Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1896-05-20
fous YzAss 40
some Changes Since the Dsnl.c-.., Cam,
Into Power.

some Changes Since the Dsnl..-,.s c.n,
| Into Power.
| This is fitting lime to recall to mind
passage OF history The things which
VERY intelligent man knows he may.
got always remember just when the
recollection is most important for his
guidance rs Il citiz"n, or as manufac-
inrcr. Diercban: or banker -Four years
ogo It was quite fashionable in business
circles to lie indifferent about politics
1any men of capacity and experience
vent about saying 10 each other that II
really did not make any difference 70 the
country whether one sound man OR an
Other should be elected president. They
"crc dead sure that Cleveland was.
sound He mad been tried for term.
and had stood manfully against free
roinage of silver. and men never cared
In ask how far the would 20 toward de-
struction o. the greenbacl< circulation.
or the national banting system. in order
20 make room for state bank notes. Har-
r.son also lad been tried men sand. and
Ice was unquestionably safe. Between
Two safe candidates business men were
not called upon to spend time Or give
money or to ger excited.
Just then the clat,cr was ali bout the
honey question. II is apt TO be in Wall
street. among the people who deal in
money and use il as the chief instru-
| ment of their business, and natura ally
;hink infinitely more about it than
about the wages of labor. The city is
crowded with importing concerns and
agents of foreign manufacturers and
merchants and bankers, whose interest
ia TO belittle the tariff question in order
that Americans may be the more easily
Persuaded TO let down the bars and adj
NIT foreign goods with less restriction.
The prevalent talk in many business
circles four years ago was that the tariff
really made very little difference with
The prosperity cf the country, and that
me Mckinley tariff was anyhow ex-
IRENE and too high. and if it should be
lowered n little nobody would be hurt.
With such cheap and superficial no.
tons rs these, many thousand business
mcn faced n decision which involved for
hem and for 20.OOO, eco wage-earnorso OF
Ills country the worst disaster known
for 30 years. They were fond in those
days OF treating with a superior air OF
contempt the earnest appeals Of men
who knew that protective duties. which
mad been maintained without Il break
Tor - years, could not be broken down
81 even seriously threatened without a
great collapse of industries The SCI
Tcrioc business men were pleased to
say that il was all nonsense to attach
such Importance to Il tariff anyway. and
that the Mckinley dill had been blum
der. and il was no wonder il some reac-
lion in public opinion resulted. But
Cleveland was very conservative and
tafe man, and if he should be electcd he
would rule his party and see that no
violent or harmful change was made.
SO it really did not mat ter, and the
sensible man OF business was he who re-
fused 20 waste money and time about
things which concerned only the fell
lows who wanted Office.
That was the widely prevalent temper
md the tone of conversation in many
business circles in 1892. Before til" cleo
ton had been two weeks past gold be-
gan to go out Of the country in Il flood.
liefOre Mr.. Cleveland had been n week
in Office he selected Mr. Carlisle, long
time champion cf free trade. state banks
and silver coinage. as secretary OF the
treasury. Before he had been a month
in Office Carlisle's letter expressing
doubt whether treasury notes should
not he paid in silver prccipitated the
panic for which the closing of hundreds
Of mills aud factories and mines, and
the denial of employment to vast
army of workingrncn, had been prepar-
ing. After losses of several thousand
millions, What is the verdict of the
people now? Their votes at recen- cleo
| lions show that they know by this time
that il does make some difference which
party succeeds. The choice of Mckinley
delegates shows thai they want a return
to the republican principles which
shaped legislation and administrative
action in the years cfunexampled pros
Terity, before men intellectually lazy
n intellectually blind voted for a
change ~. Y. Tribune.