The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-06-14
a HAPPY CHANGE.
How Improved Business Conditions Were
Brought About.

oeared, for the measure of success
which some industries have thus far
attained in commanding the home mar
det and reopening their works for
American workers, for the partial
restoration of wages which has been
possible, and for the restraint of for
eign importations within such limits
that the gold reserve has not been ex-
hausted again before new crops could
be assured. At the same time it is in
order to see just how the people by
wise voting have helped to lift them
selves from the gulf of disaster into
which the folly of 1892 plunged the
country.
This is the land in which drafts on
the future are honored. Our people
anticipate everything, good or bad,
and discount it as closely as they can
When the voting in 1892 went in favor
Of free trade and soft money party.
gold began to go abroad and mills to
close within month, although it was
perfectly well known that months
would elapse before the threatened
changes of national policy could be eff
fected. The panic came when a new
administration had set free trade
officials to enforce existing laws, had
called together free trade theorists to
frame a new tariff, and threatened to
pay silver only for treasury notes
That panic was in substance an at
tempt to anticipate and discount the
conditions which must control business
and industry if the democratic policy
should be carried out. The assertion
that it was caused by the silver-pur-
chasing clause, and would be removed
by its repeal, was exposed as an impu-
dent falsehood when that repeal failed
TO bring recovery.
Then the people took a hand in the
game. Their crushing defeat of dem
ocrats in November, 1893, though not
Immediately effective in changing the
control of government, unquestionably
altered materially the bills afterward
reported as democratic measures, and
the voting in congress, and especially
in the senate, upon those bills. The
tariff threatened in August had half
the mischief knocked cut of it by the
fear of democratic leaders to report
any such bill after the defeat in No
vembcr The bill which was finally re-
ported had half its power for evil
knocked out of it by votes in the SEN
ate, which were dictated by the ire
mendous democratic defeat in manu-
featuring and mining states. The
spring elections of 1894 did their part,
by showing that the revolution against
democracy had not abated. Thus it
came to pass that the people saved
themselves, by wise and prompt over
throw of the party in power, from a
great share of the disaster which dem
ocratic purpose and policy would have
brought about if there had been no
such restraining influence.
Even then business recovery was mar
row, slow and altogether inadequate.
1t was threatened that the tariff en-
acted was only a { st step, and that
/ the work would be renewed in Deem
| Der. At the same time the silver and
the state bank schemers threatened 70
upset the monetary system completely.
The people spoke again, and by votes
in November, 1894, said what they
thought of the acts which had been
passed and of the policy which it was
still proposed to pursue. The worst
defeat since large share of the demo
Gratis were in rebel uniforms brought
to bear upon the party in power a
pressure which was irresistible. 1t be-
came utterly powerless, IN the face of
that verdict, to make any further
change OF tariff, as was threatened, Or
to pass a wildcat state banking bill,
or in any other way to break down the
monetary system. When the dis
graced and defeated congress vanished
from sight and it became a certainty
that there would be no more changes
affecting business until a republican
congress assembled, then, and not till
then, business began to recover in a
sure and steady way.
This recovery is an anticipation. 1t
is discounting the improvement which
men have right to expect when the
coming congress brings republican ex
perience and patriotism and common
sense to bear upon the difficulties of
the country. Possibly the hopes en-
tertained may be in some things pre-
mature, for there will not be a dis
tinctly republican senate, and Presi-
dent Cleveland will still have power to
block much needful legislation. But
the people know one thing, that they
can finish in 1896 what they began in
1898 and 1894, and that meanwhile they
are not to have any more democratic
law making.-N. Y. Tribune.
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