Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-06-28

was captivating; the condition confronts
us. Capital always tinid in changing
conditions, has fed from the marts of com
mercial affairs and sought safety In strong
boxes and deposit vaults and labor, al
ways FESTIVE even In prosperity has taken
an enforced vacation until that uncertain
time when new employment may be OBJ
Valued. The buzz Of industry has been sill
enced by the sage Of Buzzard's Bay. The
aftpy of The industrious has been succeeded
by the army Of the industrials. The pinch
Of the times was quickly felt; and Doctor
Cleveland, whose facile pen writes ready
prescriptions for every i'll which the politi-
cal flesh Is heir to, directed his Congress to
repeal the purchasing clause Of the Sher
uap act, and assured the anxious watchers
that confidence and activity would speedily
return. But the fever did not abate; the
patient did not recover; business did not
| improve; dropping industries did not re-
vive in response to the remedy. There was
an error in the diagnosis: the symptoms
| the torpidity and general debility--were I'M
mistakable the causes only had been mis-
| judged. Clovelands disciples thereupon
| applied the principles of the faith cure, and
attempted to convince the manufacturer,
| the mechanic and the farmer that
| their troubles were imaginary and
| that they arose from mental rather than
physical disturbances. Their success was
no better than his. Tho patient knew he
was Sick, because be felt sick. The manu-
facturer, running his mill at a constant loss
the mechanic, out of employment and unable
| to find it, the farmer with butter and wool
at Is cents a pound refuse to be convinced
that their condition has improved by the
restoration Of democratic rule. Their troubles
arose from common cause, and every eye
| was an1iously turned toward Washington:
| every ear was eagerly strained to catch the
first announcement of the practical tariff
| policy of the dominant party as it fell from
the lips of Congress. The promise has been
made; it is its fulfllment that the country
| breads.
| Weary months we have waited, months
wasted by Congress in the dreary drizzle of
| partisan oratory and sectional chickering's.
Their first move was not one calculated to
inspire confidence the preparation and
management of their tariff bill was en-
trused to one whose conception of the broad
necessities of the commercial interests of
the nation, was about as lucid as Nichode-
mus idea of the second birth; but the Will
son bill was born and is doing as well as
could be expected. 1t survived the anxious
attentiveness of the House of Representa-
tives, and somewhat distigured to be sure,
but with name, sex and identity fairly pre-
served, went to the Senate; to that august
body whose high character should have
been a guaranty of its speedy and impartial
consideration. 1t is there to-day Not ex-
actly healthy infant nor as sound in limb
and wind as its friends might hope but still
able to suck its tatfy of protected sugar to
the satisfaction of the trust, at least. The
Wilson bill of to-day in the hands Of dem
ocratiC Senate remodelled to suit the local
interests of democratic constituencies bears
about as much resemblance to the original
measure as did the Irishman's gun
which he took to the smiths to be
repaired, and when it was finished
the only part of the original implement
which remained was the trigger. Surely if
this be tariff reform, then the tariff is a
local question. One would think it had
come to be q sectional question, with protec-
ton for the South with incidental free trade
for the North. The situation is serious; the
spectacle humiliating. The abject and un-
conditional surrender Of national Senate
to the most INSCRIPTIONS monopoly of the
country, is not pleasant to contemplate.
The truth dawns upon u.s. the democratic
leaders were not so anxious to break up the
protective tariff to democratic mind is not
unconstitutional when it is profitable The
spectacle of the scrambling senator's has not
been utterly devoid of amusing features
Mcpherson and his associates in the hands
of an investigating committee furnish enter
tainmont-a committee trembling in every
limb for foar they may inadvertently dis
cover some Of the crookedness which they
were appointed to unearth. Mcpherson,
whose unwilling possession of certain sugar
certificates has been aptly compared to the
position of the old darky who was discov-
cred with chicken in his hat. and whose
explanation was: "For the Lawd, he must
have crawled up my trousers Leg and
) David b. Hill, whose ambitious slogan II
am n democrat" electrified his admirers q
few short months ago, occupies unique
position and to one who has watched hi.
political career and known much of his
political methods, his attitude toward the
Wilson bill is surprising and refreshing
The heller of yesterday has become the hero
, of to-day. He refuses to be coaxed, ca ioled
or driven; he ignores his party, ignores hi
} president, aud fearlcssly takes his stand witt
} the friends of protection and maintains hi
position in a speech ringing with patriot
ism. | honor the man for his independents,
and | am not sure II his repentance is sin
3 cere and his conversion permanent, but w
. might, after sufficient period of proba
ton, If we can be convinced that the poison
has been entirely eradicated from his sys
. TEN, welcome him into full fellowship will
. us for
While the lamp holds ont to burn,
The Nilest sinner may return.
, But am reminded that it is not in goo,
taste to speak evil Of the dead; and turf
1 cheerfully from the failures of the demo
: cratic party-the party Of magnificent prom
ises-to the prospects Of the republica
G party-the party of grand achievements
a The possibilities of the republican party wer
! never so great as to-day; the opportunitie
never so promising. The empty pockets an
empty stomachs Of countless workingme
throughout our land are factors more poten
and convincing than campaign oratory
:, The American laborer is convinced by re
: cent experiences, that when the custol
a house goes the soup house come.
/ and he will not be a good listene
:, TO the sophistries of free trad