The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1894-10-19
No TURNING BACK.


of the Democrats to power in the
government at Washington. The
worst of our hard times came before
the new administration had had time
to act on any important measure
whatever, but the Republican orators
get over this by saying it was the great
fear and distrust of the people as to
what the Democratic administration
might do that paralyzed business. If
this be so, the Americans must be a
very strange people indeed. The
Chicago platform of the Democratic
party laid down in broad lines
the policy of the party, and
on these lines the Democrats
came into power with an immense
majority. Now are the Ameri-
can people really so tickle, or are they
so cowardly as to demand what they
think is right and then cancel their
demands and acknowledge that they
were wrong? The idea is too antag-
onistic to American principles to be
entertained for a moment. The lead
ers of the Republican party knew
that the cause of the hard times did
not rest with the Democratic party,
but what were they to do? The time
when the Mckinley law began to get
III its work was the period which mark
ed the beginning OF depression in al
most every branch of business in the
country, and very nearly the exact re-
verse of every benefit claimed for it in
advance was the result of its operation.
But the leaders of the party which
enacted it do not acknOw Wedge this,
for by so doing they would ruin their
party. Circumstances however aided
them, or rather, they were quick to
tage. The Democrats were in power
at the head of the government, and if
the high tariff leaders could make a
diversion by trying to hold that par
ty responsible for all the ills Of the
country, the enactors of the measures
which really were the cause of the
prevalent commercial distress might
escape. These astute leaders knew
that if dog were punched with a
stick he would be likely to bite the
stick Instead of the man who held the
stick, and they supposed that many
American citizens might be as simple
as the dog.
But the American people are not so
simple as these men suppose. Intelli-
gence in this country is very widely
diffused among all classes of people.
The farmer at his pillow, the carpenter
at his bench, the smith at his anvil,
the clerk at his desk, the miner in his
pit and the laborer in the field is often
capable of giving valuable points to
his congressman at Washington
The tariff lords do not give these class
es credit for much intelligence, how
ever, and imagine that the political
sagacity of the country is centered in
themselves. Without waiting to see
the workings of the new tariff, they
profess to see greater evils in store for
US as consequences of this law and
have again taken up the cry of More
tariff, !" more taxes" 1t is true that
tie new tariff is not all that the great
mass of the Democratic party asked
for, and that many members of the
party are sadly disappointed in it, but
we must constantly remember that it
is far superior to McKinleyism. Half
a loaf has always been considered as
much better than no bread at all land,
as the Democratic administration has
given us much more than half a loaf
it would be more than a March
hare's madness to desert that party
and turn to one that will not only give
us no bread at all but will take away
some of that we have. For we should
also remember that should the Re-
publicans be again placed in power
they will not be likely to be satisfied
with the restoration of the schedules
of the Mckinley bill. By the time
that any change could be made the
capitalists will probably have lost
some of their vast wealth by the work
ings of the present law, or at least they
will not have added their accustomed
yearly millions, and this would have
to be made up to them by placing ad-
ditional burdens upon the people
This the Republican party will be will
ling to do and must do, for its very ex-
istence has been for a number of years
dependent upon the liberality of these
men of money. Now we do not be-
lieve there is true Democrat in Har-
ford county who is willing to go back
of his vote two years ago, when Cleve-
land was triumphantly elected, and
acknowledge that he did wrong, or
that he did not have sufficient know
ledge to know how to vote. The is
sue which everybody supposed was
settled then is before us again, forced
upon us by those Republican leaders
who wish to take advantage of Demo-
cratic dissatisfaction because the tar
iff revision was not radical enough, to
secure return to McKinleyism.-I
They profess to have hopes of carry
ing this strongly Democratic district,
and in their endeavor to do so have
nominated their strongest man. Mr..
Baker is most affable, pleasant and
intelligent gentleman, and, without in
tending to make disrespectful or flip
pant comparison, we may say that he
is Il very white and very good sheep,
but he is in very unreliable company,
and, if the flock with which he herds
should jump into mischief, he could
do nothing else than follow them.
Mr.. Talbot, the Democratic nomi-
nee, is also most courteous and in
telligent gentleman and in addition he
has at at all times unfalteringly sup
ported the pledges made by the Ma
tional Democratic convention at Chi
cago. Therefore, there can be no ac-
ceptable reason why any good Demo
crat should not support him on the
sixth of November.