The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1894-03-23
ONE YEAROF GROVER.
DEMOCRATIC PROMISES HAVE
NOT BEEN FULFILLED.
The Year Has Been One OF Perpetual
Calamity-wilson Bill Is Hard on the
Farmers-The War on Pensioners-Free
Seed Distribution.
Democracv,s Dece,tfulness.

Democracy's Deceitfulness.
It Is just little over one year since
the Democratic party assumed control
Of the Government of the United
States. Let us look back and see VIII at
this reform party" has accomplished.
When the Democratic party assumed
the reins of power On 4th of March,
1893, it pledged itself to reform" the
tariff; it pledged itself to put the ma
tional currency on a sound basis; it
pledged itself to strengthen the public
credit; it pledged itself to introduce
economy in all the departments of the
government; 1t pledged itself to firm
yet conservative foreign policy; and 1T
pledged itself to inaugurate an era OF
unprecedented prosperity.
How has the Democratic pa ty kept
its pledges since the 4th Of March,
1893? 1t has not reformed" the tariff
Although year has elapsed. and al
though it has the largest working ma
jority known since the wartime Con-
crosses, it has barely begun its tariff
tinkering. Although Congress has
practically been in session since the
Eth of August, 1S93-about seven
months-it has, after all this time,
only succeeded in getting its new tariff
bill through the House. 1t is yet to
be acted upon in the Senate, and it
is more than doubtful what its fate
will be there. So much for the rapid
ity of the tariff refoi M which the
Democrats have effected since the 18th
of March, 1893.
Now as to the sincerity of the Demo
Gratis "tariff-reform" idea. In their
platform they said: 1--WE denounce
protection as a fraud; robbery OF the
great majority Of the American pc pie
for the protection of the few. We de-
clare it to be a fundamental principle
of the Democratic Iarty that the Fed
eral Government has no power to i'm
pose and collect tariff duties except for
the purposes of revenue only" Have
the Democrats adhered to this declar-
alton? No honest man can say they
have. Bad and vicious as we believe
the Wilson tariff to be, it is still not a
tariff for revenue only, and everybody
knows that it is not; all sorts of inter-
ests are protected in it for various rea-
sons-sectional. personal, aid political.
What, then, becomes OF the denuncla-
tion of protection as fraud and a
robbery? If this be true, why have
not the Democrats abolished it at
continue it in some favored instances,
that certain Southern States may have
their products protected? What have
the Democrats done toward abolishing
what they call robbery" since the
4th of March, 1888?
AS TO their promise of putting the
finances of the country on sound
basis, the Democrats wrangled for
months over the silver question, and
only succeeded in settling that, not.
withstanding their overwhelming ma
jority, through the patriotism OF the
Republican minority. The Treasury
is almost empty, but the Democrats
cannot agree on a bond issue. Instead
of carrying out the pledge of a firm yet
conservative foreign policy, the admin
istration ha; covered itself with ig-
nominy in the Hawaiian question, has
practically attempted to restore fall
en- monarchy by force and has met
with the unqualified and unmistakable
rebuke OF the people.
These, then, are few things which
the Democrats promised to do and have
not done. Let Us turn to their per-
formances, and not their promises.
Here the list is long.
In one year the Democrats have re-
pealed the federal election law, thereby
putting premium on ballot-boX stuff
fling and false and f audulent election
returns.
In one year they have, through their
free-trade panic, thrown the Reading,
the Erie, the Northern Pacific, the
Union Pacific, the Santa Fee and sixty
nine other railway systems into the
hands Of receivers.
In one year they have forced 59S
banks to close their doors.
In one year they have caused 800
manufactures to shut down.
In one year they have forced 10, 1873
mercantile houses into bankruptcy.
In one year they have thrown over a
million workingmen into idleness, beg
gary and crime.
This, then, is the record of the DEM
ccratic party, the party of reform, |"
since March 4, 1888. This is their
record of saster for one of their four
years. What will they do in the re-
naming three?