Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-11-27
The Day of Retribution,

The Day of Retribution.
Ex-Speaker Reed, at the Home Market
Clubs dinner in Boston, was vociferous-
ly cheered as he rose to speak. He began
Perhaps some of this great audience will
recollect that l cast a slight shade of
soberness over your dinner of last year,
and am afraid it may be the same this
evening. And yet, have just one little
reason more than the rest of you for re-
joicing.
The result shows that there is in me
the prophetic instinct; not so fully de-
velOped as could wish, but still valua-
BILE. Once during the last session of Con
gress, when the plans of the Democracy
had become developed, l ventured to say
to the leaders that when the people of
the country got at them, in November of
this year, they would bury them in
trenches This was nearly true, but there
was slight inaccuracy. l should have
said that we would bury them in trenches
until the supply of trenches gave out.
We couldn't bury them all, and l notice
some ghosts of unburied bodies ito and
fro fitting burialless, save in the vul-
ture's craw," have even reached Boston
and are still audible, hoarsely murmur-
ing about free raw materials and "for-
eign markets." and such like topics of
the under world.
Well the retributlon has certainly been
tremendous. You don't half realize how
immense it was. When in 1910, the peo-
pie rose in such wrath that 1910 has been
in American politics the symbol of an
Alpine avalanche, the House of Repre-
sentatives only changed from II Demo-
cratic to 81 Wing, a change of 40, and
even when you add one-half for increase
of size, you haye only 9S for total.
Franklin Pierce swept the country in
1852, the Wings lost but 13 seats. In the
great upheaval of 1874, which exceeded
that of 1890, 80 republican majority was
changed to 45 Democratic Majority, and
the South assumed that solidity which
has been the misfortune of this country
ever since. The total change then was
IA.
The change a week ago last Monday
was 23S. If you take off 80 for increase
of the House, you still have change of
1888. A change of 23S in body of 1856 is
unparalleled in the history of this coun-
try, and so far as l now recall, of any
legislative body in any free government
in this world 1t would mean a change
of 500 in the British House of Commons.
If $50 members of the House of G )mmons
had been knocked out at one election,
wonder if any British statesman, still in
the air, would have ventured to say, even
500 miles from his district, that there
were no brains behind the "heels" which
set him in motion!
But do not desire to waste your time
in exutation. though am obeying Scrip
ture when rejoice with those who do
rejoice. Nevertheless, we have got
something else to do besides rejoice.
Victories bring resp possibilities, and, as l
have pointed out to you, our victory is so
great that it probably means RESPONSE
bility for many years.
OF those many years shall not now
speak. If we have wisdom for two years
we will be trusted for more, and the wis
dom for the next two years seems to be
easy. We have neither the President
nor the Senate, and all we can do is to let
the country try the results of the folly of
1892. 1t is poor prospect, but it is all
there is. / hate to say this. 1 wish it
were not so, and that we had such posses
sion of the government as would enable
us at once to devise such remedies as the
country needs. But the constitution of
this country was so made that the will of
the people must become fixed before it
can be effective.
What the German bill means for the
industries of this country, we have yet |
it at least $5,OOO,000, we already know.
That it destroyed sheep husbandry is all |
too probable. That many small woolen |
must go under seems un-
avoidable, and that wages must come |
nearer the European standard seems in
evitable. But this need not last more |
than three years if the American people
are steadfast and wise and determined.
How, then, can we utilize this victory,
make it permanent and give to this
return of the prosperity of |
past times? There is only one way, We
must educate the people of this country
up to the full mesure of wisdom in this
matter, or rather the people must educate
And there never was bet.
ter opportunity. Mems minds are now
During the next two years this country
needs the help of every man who has the
slightest morsel of truth in his possession
Why do insist on thisP Because the