New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-22
DENOCEACY md ITS JTCTIMS.

DEMOCRACY AND ITS JICIIuS
The PENNSYLVANIA election may well give
Democrats food for thought. The largest i'c-
nuhcon majority ever rolled up in that great
Industrial centre means much The logic of the
hnsinoss situation is fatal to the party in power
rs every appeal TO voters demonstrates ii l.
now almost Il year since the entire control OF
Government was turned over 10 that party. III
has been the most disastrous year the country
ever saw-at least in time of peace Inc pros
tration OF industries was never greater Never
before was there so great number OF hlnnS
ont OF work. Never before have the millions
in want appealed 50 powerfully TO the sympathy
and the charity Of this hitherto favored couh-
try The Democratic party gained power ny
pretending that the people were greatly
wronccd and plundcrcd and by promising
prompt relief \ quarter of the term Tor "hicl
President Cleveland was elected mas passed
but the party in power has done nothing 10
make times better Pennsylvania in thunder
tones records The peoples condemnation OF De
nocracy AMI AL its works.
At first all evils were charged TO Republican
laws vet unrcpcalcd 1t was dishonest trick.
for Democrats knew that the prctcnce was
false. Thcy wcre not ignorant that the laws
under which the country attained uncxamplcd
ureless disaster within year. The logic Of
workingmcn who ask for labor cuts through
all such pitlful DISCUSSES. They tell the party
in mower that it promised relief. and no RELIEF
has come 1t had power nearly year ago
10 repeal any Republican law which really
caused trouble The President refused TO cal
Congress together for that purpose. Either ne
vas faithiesS either he violated the pledges OF
his party or be knew perfectly well that mis-
fortunes did not result from Republican laws
and would not be arrested by their repeal.
After long delay part Of the Silver law was re-
pcacd. but 10 Improvement came. On the con-
trarv. business depression has been greater in
December and January than II was In Septenn-
Der or October. As for the tariff, the Demo
cratic party has been trying 10 agree upon some
measure Of revision, but rs yet Is not able 10
do so. If it were true that the present tariff
wrought any evil, the party would be false 10
all its principles and pledges in doing nothing
all these months for the relief Of the country.
II is folly 10 offer such excuses to wOrkngmcn
who are hungry and who are driven on by
want to acts of disorder like the riot Of the I'M
i employed in Boston. They know that mills,
shops and factories in which they formerly
worked were not closed by the Republican tar
If, but by fear Of It's repeal They are able 10
read and they perceive that the ablest Demo
cratic leaders and organs are pleading with
/ Democrats in Congress to act quickly because
continued uncertainty about the tariff causes
all existing depression. and is so harmful that
the passage Of almost any definite measure
would be welcome as offering hope of relief.
/ These are arguments Of Democrats themselves,
but workingmcn also know that thousands OF
mills and factories which are now ut work
,,I fl,otf ho of pa,1lti
tudes who are now able to get employment
would either be greatly reduced or cut or en-
tirely, if the Democratic tariff should go into
effect in any Of the many forms proposed Pctl-
i tons and protests from millions Of workingmen
have given proof that they understand the situa-
ton and know the only remedy. But all these
petitions and protests have been treated with
contempt by the Democratic majority In Con-
gress.
1t Is not strange that there IS bad feeling.
The workers are aware at last that they have
been cheated by leaders. They know that they
! have been fooled into voting away their own
/ livelihood. They are able TO perceive, in the
/ colOrlesS records which business makes for IT.
/ self, that the condition of things has not been
| improved since Congress was tardily called to-
gether In February the decrease in all bust
ness payments through associations OF banks
| in the different cities has been 80 per cent com
pared with last year. In December and Janu-
airy it was about - per cent, but in no previous
month had it been great. Men perceive also
! that the products Of this country ard It's gold
and silver in vast amount are going abroad
every month to pay for securities which for
eigners no longer wish to hold, or for loans
/ in this country which they will no longer re-
new. The proof of foreign judgment regarding
the condition and prospects Of American indus
try and business is found in the fact that in the
four months July-October inclusive, when the
panic was worst and when the Silver law was
not repealed, the outside world obtained from
this country in excess of all things sent hither
merchandise and specie valued at SAB, 600 900;
but in the three months, November, December
and January, it drew from this country in ex-
cess of the value Of all imports merchandise and
specc amounting TO $129000O0O
The Nation is going over the same old Demo
cratic road toward bankruptcy which II YEARLY
and sadly trod many years ago. Prostration Of
home industries comes first, then inability Of
Americans to purchase the products Of other
countries, then demands for the return Of many
hundred millions of foreign capital invested
or loaned here then shrinkage of Government
revenue and issue Of bonds with difficulty, and
increase of the public debt and heavier bur-
dens for the people. 1t Is not q road which the