The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-11-16

: u"St SIX months after the election q
1876 ttan failed during the corr, spond
Ing six months Of the year before. La
= uustrlai proStration was SO apparen
4 that Congressman Grosvenor, the sta
tlstician OF the Republican party, mad
a speech in the Ohio state conventio,
OF 1897, in which he denied that tn
republican party had promised t
bring prosperity, and quoted the Re
publican platform to show that the Re
publican party had only promised Il
restore protection, which was allegeC
TO be the foundation OF pros spcrity II,
} asked that judgment be withheld unit
a blgh tariff bill could be put in opera
tiop.
The tariff bill has now been in opera
tlon something like four months, anC
yet has not been vindicated by expert
enCe, notwiths' 'anding the fact that
Republican leaders and Republican
papers are continually celebrating the
return of prosperity, the voters do not
seem to have received their share, as
evidenced by the returns of last Tues
day.
The price Of sugar rose before the
sugar trust was allowed to dictate the
sugar schedule OF the Dingley bill, but
the consumers OF sugar have not been
able to obtain any Of the advantages
| hiSh euS Jill 10 JDe trust.
| The commercial reports point to an ad.
vanccment OF wooden goods sold for de-
livery In 1898. This advance is di-
rectly tracea0le to the DIngley law.
But how will the benefits reach those
VINO use woolen goods, unless their in
comes are likewise increased? Raw
| cotton Is considerably lower this year
than it was last. If II man makes his
living by producing cotton, how is he
going to enjoy prosperity if his income
decrease and living expenses increase?
Since 1854 we have alternated presi-
dents with the ReDubi lean party.
Each administration was repudiated
oy the people. WIZ? Because neither
the Democratic nor the RpubIican ad-
ministration attempted 10 relieve the
people from the one primary and con-
tlnulng disease-nameiy, the gold
standard The Wilson bill modified
the tarlf rates somewhat IN the inter-
est OF the consumer, but the henet is
were overcome by the evils of Mr..
Cleveland's financial po icy. The
Dlngley law increases the tariff rates
10 the detriment OF the consumers gen
orally ana for the advantage of manu-
lecturers and trusts, but the advan.
tag es, even TO the manufacturers, will
be overcome by the evils of Mr.. Nc
kinley's financial policy.
The elections Will encourage the
friends OF Independent bimetallism to
continue their campaign. They be-
lleVe that events which, after all, are
core potent than spec ches, editorials
Or campaign iunCs, will s;il further
condemn the Republican policy, and
still further vindicate the principles
set forth In the Chicago platform. In
lact, events are already proving the
correctness Of the position taken by
the Democrats last year, and the Re
puollcanS are not In u position to either
dispute or explain the events.
The gold standard was fastened upon
the country in 1873 without any party
asking for it. Tue American people
neither discussed nor expressed any
desire Tor the gold standard prior To-
Its adoption. Even congress did not
understand the eirott OF the act OF 1873
when it was pass ID.
A DINGLEY BILL EXAMPLE
II any Republican is dispos d to deny
the possibility of a law passing
through Congress without its contents |
being understood by Congress let him
remember section % o. the Dingley
BILL Congress did not know that the |
Ding'ey bill contained section %, not
Will standing the fact that the bill
passed the Senate and house and was
signed by the president. The Uuitcd
states endured the gold standard for
twentythree years before any party ever
dared TO defend it, and when the bolt
ing Democrats of 1896, after advocat-
ing international blmetall Sun at
Chicago, declared for the gold stand
ard two months later at Indianapolis,
they polled less than 1 per cent. OF the
votes and carried only one precinct in
the Unlted Staces-a pre- cinct in which
only six votes were po led, they secur-
ing three votes, the Republicans two
and the regular Democrat, one.
Six millions and halt OF voters de-
clared last year for independent BIZ
m tallism. A littIc more than seven
millions supported the Republican
ticket, which was pledged TO interna-
tional bimetallism Those thirteen
against the gold standard and in favor
of a double standard. BY sending a
commission to Europe, Mr.. Mckinley
admitted the gold standard TO be un
satisfactory. BY appropriatlng 100000
TO pay the expenses of the commission
the Republican Congress confessed it.
self desirous of getting rid of the gold
standard.
The commission found France will
ing to abandon the Old standard--con-
elusive proof that the gold standard
has not been satisfactory to France.
In England the capitallstic classes
were opposed 10 making any conces-
sions to oimetallism, thus proving that
independent bimeta lists were right
last fall in asserting that the contest
between gold monometallism and BIZ
metalllsm Is a contest between the
money power and the common people.
The failure OF the comm sson to secure
the cooperation of Europe is proof
that the independ mt blmetallists were
| right when they asserted that the peo-
pie of the United States must rely upon
| their own efforts for relief, without
waiting for the aid or consent of any
other nation.
The Republican party having failed
Ia its efiol ts to get rid of the gold 8 and
ard must now lnslst upon tho Ameri.
can people enduring gold standard
which they do not like. mer, ly because
the fnanciers Of England want the
gold standard. Can the R.yub!l-
can party carry over to the gold
standard all those who believed
in international bimetallism last year?
Surely not. Not content with forcing
upon tbs American people against
their will a financial system which
permits the financial magnate of
Europe to coDtl oil our primary money,
| Il