Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-10-16

lyze and kill us; but that want which is
the great unhappiness of civilization, the
want of comforts 10 which we have been
accustomed. L will draw no picture of
idle mills, silent machinery, men with
out work, men without employment,
capital unused and labor wasted and lost
with each days setting sun. That pic
ture is to familiar to you all. Nobody
can charge this fairly to the terms of the
tariff which used to exist. What caused
all this disaster everybody knows who
has any business sense. 1t was the utter
uncertainty, the appalling doubt as to
what would happen to us. Who could
build on shifting sands? During all the
time that the so called House bill was
pending men could only fear the worst,
for the House bill was about the worst
thing which the unwisdom of man ever
devised in these late years of Christian
civilization. This bill went to the Senate,
many "a Democrat voting for it not be-
cause he believed in it, but because the
Senate would make it nearer decency
and fitness.
1t is the fashion among Democratic
conventions nowadays, 1 notice, to de-
nounce Democratic senators and to de-
mand that they shall be relegated to pri-
vate life. Why do you suppose these
senators, these Democratic senator's,
made $50 amendments to the House bill.
Was it out or pure premeditated wicked
ness? Or was it on the demand of their
constituents? Did the junior senator
from New York hang out for collars and
cuffs by the direct instigation of the
devil or because he lived in Troy? Did
Senator Smith rescue some of the manu-
factures of New Jersey because the tiend
whispered into his ear or because he
heard the human voices of his constitu-
ents? So long as Mr.. Cleveland stays in
power the evil cannot be rectifed. What
then remains, not for the Republican
party or the Democratic party, but for
the people of the United States to do
We want certainty for uncertainty from
now to 1896. We can lay aside all par
tisan feeling and agree that the great
and paramount curse of this country for
the last eighteen months has been uucer-
tainty. Nobody dared to start in busi-
ness or 90 on with his business so long
as no foundation could be discovered.
1t tries its best to take no chances.
What it demands more and more every
year is certainty. What then shall the
business world do TO procure certainty
as the basis of its future action?
1t is pretty evident to any sensible man
that quiet and certainty are not to be
hoped for in Democratic success. On
the other hand, the Republicans are
placed in such position that they must
for the next two years give to business
that certainty which it must have to do
anything successfully. We could not
make any change for the better from our
point of view because CleYeland and the
Senate would oppose. We certainly
should not do anything to make the
tariff the worse, for that is contrary to
our principles.
To sum 1t all up in word, this appeal
to business, and by business men mean
almost all the people, Democracy prom
ises war on business certainty while the
the Republicans must give you rest. We
do not promise you prosperity, for these
conditions are not of our choosing. We
do not recognize the Senate bill. 1t was
not of our enactment.
Speaking of the situation in New York
State Mr.. Reed said 81 have said moth
ing of your local issues and did not mean
to. IfTou desire to place the power
again in the hands of an official who re-
warded an unjust judge whom you your
selves have condemned and punished,
you alone have the right. If you wish to
continue in power in your city the gov
ernment, the baseuess of which your own
legislative committee has disclosed, that
also is in your power AS a citizen of
Maine have my opinion with no right
to interfere. But as a citizen of the
United States, of which you are the
most powowerful single part, have a
right to ask of you as my fellow citizens
to rise with all the power and majesty of
the Empire State and help us sweep out
of power those who have assumed the
control of great government without
either the courage to couductit manfully
or the wisdom to preserve it from ruin"