The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1897-07-15

mainly by unwise currency and fiscal
legislation, and the return of prosperity
has so far been prevented by continued
partisan agitation in favor of still more
radical and destructive measures on the
same subjects. But now from these
well-known facts the present Congress,
instead of attempting to reform the cur
rency laws and permanently establish
our standard on the gold basis where
Democratic craftsmanship under the
inspiration of Andrew Jackson placed
it more than sixty years ago, has wholly
ignored this Indispensable work and de-
voted more than four months to the i'm
position of increased taxation upon the
people; and a large part of this time was
spent in acrimonious controversies in
regard to the taxes and the division of
the spoils. The whole of our domestic
industry and enterprise, every calling
and occupation in which an intelligent
and progressive people can possibly en-
gage hos been submitted to the most
searching investigation by trained ex-
perts, stimulated by selfish personal
interests, to discover useful articles of
consumption upon which new or addi-
tional burdens could be so imposed by
law as to rob the people of their honest
earnings, without raising revenue for
the government. In this work of spoil
alton the protectionists have had not
only the sympathy, but the active CO.
operation and support of many of the
most able and influential members of
the free silver party in Congress, who
did not even receive for their indis-
pensible services a fair division of the
spoilS. In the Senate the free silver
party had the absolute control of the
situation and the conceded power, with
the aid of the sound money and reform
Democrats, to pass through the body any
tariff bill it desired to pass or to defeat
any tariff bill it desired to defeat, and
consequently it cannot escape response
bility to the people for the unjust and
oppressive measure which is now about
to become law"
In conclusion, he said Gentlemen, l
shall forbear to say anything on this
occasion concerning the recent Demo-
cratic administration of national affairs
except to assure its friends and enemies
that from the President down to the
humble officer who co-operated with him
in the exercise of executive authority
ie content to submit all its acts to the
severest scrutiny and to wait patiently
for the verdict of impartial history
When the passion and prejudice, the
personal animosities and the personal
grievances OF those disordered times
have passed away, and the public mind
is prepared to consider administrative
measures and domestic and foreign pol
icies on their real merits the last adj
minstration of Grover Cleveland will
need no champion to vindicate its Wis
dom and patriotism before just and
generous people"
While letters and kilograms from j.
Sterling Morton, ex-secretary of agri-
culture, and other prominent men Were
being read, Gen. Simon Bolivar Buckner
made his appearance and was cheered
as he marched down The aisle.
United States Senator Lindsay, for
whom there had been repeated calls was
here introduced and soon had his aud
itors in glowing mood on account of the
vigorous manner, well tinged at times
with humor, in which he waded into the
very depths of the financial question and
set in bold relief the fallacies as he saw
them of the 16 to principles. He rated
Senator Jones of Nevada without mercy
for allaying himself with the Republi'
cans and thus blocked legislation which
the speaker sal was most essential to the
financial good of the country Into this
ne weaved in ludicrous style play on
the name of Jones, saying: I'VE are told
that the tariff on woods will not be re-
duced because Jones saye it will not. We
1oa 1yJ,i nil In
Der will not be advanced because Jones
says it won't, and he knows"
Hon. Henry Watterson followed Sen
ator Lindsay and quickly upon the heels
of generous. eXpectant greeting, silence
fell upon the house, which bespoke pleas
ant anticipation.
Mr.. Watterson said, in part: 1.-The in
ternal history of the Democratic party
during the last three decades has been
marked by an almost unbroken struggle
against the forces of reaction. Those
forces arrayeG themselves first upon the
side of visionary scheme to upset the
last three constitutional amendments
and thus alter, if not to reverse, the re-
suits eff the war. 1t was succeeded BY
another device equally misleading. This
was a plan for paying the national debt
in greenbacks and for flooding the coun-
try with an irredeemable currency.
There being nothing back of it, however,
except fallacy and noise, it speedily
came to an end.
Then followed the abandonment by a
portion of the Democratic party of the
high ground it had always occupied and
the adoption of the so-called free silver
policy. AS a political issue the free and
independent coinage of silver at a ratio
of Is OF |, or any other ratio, is as dead
as the institution of African slavery.
After the wretched experience the Dem
ocratic party has had of it there would
be no thought of keeping it longer be-
fore the people, even to vindicate those
who are responsible for the evil it has
the silver kings of the rotten boroughs
and the stock jobbers of the senate Of
the United States
In Gods name, l ask, shall the great
historic Democratic party, with its glor-
ious achievements ard noble POSSIBLE
tiles, be scuttled and sunk by such men
and III actual sight of an open sea and
safe harbor? 1t is with the rank and
lille of the party to say. To the rank and
file, therefore, we turn with eager but
with confident hope We ask them, in
sober truth, as friends and brothers, to
lock about them, to stop and think and
seeing WHITTIER we are helm hI1rriad Inv