wiser. Never in the his
tory of the country has there been such
evidence of change of political senti-
ment as been shown by the recent cleo
tions. A year and a half ago the Dem
ocratic party carried the country over
whelmingly on the distinct declaration
of the very principles which the party
has since been attempting to carry out;
and now, since the people have had a
little taste of these principles they find
them so very unpalatale that if presi-
dental election were to occur at this
time the Democrats could not carry
single Northern state. Yet, after all
the evidence of the paralysis and ruin
which they are bringing upon the coun-
try; after all the evidence of the repudia-
ton of their policy which the recent
elections give, the Democratic leaders
presist in their course Of forcing their
niqutons measures upon the country.
Well we must suffer the penalty of our
transgression, swallow the bitter
medicine that is forced down our
throats, and bide our time. They will
never get another chance.