The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-01-16
Communicated.

editorial last week on the railroads
of the country. 1t says, according
to the Rail'coy Age only /, 1872 miles
of new track were laid in 1898, but
one hundred miles more than in
1856" This lis a bad showing.
An excuse must be found. "In
1887, 1888 miles were laid. At
that time confidence in our inten-
ton and ability to pay sound money
still possessed foreign investors. +"
Why the change? Why such col
lapse III oul railway system? The
Democrat says, "But since 1890,
when the Sherman act was passed,
foreign capital has been withdraw
ing and the result IS seen in the
more rapid decline of railway con-
struction and in the stagnation of
many other industries. " Stagna-
ton of many other industries, and
yet for one and a half years the
German Brice tariff bill has been
the law of the land, and the Sher-
man act which they would have US
believe is the cause of all this
trouble, has been repealed for two
aud one-half years. The Sherman
act had nothing to do with it, but
the Democratic party, by their
threats and attempts to destroy the
protective principle of our revenue
system is the cause of the trouble.
Not only did their policy cause a
decline in the laying of new track,
but it stopped the wheel of progress
and caused such a terrible stagna-
ton in the business Of our country.
Is it not fact that during Har.
rlsOn's administration there was no
lack of confidence with plenty of
work at good wages-thousands of
miles of railroad being built, and
even after the passage Of the Sher-
man act, which Democratic editors
would have US believe has brought
all this calamity upon us, the coun-
try was in most prosperous condi
ton. This Is fact which all who
will stop and think will soon recall.
Let us call Democratic witness to
the stand-Mr. Peck, commissioner
of the Bureau of Statistics for the
state Of New York. His annual
report shows that in that state alone
in 1891, the year after this bad law
was enacted, that there was an
increase in railroad equipment over
the previous year of 81, 459, 343, &c,
and an increase in wages of this
industry of 1886, 790.17, and an
increase in that state alone in wages
in 1891 over 1890 of $6,377, 1926. 90,
and an increase in the value of the
product of $31 ,315,130.6S. This
does not look like the Sherman act
had injured the business, does it?
We might refer you to Peales' Re-
port and others to show that the
trouble has not come from the
Sherman act. Under Harrison we
had great prosperity-labor en-
ployed at good wages-never was a
time when the country was more
prosperous. But not so under
Cleveland, and it will not do for
any man to try to fasten upon the
Republicans, directly or indirectly,
the terrible financial disaster with
which the country has been strug-
Cling. Why talk about sound
money? Mr.. Gibson, Maryland
Democrat, when the question was
before Congress, voted in favor Of
the free coinage of silver, while the
Republican memb ers from the state
voted for what the Democrat is
pleased to call sound money.
The Sherman act did not injure
the business of the country, IN our
opinion, and we cite as proof of this
President Cleveland's message call
ing an extra session of Congress
August 7, 1898. In that message
he says that "with plenteous crops,
with abundant promise Of remuner-
alive production and manufacture,
with unusual inUitatiOn TO safe in
vestmeat, and with satisfactory
assurance to business enterprise,
suddenlg financial distrust and fear