New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-18
BEAT AND BANG ED.'

A great many things have happened In two
years so much history has been packed INTO
this period. and the history has been so full OF
disappointment, distress and disaster. that to
many people who have worried through 1t there
seems a long stretch Of years In the retrospect
10 look back only to the opening days OF the fall
Of 1899. The country was prosperous then
Business was active the mills were humming
and the FORCES and furnaces aglow: the wheels
of commerce were whrling merrily. the maris of
trade were crowded. enterprise and thrift were
every where promoted by the expectation OF rea-
sonable rewards. capital and labor found
employment and remuneration for each other
and with Il large measure of content
mcnt walked hand In hand. But the Demo
cratic party was out OF business and of the
payrolls. and extremely anxious to he put In
charge Of the Government and on the payrolls
lis preachers and apostles were going about all
through that fall of 1892 telling people who had
no reason for dissatisfaction with existing con-
dtions how hard their lot was. how heavily
they were taxed without knowing 1t. how much
richer some persons were than others and how
unjust 1t was. and how the great Democratic
party II brought TO power. would cure these
evils make an end of inequality and injustice,
remove the taxes that the oppressed poor were
paying without knowing II, make everything
serene and every body happy
We are queer people. SO human. And so
fallible. We went and followed the example Of
the farmer to whom plausible person came
one day with long story about how his fields
were unscicntiiicully cultivated his cattle not
properly cared for. his crops left ungathered,
and his entire property so neglected that in
q 1, far
listened at first incrcdulouSly. for as he looked
over the farm everything seemed Ia be In
growing condition. the cattle well cared for. the
crops gathered in season, and each harvest 50
profitable that he lived comfortably and had
money In the bank. But the stranger was
plausible and persistent lie read 10 the farmer
nights from Adam Smith and David 4. Wells
about science and political economy until he had
the agriculturist mixed that he hardly knew
whether he farming the land or farming
the revenue. But he was very much dissatisfied
with the general tendency Of things on The farm.
And then he hired the plausible and persistent
political economist 10 supcrlntcnd the farm. Al
the end Of the first day the new superintendent
reported He looked sweaty and distressed
Have you cut the grass In the tcn-acrc lott
said the farmer. well. yes" said the political
economist: we've cut a good deal II II and The
rest we've beat and banged So that IL won't
live" He didn't have another chance 10 cut
grass on that farm.
The American people hired that kind u
superintendent IN 1872 to introduce scientific
methods. With this session Of Congress the
party put In supcrincndence of The counlrys
industries ends its first days work. And lis re-
port 10 the people r.: well. we've cut down "A
good many ~ them and The rest we've beat
and banged - that they can't live II Is not
likely that the party will have another chance
after this Congress 20 cut down the industries
Of the country OF beat and bang them that
they can't live. That is the encouraging side Of
human nature. II does not often make the same
mistake twice in quick succession.