Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-03-31
A YEAR OF DEMOCRACY,
How 1t Has Not Kept Its Pledges
Its Insincerity.

How 1t Has Not Kept Its Pledges
Its Insincerity.
San Francisco Argonaut.
Exactly one year ago, on the 4th of
March, 1898, the Democratic party as
sumed control of the government of
the United States. II is now the 4th
of March, 1894. I.etus look back and
see what this reform party" has ac-
complished.
One year has elapsed When the
Democratic party assumed the reins
of power OH the fourth of March, 1898
it pledged itselfto reform" the tar
if; it pledged itself to put the nation
al currency on a sound basis;it pledg-
ed itself to strengthen the public
credit; it pledged itselfto introduce
economy in all the departments of the
government; it pledged itself to inau-
gurate an era of unprecedented pros
perity
How has the Democratic party kept
its pledges since the 4th of March,
1882 1t has not "reformed" the tar
if. Although year has elapsed and
although it has the largest working
majority known since the wartime
Congresses, it has barely begun its
tariff tinkering. Although Congress
has practically been in session since
the 9TH of August, IS93-about seven
nlonths-it has, after all this time, lust
succeeded in getting its new tariff bill
through the House. 1t is yet to be
acted upon in the Senate, and it is
more than doubtful what its fate will
be there So much for the rapidity of
the tariff reform which the Demo-
Gratis have effected since the 4th of
March, 1898.
Now as to the sincerity of the Dem
ocrats' tariff reform idea. In their
platform they said 1--WE denounce
protection as fraud; a robbery of
great majority of the American people
for the protection of a few. We de-
clare it to be fundamental principle
of the Democratic party that the fed
eral government has no power to i'm
pose and collect tariff duties, except for
the purposes of revenue only" Have
the Democrats adhered to this declar-
ation2 No honest man can say they
have. Bad and vicious we believe the
Wilson tariff to be, it is still not tar
iffifor revenue only, and everybody
knows it is not; all sorts of interests
are protected in it for various reasons
sectional, personal and political
What, then, becomes of the denuncia-
ton of protection as fraud" and
robbery If this be true, why have
not the Democrats abolished it at once
and why are they preparing to con-
tiuue it in some favored instances that
certain southern States may have their
products protected? What have Dem
ocrats done towards abolisfing what
they call robbery since the 18th of
March, 1893?
As to their promise of putting the
finances of the country on a sound
basis, the Democrats wrangled for
months over the silver question, and
succeeded in settling that. notwith-
standing their overwhelming majority,
through the patriotism of the Repub-
lican minority. The treasury is al
most empty, but the Democrats can
not agree on bond issue Instead of
carrying out the pledge of a firm yet
conservative foreign policy, the adj
ministration has covered itself with |
ignominy in the Hawaiian question, |
has practically attempted to restore a |
a fallen monarchy by force, and has
met with the unqualified and unmis-
taxable rebuke of the people
These, then are few of the things
which the Democrats promised to do /
and have not done. Let us turn to /
their performances, and not their pro-
misses. Here the list is long:
Since the 4th of March the Demo |
Gratis have repealed the federal election
law, thereby putting premium on
ballot-box stuffing and false and fraud
uient election returns.
Since the 4th of March they have
through their free-trade panic, thrown
the Reading, the Erie, the Northern
Pacific, the Union Pacific, the Santa
Fe and sixty-nine other railway sys-
tens into the hands of receivers.
Since the 4th of March they have
forced sos banks to close their doors. I
Since the 4th of March they have
caused 500 manufactures to shut down. /
Since the 4th Of March they have
forced 1888 mercantile houses into
bankruptcy.
Since the 4th OF March they have
thrown over million workingmen
into idleness, beggary, and crime.
This, then,i is the record of the DEM
ocratic party, the party of reform"
since March 4, 1893. This is their
record of disaster for one of their four
years. What will they do in the re
mai1is1r flreee