The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1896-05-16


Int Fewer.
This n q fitting time to recall TO mind
q passage of history The things which
tyery intelligent man knows he may
not always remember just when the
recollection Il most important for his
guidance as a citizen. or rs n manufac-
furer. merchant or banker. Four years
ogo IL was quite fashionable In business
circles to be Indifferent about politics.
Many men of capacity and experiences
vent about saying to each other that ~
really did not make any difference to tho
country whether one sound man OF an
other should be elected president They
were dead sure that Cleveland was
hound" He had been tried for term,
and had stood manfully against free
coinage of silver, and men never cared
to ask how far he would go toward de-
ktruction OF the greenback circulation,
or the national banking system, in order
to make room for state bank notes. Har-
r.son also had been tried. men SAID, and
ie was unquestionably safe. Between
TWO safe candidates business men were
not called upon to spend time or give
money or TO getexcited.
Just then the clatier was oil about the
money 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 naturally
Link infinitely more about II than
about the wages OF labor. The city IL
crowded with importing concerns and
agents of foreign manufacturers and
merchants and bankers. whose interest
Is TO bclittle the tariff question In order
that Americans may be the more easily
persuaded TO let down the bars and ad.
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 of the country, and that
he Mckinley tariff was anyhow ex-
treme and too high, and II II should be
lowered little nobody would be hurt
With such cheap and superficial no
lions as these, many thousand business
men faced n decision which involved for
.hem and for 10000. 900 wage-carners Of
lhis country the worst disaster known
for 80 years. They were fond in those
days of treating with n superior air OF
contempt the earnest appeals of men
who knew that protective duties, which
mad been maintained without break
for 81 years. could not be broken down
on even seriously threatened without n
great collapse of Industries. The SUI
perior business men were pleased TO
say that IL was all nonsense TO attach
such Importance to n tariff anyway. and
that the Mckinley nil had been n blum
der, and IL was no wonder il some reac-
ton in public opinion resulted. But
Cleveland was a very conservative and
Iafe man. and II he should be elected he
would rule his party and see that no
violent or harmful change was made.
sensible man OF business was he who're
fused TO waste money and time aboui
things which concerned only the fel
lows who wanted Office.
That was the widely prevalent temper
and the tone OF conversation In many
business circles in 1892. Before the cleo
ton had been two weeks past gold be-
gan to go out of the country in flood.
Before Mr.. Cleveland had been a week
in Office he selected Mr.. Carlisle. long
time champion Of free trade. state banks
and silver coinage, as secretary OF the
treasury. Before he had been a month
in Office Cnrlisle's letter expressing
doubt whether treasury notes should
not be paid in silver precipitated the
panic for which the closing of hundreds
of mills aud factories and mines, and
the denial of employment TO vast
army of workingmen. had been prepar-
ing. After losses of several thousand
millions, what is the verdict OF the
people now? Their votes at recent elec-
lions show that they know by this time
that II does make some difference which
party succeeds. The choice of Mckinley
delegates shows that they want return
10 the republican principles which
shaped legislation and administrative
action in the years OF unexampled pros
perity, before men intellectually lazy
or intellectually blind voted for q
change.--N. Y. Tribune.