The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1895-09-06
Democratic Deception.

deed, it is by them confidently claimed
that continuation Of the improve
ment for large number OF months
to come would make times ALMOST
as good as they were prior to the
election of 1892.
Money is not now as easy as in
1892.
Labor is not now so generally en-
ployed as in 1892.
Capital is not so generally invested
IL productive enterprises as in 1892.
In short, times are not now so good
in the United States as in 1892.
On the other hand, it is doubtless
true that business generally through
out the countryis somewhat improved
over the conditions that prevailed in
1884. But in this improvement the
history of panics is only repeating
itself and the natural law of cause and
effect is reaching its proper consum-
nation. Panics do not come with
out cause, and a removal of the
cause is bound to gradually remove
the effect. The people are not slow
to notice a depression of business
and to seek out and correct the
causes that produce the depression.
The present is no exception to the
rule, and the Chicago Tribune has
concisely summed up the situation as
follows:
The voters--the intelligent ones at
least-cannot be deceived. 1t be-
came plain to them last year that the
cause of the panic was the sweeping
democratic victory won in Novem-
Der, 1892. The democratic platform
of that year pledged the party to the
obliteration of protection and the
adoption of free trade. The demo.
Gratis had an enormous ma ority in
the house, working majority in the
senate, and free trade president
and cabinet, all ready and even
eager, presumptively, to carry out
the solemn pledges of the party.
1t is not surprising that the COM
mercial and manufacturing classes
became alarmed when they saw what
the future had in store for them.
They could not help seeing that the
new congress which was to meet in
December would legislate on the tar
if question in such a way as to force
them to cut down the prices of their
goods to meet the much sharper
European competition, and conse-
quently to cut down the wages of
their employees to the foreign stand
ard. But for all they knew Mr..
Cleveland might call that congress
together in March or April and the
warfare on protection begin early in
1898.
Knowing there was to be a storm,
but uncertain when it would begin
or Just how severe it would be, the
manufacturers began taking in sail
at once. They could not afford to be
caught with stocks of goods on hand,
manufactured under a high wage
scale, which they would have to sell
for less than cost if they sold them
at all. So many establishments were
closed and others ran on half time.
Employers discounting the future
offered the men the lower wages that
the probable tariff changes would
necessitate. The employees refused
to accept them at first, but before
long were glad to get them.
Still another danger threatened the
business interests of the country.
There was strong 16 to free silver
movement in the democratic party,
and there were apprehensions lest that
political organization, which had
complete control of the government,
should be captured by it. That
alarmed the banks and their deposit
ors, and money panic set in. There
was a general fear of a slump to so
CtllI uOlldiS, anu cNcly man WHO COulu
protect himself wanted to do so while
there was still time.
Later in the year the Wilson tariff
bill was prepared and rushed through
the house by the heavy democratic
majority which controlled it. After it
got to the senate it was more or less
modifed-mutilated according to the
free traders and observation-disclosures
the influence of Brice and German.
But the unconstitutional income tax
provisions were retained, and the
country was given toe understand on
good democratic authority that this
was only the first step, and that
graded income tax would follow, to
be steadily increased from session to
session until it was high enough to
con6scate nearly the entire incomes
of the largest employers of labor, or
of those possessors of capital who
loan it to the enterprising classes. A
war of determination on capital was
threatened. That war was indorsed