The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-04-21
THE DEMOCRATIC FAILURE.
Senator Cullom's Summary of Year Of
Political Blunders and Crimes.

The May Forum has able and pointed
contribution by United States Senator Gull
lom in which he reviews the first year of
Democratic administration. He says: I'm
March, 1893, President Cleveland received
from President Harrison solvent treas
ury, a prosperous country, and the control
of the interests Of a happy, thriving peo-
pie. The only shadow upon the horizon at
that time was the intangible but universal
fear Of the people that the Democratic
party, with uncontrolled power in the polit-
ical branches Of the government, would
bear out its proverbial reputation for doing
exactly the wrong thing"
With regard to the pension policy Of the
administration, Senator Cullom says:
THE surviving and dependent partici-
pants in the great and fearful war had
ment such aid and bounty as course OF
generous legislation had appropriated for
Repubc sf aad 6eg hd he
which their palsied arms had wrought out
upon 9 ,t bloody fields, and they were satisfied
And he goes on: 1.-The revenues of the
United States were substantially equivalent
to the Se fS OF 5he S t
growing Nation, while the extinguishment
of the public debt was progressing with due
curity and protection Of the elective fran
chise from fraud and crime. and a system
of supervision of elections in localities
where rascality and intimidation were DOM
inant, had been operative for many years"
Having thus briefly shown the situation
at the beginning of the presidential term,
he sketches the situation to-day:
I'm March, 1894, the treasury is so nearly
insclvent that an issue of $50,000,0O0 in bonds
of $72 900 during the current fiscal year.
Every industry throughout the land is stag
nant or dead; The shadow of last year be
lowed by cyclone of i'll fortune, from
which there appears to be no present re-
pehae Which haTe fooMReG as the e
result of the political tornado of November,
1892 Far below the most intelligent esti-
mates made from statistics of value, may
charge the dominant party with having
caused an absolute and tangible loss in
dollars and cents to the Saturday-night re-
cipients of weekly wages, the workingmen
and working women of the United States,
Add together the recorded results of
wrecked industry and stagnant business
which have met our eyes ana ears; give
ample allowance for every hope and ray
of future sunshine; and upon the most un-
than s2,5OOOO0.OoO to the bad in twelve
months"
AS to the pensioners, he says:
1.-The pensioned soldiers and sailors of
the United States have acquired twelve
months of an experience which would have
been pronounced impossible twenty years
ago. 1t has proved to be an experience the
history OF which can never be heard from
the closed lips of the many Union soldiers
was their due, but of which they were de-
prived to satisfy department-made law.
Nothing was presumed favorable to the
beneficiary. Upon him was made to rest
the burden Of making proof, where In in
Vulnerable instances his witnesses were
ment never intended that its bounty to
the Nations defenders should be hampered
by conditions of technical and burdensome
detail"
And in conclusion Senator Cullom sums up
the year of Democratic administration in
this comprehensive way:
"At this time, owing to the persistence
of the Democratic majority in Congress,
the laws for the protection of the ballot
have been repealed, and now the elections
for Representatives. in Congress are provfd-
ed with no federal safeguards, but rest
entirely upon the enforcement of State laws.
The. recent election-fraud history in New
York and New Jersey, and the emphatic
expressions at the polls in those States and
in Pennsylvania furnish 1dea of what
the. people at large believe regarding the
policy of the party in power 1t is unnec-
essary to extend remarks upon this sub
ject.
in the status of the Democratic party in
March, 1894, upon which that organization
may congratulate itself. it is only the fact
that it has three years OF federal power
still before it,
IF there is any one thing upon which
this country may congratulate itself it is
the fact that whenever and wherever pub
lie opinion finds expression il sets the seal
of emphatic disapprobaton upon the entire
work of the Democratic party during its
first year of control. No historian will vol
unteer as the apologist of that party for it's
years work of destruction and retrogres-
sion
1.-The year has witnessed instead of prog
ress advancement and reform, a falling
back q return TO antiquated and obsolete
ideas and methods justified by no necessity.
Wherever any vigorous advance has been
made, it has invariably been in a wrong
direction-a step which must be some time