The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-10-05
TIE ELECTION OF oOEeREssMEN.

/
reform elected ten Of the thirty Con.
! pressmen Of this State, and they were
chosen on the distinct issue Of revis.
/ ing our tariff laws in the interest OF
the people and agains, the interest OF
monopolies, trusts and favored classes
1t was not a tidal wave of prejudice
or passion that elected Mr.. Cleve.
land President and chose a Demo
cratic House and Senate. 1t was done
after two years of the most thorough
discussion OF the subject by all classes
of people, and the judgement of 1892
was rendered with as great dellbera-
ton as the people Of the republic ever
gave national verdict
Evil times came upon the country
before the close of the Harrison ad.
ministration. The Treasury, with over
500, 900 of surplus when Cleve-
land retired in 1880, and with some
$4,000, 900 Of the national bank trust
fund transferred to the Treasury by
act Of Congress to arrest bankruptcy
for time, showed deficit on the 4th
OF March, 1895, of about S54, 900.
Thus not only the revenues of the
government during the Harrison ad-
ministration. two years Of which were
under the highes. tariff taxes ever
known in peace, under the Mckinley
tariff, were all expended, but about
SI2o, 900 OF surplus as well, and
on the day that Secretary Carlisle
entered the Treasury Office he found
an unsigned draft OF his predecessor
for $4,000, 600 for long overdue
claim that could not be signed by Sec
retary Foster because he had not
enough money to pay it.
With the surplus expended and the
Treasury literally bankrupted by pro-
litgacy, the country was Jill prepared
to meet another great evil that came
as logical legacy from the Harrison
administration. The credit of the gov
ernment was strained to the uttermost
by the silver policy of the former ad-
ministration that had passed by an
almost strictly partisan vote what was
known as the Sherman law, requiring
the purchase Of silver monthly, Our
credit became weakened abroad, our
securities held in foreign countries
were thrown upon our market, we
were drained of our gold even when
the balance of trade was in our favor,
and before Harrison was fairly out Of
Office the tide of disaster had set in
and business and industrial paralysis
were upon us. Labor was thrown into
idleness, capital became uuremunera-
five, commerce and trade became
stagnant, and the last year has been
one of the seyerest depression felt by
every condition and class, all of
which is the logical result of the
legacy left US by the administration
that was defeated SO Overwhelmingly
in 1892.
People do not reason when they
are suffering for bread, and the rule
of politics is uniform that the party
in power is certain of apparent popu-
lar condemnation when disaster comes
upon the business interests of the
country, regardless of what men or
what party may be justly held respon.
sible. Tens of thousands OF idle labor
ers have been made to believe in their
distress that the Wilson tariff had
produced the misfortunes which have
fallen upon them, but every one who
thus teaches knows better, and how.
ever the voters may be misled this
year the fraud must soon recoil upon
its authors and give more signal
triumph for honest taxation and
equality in tariff laws.
Pennsylvania will choose her thirty
Congressmen at the November elec.
ton. 1t is the boast of those who
favor unjust taxes upon the many for
the benefit of the few that they will
carry all but three Of our Congress
ional districts against tariff reform.
Tie Republicans cannot do so, but
the Democrats may give them nearly
al vi tic ulSlllClS vi tue DldlG ii lUGy
shall choose to do so. The Berks
and Lehigh and the Northampton
districts will certainly elect Demo
Gratis, but it is altogether possible for
the Democrats themselves to commit
the suicide of giving the Republicans
the Northumberland district by defeat
ing Mr.. Buckalew, the ablest man on
any ticket in the State. The Cumber-
land, Adams and York district, the
Clearfield district and the Luzerne,
Lackawanna and Schuylkill districts
can be thrown against tariff reform
only by the Democrats tn emselves
voting against their own candidates
and against their own faith. What
ever the result may be, not one OF
these districts is against tariff reform,
but party decentralization and indus
trial distress may make even honest
men wrong themselves.