Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-10-24
Speech of Hon. David Il. Hill of N. Y


On Thursday, October 18th, Hon.
David B. Hill, Democratic nominee for
Governor of n. Y, made his opening
speech in this canvass at Syracuse,
from which we extract the following
ST DENY the oft repeated statement
that the Democratic party is justly
responsible for the hard times through
which the country has just passed.
The financial panic of last year and
the succeeding hard times were the re-
suits of the Republican legislation en-
acted during Mr.. Harrison's admins
tration. You know who passed the
Sherman Silver bill and the Mckinley
Tariff bill, and one was as detrimental
to the finance of the country as the
other. One, exhausted the surplus
especially the gold of the Treasury-tO
purchase silver bullion to be stored in
the Treasury as a commodity, and the
other, by its high prohibitory duties.
failed to produce sufficient revenues to
support the government.
with these two obnoxious statutes
repealed, the country is now entering
upon better times. Money is easier,
trade is reviving, manufactures are
resuming operations, new enterprises
are starting up, and everywhere there
is a feeling of security, of confidence,
and of prosperity. Our workingmen
are rapidly finding employment, and
the great army of the unemployed will
soon disappear.
"What the country needs now is in
dustrial peace. Any attempt to repeal
the existing law and to substitute the
Mckinley law in its place will disturb
20 of ha ltpxy
and will restore the recent hard times,
and should be frowned down by every
business man in the country Besides,
it would be an ill advised and idle eff
fort, because it cannot succeed. Even
if Republican House of Representa-
tives should be chosen, supplemented
by a Republican Senate, no law could
be passed without the approval of a
Democratic President. 1t is better for
the country, better for its business in
terests, better for everybody, that no
such effort should be made, but that a
Democratic House and Senate should
be chosen to cooperate with the Presi-
dent in giving the country industrial
peace for the next two years.
The price of wool is now higher, be
cause since it has been made free there
has been an increasing demand fol
wool on the part of our manufacturers,
and every business man knows the law
of supply and demand regulates the
price OF commodity.
1.-THE Democratic position is that the
business interests of the country be al
lowed to regulate themselves with the
least possible governmental interior
ence. Under the Mckinley law the
government was in partnership witt
and showed favoritism to certain pri
vate enterprises. Every man shoult
stand on his own bottom in this coun
try. and one class ST ould not be taxed
to help another class.
"Our Republican opponents ar
charging the past financial distress t.
Democratic rule. Do they think tn
people are fools? Every thinking NAL
knows that the Mckinley tariff was 81
high as to almost prohibit imports
and consequently reduce the revenue
of the government when these import
fell off. The Mckinley law brok
down of it's own weight. When Presi
dent Cleveland retired from the Whit
House in 1889, in favor of Mr.. Harrison
there was an abundant surplus in tn
Treasury. The result of the operation
of the Mckinley law was that whel
U06 dQmlnlSUTdulOu WdS again GulHO'
over in 1898 by Mr.. Harrison to MI
Cleveland the National Treasury wa
bankrupt.
1--WE have enacted tariff bill which
will not create a surplus of money tax
en- through taxation from the pocket
of the people, and which will no
create a deficiency. 1t will simpl,,
raise the necessary revenue for tn
support of the government. The PAM
of last year was Republican one. l
was Republican in its inception ant
Republican in it's conclusion.
1.-THE panic was the direct result o
Republican rule and legislation, espe
cially brought on by the Sherman sill
yer law and by the Mckinley tariff
law, both of which the Democrats have
repealed. The merchants of the coun
try should now see to it that there il
no further general tariff legislation
and should continue the Democratic
party in power until the new tariff ha
fair trial.