Birmingham state herald., 1896-11-06
TT WAS CLEVELANDISM,

In 1892 the democratic party nominated
 and elected its candidate to the pres-
 dency of the United States on a platform
 pledging to the country a tariff for rev.
 enue only and free coinage of gold and silver guaranteeing to maintain the par
 ity of the two metals when coined, either by international agreement or "safe guards in legislation"
 When the platform was made and the candidate named and the people appealed
 to the Mckinley tariff law was upon the statute books there was also at the same time upon the statute books a law pro-
 viding for the purchase and coinage of
 specific amount of silver bullion each
 month. The democratic platform in
 question denounced the Mckinley law as
 infamous" and pronounced the law pro- viding for the purchase and coinage of a specific amount of silver monthly "a cowardly makeshift" for the free use of the gold and silver of the constitution as standard money.
 In the campaign of that year the tariff was made by both great parties the par amount issue. There was scarcely any difference in the declarations of the two parties on the financial question.
 At the polls the republican party met a
 crushing defeat. An unprecedented
 democratic majority in the lower house
 of congress was elected and for the first
 time in thirty years a democratic ma jor-
 ity appeared in the senate.
 On the 4th day of March, 1893 Grover
 Cleveland was inaugurated president of
 the United States for the second time On that day he was given power to issue call which would have assembled in Washington for the first time in thirty years democratic house and demo- cratic senate to aid an administration placed in power by the democratic party, in reducing every pledge the party had
 made to the people and the country.
 Did he do it? Was any call issued for
 a special session? At that very time the
 country was suffering from the blasting
 effects of the tariff law that the party
 which elected Mr. Cleveland had recently
 denounced as infamous" Upon the statute books still stood the Sherman
 silver law which only few months pre- vious to that time the democratic party had termed "cowardly makeshift." On all sides the harmful effects of the in- iquitous republican legislation of the past, every vestige of which the demo- cratic party was solemnly pledged to re- peal. was being felt But no special ses- sion of congress was called
 The man for whom the people had voted and to whom they looked and appealed to go forward and as promptly as was | possible give to the country the expected 5 and promised relief. sat down quietly and turned a deaf ear to all interests to him | for prompt action.
 The prohibitive Mckinley tariff was | getting in its work every day. The ex- penses of the government were going reg
 ularly on and the fixed charges fast fall ing due with an insuffic,ency of revenue 1 finding It's way into the treasury. No 1 call or sign of call from the white house summoning congress in extraordinary
 session to take action on the question which had been made the paramount is-
 sue in the campaign came. Three months were allowed to go by and no call issued l for an extra session, and then the boards of trade. the cotton and stock exchanges and the bankers and bondholders began l to call for an extra session of congress. Not to deal with the paramount cues- ton upon which the President and con- gress had been elected. but for the pur- pose of repudiating the party pledge on a question which had been made second ary in the campaign
 For three months the cry of the people
 had gone up to the white house unheeded. but in less than three weeks the voice of the stock and cotton exchanges, the