The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1894-10-20
THE OHIO DEMOCRAT
WHICH PARTY
Should the People Support
in November.

Within the limits of this brief ar
ticle,I can only attempt to give very
general statement of the claims of
the Democratic party, based upon
its legislative record, to continued
support at the coming election.
The Democratic majority in the
House of Representatives has made
a record upon which 1t may we'll
challenge the Judgment of fairmind-
ed men. Speaker Crisp has shown
himself possessed in high degree of
the strong qualities required for the
conduct of his important office.
Under his leadership the majority
of the house has proved itself fully
able to overcome obstruction and to
transact business expeditiously. It
has accomplished all that was claim
ed for Speaker Reeds house, in these
respects, and without resorting to
the arbitrary methods and the abuses
of the powers of the speakers office
which were so justly objected to in
that body.
The present congress will be noted
in our political history for the great
and far reaching Importance of three
of its acts, all passed within a period
of about n year, and constituting u
record of legislative accomplishment
which the republican party would
have to go back a long way in its
history to parallel.
law was of vital Importance to the
finances of the country. Its contin-
ued operation meant financial chaos.
Its repeal, while it could not prevent
inevitable industrial depression, at
once restored confidence in our cur
rency, and since then, legitimate
commerce and industry have not
suffered from financial lderangement.
Without the firm resistance of Presi-
dent Cleveland this result could not
have been secured.
The repeal of the federal election
laws was an act of great Significance
and future consequence. The radi-
cal difference between democratic
and republican views of the proper
functions and limitations of the fed
eral government has no where been
more clearly made manifest than in
the position of the two parties on this
subject. Control of the machinery
OF election. is one of the most danger
GUS and liable to abuse of any of the
powers that can be placed in the
hands of the federal authorities.
Nothing has happened for many
years so calculated to promote the
future security of our government as
the repeal of these laws,
In the passage of the new tariff
act, the democratic party has accom-
plished piece of constructive legis-
lation of the first Importance.
After nearly third of a century
of high tariff system, we have now
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to the low tariff policy. The repub-
lican system of indiscriminate pro-
tective duties on all domestic pro-
ducts has been effectually broken
up. The economic and political inn
portance of free wool alone can hard
1y be oyer-estimated.
The peculiarities of the present
political situation make it desirable
to include in any statement of the
reasons why the democratic party
should be supported in the coming
elections brief answer to the main
arguments used by its opponents.
1t is noteworthy that these are near
ly all of a negative character, con-
sisting of critisms of the democratic
party for what it has done or has
failed to do. There is almost q COM
plete absence of any programme of
what the republican party will do if
restored to power. This is particu-
larly noticeable in respect to the
tariff question.
The argument that democratic as
cendancy is responsible for the
period of industrial depression
through which the country has been
passing, may be very briefly dismiss
ed. 1t may answer we'll enough for
n a styyrN M RI y1,k L.
ment to which it appears will cost
the democratic party the loss of many
votes. When people have been suf-
fering, they are only too ready to
hold the party in power responsible
for everything that has gone wrong.
But no intelligent student of econ
omies believes that any possible fear
as to the impending charges in the
tariff were sufficient to account for
the depression III business. This has
been due to causes which have been
world wide in their operation, and
utterly beyond control by any govern
ment action.
1t is charged that much unneces-
sary time was taken in the passage
of the tariff bill, and the charge is
we'll founded. The vexatlous delay
took place in the senate. The demo-
cratic party must certainly bear it's
share of this responsibility therefor,
but SO must the republican party.
The senate in a body, rather than
either party as represented in the
senate, has been responsible. The
republican senate were certainly
responsible for keeping the business
OF the country In suspense for q long
time while they made speeches
effect upon the final result. Parties
are divided in the senate upon the
question of putting an end to the
tntOlerable methods which now pre-
vail there. When the republican
senators as q body are ready to
support q rule to provide for the
closing of debate, the democratic
party can justly be blamed for any
continued delay of legislation. In
the meantime both parties must
share this responsibility.
Again, 1t is charged that the
democratic party deserves condem-
nation for failing to pass tariff bill
embOdying a larger measure of tariff
reform than the senate bill. OF
course this charge can only be con-
sistently brought by the friends of
tariff reform. 1t Is true that serious
disappointment at the final result,
more serious / believe than O fair
view of all the facts will warrant,
has been felt among many strong
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