The herald., 1895-08-18
THE OUTLOOK FOR DEMOCRACY

The question of presidential candidates
is beginning to attract the attention of
the people, and with it comes the subject
outlook for Democracy. Taking it all
and all. the prospects are most cheering
Bv the time the candidates are in the
field this country will have experienced
the beneficial results of the policy of tn e
present Demociatic administration. 1t
has taken some time to reorganize under
such diametrically opposite principles
as those OF the last administration, but it
has been done and now the nation enters
upon a new era of life, prestige and pros
perity.
Tho Wilson bill is fairly in operation
now and teaches that Mckinley theories
are not business facts. The very indus
tries which the Wilson bill was expected
to kill because of its heavy reduction in
protective tariff, are the first to spring
into activity, and in which the largest
advancement of wages have taken place.
This demonstIa ates that there is nothing
to fear from what the Republicans are
continually holding up as a ghostly
spectre and which they label free trade.
William G. Whitney, whose astutensss as
an observer of political conditions is
widely known, tells New York reporter
that, in his opinion, the Democratic party
was never stronger than it is today. The
Chicago Chronicle. in commenting on it.
says:
Careful scrutiny of the field will bring
support to Mr.. Whltney's opinions. From
the stunning blow of the congressional
elections OF 1894 the Democracy has rallied
with that superb vitality which has char
acterized the party of the people in Its
almost hundred years of existence. Its
leaders everywhere are animated with de-
termination to win back the lost ground
and are cheered on by the knowledge that
returning prosperity under Democratic
laws is rapidly convincing the electorate
of its error in holding the Democracy re-
sponsible for the commercial disasters of
1898. Though there exist within the
ranks OF the party marked differences of
opinion on the economic problems, dis
sentIon has not been allowed to imperil
party success in approaching state elec-
tions, but in Iowa, as in Kentucky,
proper concessions have been made by
each party that untimely insIstence
upon dogma of national policy may not
result in estrangeT ent of any considera-
BILE body of Democratic voters in state
campaign.
The same paper goes further and
analyses the condition in Illinois,
and their opinion on this subject is in
teresting, for that state will undoubtedly
carry no little prestige in the omi ng
presidential campaign. The Chronicle
says:
Illinois will be factor of no mean inn
portance in the. next presidential election.
Carried by the Democracy in 1892, il was
lost In 1884. Already signs multiply that
the pendulum will swing back again in
1856 The failure of the Swift adminis-
tration. the utter collapse of the absurd
attempt to establish reform through the
agency of the snrewedest professional pol
iticians has produced so great revul-
sion of feeling in this city that return to
the old-time Democratic majofities may
be expected. The utter incompetence
and unspeakable corruption of the Re-
publican legislature, whichEco ompeled the
Democratic governor to adopt heroic
measures to get the most necessary legis-
lation enacted. has wrecked Republican
hopes in the state.
Mr.. Whitney is right. The skies were
never brighter for Democracy.
Pennsylvania should have no "kick
coming from what the Democracy has
done for her. The iron industry has not
been in so prosperous a condition in
many year. Not only are the furnaces
burning day and night to keep up the
output, but wages baveabeen advanced
until they are now on par with those of
1892. The ccal workers are better paid
and more contentei. The carpet and
wooden mills have taken a new life and
never we're SO busy nor so prosperous
For time there was much discomfort
in the southern states. But the logic of
events has caused revelation in public
opinion in the past few months. The
Birmingham News, which paper is con-
sidered unimpeachable authority on bus
mess in that section says:
Manufacturers hereabouts who were
protectionisis two years ago, and who
petitioneu the Alab bama delegation in
congress to vote for and hight for protec,
tion to our coal and iron, are now well
satisfied under the operation of the Dem
ocratic tariff law. In fact, there has been
an ABSOLUTE reversal of sentiment in this
section with regard to protection since
the beneficent effects of Democratic taiiff
reform have been demonstrated. Indus
tries which languished under the false
fostering of the Mckinley statute are re-
viv ing and growing under the Wilson
law. This growth, too. is substantial and
genuine. 1t has enabled operators of
mines, mills and furnaces to increase the
wages IF their employees, to expand their
trade even into foreign fields and Just
ahead they can see the greatest period of
prosperity this country has .nown for