The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-06-22
THE POLITICAL PIT.

If 1t should happen before the next
Presidential election takes place that
the laboring classes discover just about
who they have been fighting, and just
about "where they are at " as between
the two parties representing high and
low protection, there is apt to be
few more than a host of disappoint-
ments among those who have been
digging a political pit for their BROTH
ers, The diggers are expecting, of
course, to bury the other party, else
they would not dig. 1t has been al
most reduced to a maxim that the
party in power, whether Republican
or Democrotic, must suffer the conse-
quences of distressed conditions of
any and all kinds during the interim of
their administration. Sometimes the
party in power is responsible for dis
tressed conditions, and then some
times it is not. But as rule this
makes no difference 70 the sovereign
power. Its memorable command is,
"give us prosperity and good govern
ment or we will give you DEATH" and
hence the more general the distress
the more certain the defeat OF the
party in power.
Observing the pungency of this re-
qulrement there is no doubt the ex-
perienced Republicans, spurred on by
the cunning money power, have been
very industriously engaged in digging
political pit big enough to bury De
mocracy out Of sight. They antici.
pate this Democratic funeral because
of distressed conditions and because
the classes have been struck at by the
masses through Democracy. 1t is
true Democracy has not hurt them
much in her attempted revision of the
tariff and attempted assessment of the
money power through an income tax,
which will likely be evaded if levied
but the very fact that she struck at the
fostered and fattened classes is suffi-
cient to cause their alarm and fear of
the future in case Democracy is not
now punctually ousted form Office.
But the case is SO exceptional and
peculiar at present thai it is quite |
possible the Republicans have over
done the distressed business, and con-
sequently have dug their own graves.
Through prolonged distress the sover-
eign seems to have caught on to the |
true inwardness OF our clogged com.
merclal affairs The prolonged dis
Il ess and hard times have been the !
source of much more enlightenment
than was intended, and the result is
apt to be politically disastrous to Re,
publican mourners who would gladly |
give Democracy very decent burial
with the aid OF their autocrltic priest
hood-the money power.
Through their provoked strikes and
deliberate dlsmissals we may safely
charge that our protected industries,
without regard to politics. premedita
ted distress. They said in effect to
wage earners now that you have voted
Tor Democracy and tariff reformation
yOu Ndll ouliCi lllN consequences OI 4
your free trade notions in idleness as
The result.
Whatever alterior distressing con
iltions may have been inevitable in
OF national or Individual
surely The stubborn
stand OF our fostered and wealthy in.
dustries are responsible for much dis
lress, and the wageearner knows it,
too. 1t is now Tor Republicans to
rise and e~plain, # they would crawl
out OF the pit in order to make room
for Democracy. They must explain
not only to wage-earners, but also to
the sovereign power that ousted them
from Office for being too familiar with.
the classes and not quite enough SO
with the masses Perhaps they can
explain it all satisfactorily, but we are
inclined to doubt it,