The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-02
A CONTRAST.

Three years ago the country was anxious
ly awaiting the outcome of the Wilson
German tariff bill 1t had been reported to
the House on Dec 10, 1893, reached the Sen
ate Feb. 20, 1894 and passed that body July
g. The long and disastrous agitation which
preceded the passage Of the bill and the
failure of the majority to get together on
two other tariff bills they had tried to pass
had already raised serious doubts in the
minds of the people as to the ability Of
the Democratic party to deal with the
tariff question at ALL and grave misgivings
as to the effect of the bill which was soon
to become law. The country was in the
midst of a monetary panic. and the times,
already seemingly about as bad as they
could be, were getting worse every day.
on the I'd of July the day before the bill
passed the House, Mr.. Cleveland had writ
ten the letter characterizing it as measure
of party perfdy and dishonor," and ask
ing, How can we face the people after in
dulging in such outrageous determinations
and violations of princpIe2 This letter,
addressed to Mr.. Wilson, author of the bill,
was not made public till July 10, when Mr.
Wilson caused it to be read in the House.
The bill was then in conference committee.
The reading of the Wilson letter caused a
panic in both houses of Congress, and the
rest Of the session was passed in criminal
tons and recrimnations. A truce was
finally patched up, the House surrendered,
the bill passed and became a law without
the Presidents approval Aug Is. This was
the situation three years ago to-day, when
the Wilson-Gorman bill was still in confer
ence committee.
The situation on this I'd of August is very
different from that of three years ago. Then
the people We're awaiting with a sort of
panicky feeling the contamination of
measure which there was every reason to
believe from past experience would result
most injuriously to the government credit
and business interests Now after three
years of disaster and distress. they are
looking forward with hope and cheer to
the operation of a law which they conf
IDENTIFY believe will restore prosperity Then
Democratic administration, in its third
year of broken promises, was Offering the
people stones instead of bread. Now a
Republican administration at the. beginning
of its fifth month, has made a complete re-
demption of it's most important pledge
Then Democratic President had gone off
to Gray Gables after writing the Wilson
letter, which Senator German in his place.
declared was the most extraordinary the
most uncalled-for the most unwise COM
muncation ever written by a President of
the United States" Now a Republican
President, after carefully signing a bill for
the protection of American industries, has
gone to a Northern resort to seek needed
rest, followed by the best wishes of a united
and harmonious party. Then the people
were oppressed with distrust and discour-
agement, enterprise was dead and capital
was hiding. Now money is easy capital Is
seeking investment, business of all kinds is
reviving and the general feeling is one of
buoyancy. In short, it would be difficult
to conceive a more marked contrast than
that between the situation to-day and that
of three years ago.