The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1894-08-25
BEAT AND BANGED"

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 disappoint-
ment, distress and disaster, that to
many people who have worried through
It. there seems long stretch of years
in the retrospect to look back only
10 tho opening days of the fall of 1892.
The country was prosperous then. BUS
mess was active; the mills were rum
ming, and the forges and furnaces
aglow; the wheels of commerce were
whirling merrily, the marts of trade
were crowded, enterprise and thrift
were everywhere promoted by the ex-
pectatlon Of reasonable rewards, cap
ital and labor found employment and
remuneration for each other, and with
large measure of contentment walked
hand In hand. But the Democratic
party was out of business and off the
payrolls, and extremely anxious to be
put In charge Of the government and
tho payrolls. Its preachers and apostles
were going about all through that fall
OF 1892 telling people who had no reason
for dissatisfaction with existing con-
ditlons how hard their lot was, how
heavily they were taxed without know
Ing It, how much richer some people
were than others, and how unjust II
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 with
out knowing 1t, make everything serene
and everybody happy.
We are queer people. So human!
And so falllble! We went and followed
the example OF the farmer TO whom q
plausible person came one day with
long story about how his fields were
unsclentihcally cultivated his cattle
not properly cared for, his crops left
ungathered, and his entire property
80 neglected that In few years It
would run to waste The farmer lis
tened at first incredulously. for as he '
looked over the farm everything seem,
ed to be in growing condition, the
cattle well cared for the crops gath
cred In season, and each harvest so
profitable that he lived comfortably and I
had money In the bank. But the
stranger was plausible and persistent
He read to the farmer nights from
Adam Smith and David A. Wells, about l
science and political economy until he
had the agricuturist so mixed that he :
hardly knew whether he was farming
the land or farming the revenue. But a
he was very much dissatisfied with the
general tendency Of things on the farm. :,
and then he hired the plausible and
persistent political economist TO super =
intend the farm, At the end OF the first
day the new superintendent reported.
He looked sweaiy and distressed,
Have YOU cut the grass in the ten- =
nero lot2" asked the farmer. "wen. =
yes" said the political economist. ii
We've cut a great deal OF II. and the Il
rest we've beat and banged so II won't 81
live" lie didn't have another chance i i
10 cut grass on that farm. 9,
The American people hired that kind n
d a superintendent In 1899 to intro
luce scientific methods with this ses. : !.
sion Of congress the party put In super tr
ntendence Of the cocntry's Industries :.
'nds It's first days work And its report
% the people Is: "vell. we've cut down
good many Of them. and the rest e
we've beat and banged so they can't css
I've" Il Is not likely that the party =
sill have another chance after this Q
'ongress to cut down the Industries OF