The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-01-04
A MATTER FOR sTATEsMANsHlp
Circumstances Which show Against Dem
ocratic FinancIerIng.

Circumstances Which show Against Dem
i ocratic FinancIeriDg.
i 1t is apparent that President Cleve-
land. in order to restore public conf
dencd in himself and his party. is en-
deavoring to devise something in the
way of financial policy which shall
furnish the promise that trouble in
the business world will be less fire.
quent in the future than it has been in
the past
| If such plan could be proposed and
should be adopted, it would show that
Mr.. Cleveland is a financial genius,
and that the confidence which was re-
posed in him two years ago was not
misplaced.
But, unfortunately. Mr.. Cleveland's s
fiscal experiments have been so disas-
trous that the people will regard
with suspicion any proposal he may
now make in the way of financial re-
form. They will examine it with
care and act with the greatest deliber-
| alton.
The democracy claims that all the
trouble the country has endured dur
/
publican laundering with the finances
when they were in power. In connec-
tion with this subject our democratic
friends lose sight of the fact that only
twice in the last twenty years have
the republicans controlled the house
| of representatives, and the house is
most important factor in perfecting
the financial legislation of this land.
The democrats have contented them
selves with abusing the Mckinley law.
and indulging in ponderous generali-
cations about lack of elasticity and
adaptability of the currency sys-
tenn" and similar phrases which are
high sounding, but have not much
meaning after all.
1t is quite true that since March 4,
1898, it has appeared as though the
currency system was suffering from
lack of elasticity and adaptability,"
or something quite as serious, for the
treasury has been in constant danger
of being depleted. and the general
business of the country has been in
state of great confusion.
1t avails nothing to claim now that
this condition of affairs did not pre-
vail when the republicans were in
power. 1t will not improve existing
conditions by pointing to the fact that
the republican policy always brought
such abundant revenue that in addi-
tion to meeting all the ordinary ex-
penses of the government the repub-
licans at the same time were able to
reduce the public debt from 81, s45, ,9O7.-
626 Al the end of the war to S5S5, 029,-
$50, the figure at which it stood when
Grover Cleveland became president the
second time.
These circumstances either show
that the republicans were in Office at
a fortuitous time and were able to exc
cute laws in n way which gave them an
unearned reputation, or they show
that they were good laws. and that
the republican party possesses the gov
ernmental instinct. Is it likely that
that party could go along year after
year with illogical, laundering and
unseientific laws, paying the nations
expenses, reducing the debt and piling
up n reserve in the treasury and as
soon as the democratic party came in |
to power-the party which has claimed |
to be especially endowed with finan-
cial wisdom-that the whole fabric |
should collapse, if the party which |
had boasted of its proficiency really |
possessed the ability which it had |
claimed2
But this is no time for invidious |
comment or for reviling adversaries |
The financial question is one which
must be treated in broad and liberal
manr II is not question for party
cons. .-tion-though there are mill
lions III the country who are thorough
ly convinced that the democratic party
is unfit to deal with this aud the other
grave problems which must be solved.
Therefore, if the president, regard
ing the question from national stand
point, shall propose plan whien will
not involve partisan consideration he
will have republican support as he had
it last year when the purchasing
clause of the Sherman act was re-
pealed. ALBANY journal