The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1897-04-30
BAILEY DEFINES THE DEMO-
CRATIC POSITION.

In discussing the position now
cnantcd by the Democrats in Con
rcsS, Mr.. Bailey, Of Texas, said
There are Il very few PROPOSE
tiunS upon which | could agree
with the Republican leaders but,
sir, am more than ready to agree
with them when they are ready to
stand before the people and admit
that it is to the best interests Of
the country that they shall refrain
from making laws. II the Demo-
Gratis constituted a majority OF
this body, | should insist upon
proceeding with its work, because
| believe that the laws which
would be passed by Democratic
Congress would promote the wei
fare Of the country and the happi-
ness Of the people. But the same
reason reversed, which would i'm
pei me to insist upon Demo-
cratic Congress lcgiSlating, impcls
me to insist that Il Republican
Congress shall not legislate, be-
cause | believe that Republican
leg Station is detrimental to the
welfare Of the country and to the
happiness OF the people.
If it shall tranSpire that their
tariff bill makes prosperous times,
then they have acted wisely in
adopting their present policy; but,
on the other hand, il it shall
transpirc that their tariff dill dis
appoints its authors and the cOun-
try, then the policy which they
have adopted will be certain to
destroy them. Whether their
policy OF inaCtun is wise or unwisc
depends entirely upon whether
their bill was wise or unwise. If
their bill was wise, they can safely
stand upon it; but if their bill
was unwiSe, their present course
will work their own destruction.
The whole question with Demo-
Gratis is. Are we ready to Join the
issue as it has been rendered to us
10y the Republicans? If we believe
their tariff bill will fail, as we
have declared it will, then, as
Senator Jones and Senator Morgan
say, we ought to be anxious for the
test. Are we less confident that
Republican policies will fail than
Republican leaders are that those
policies will succeed? If they are
willing to apply their remedy, do
we shrink from the test which
they have proposed?
Mr. Speaker, for the first time
since the war the party IN power
is to be Judged by the results Of its
economic policies. Republican
leaders profess themselves willing
to take Judgment Of the country
on those policies, and if we shrink
from Joining them in making the
test the country will charge, and it
will have the right to charge, that
we have no confidence in our pro-
phecicS of Republican failure. |
am ready, if you gentlemen can
bring prosperity, to bid you god
speed in it. lam a partisan, but
would rather have Republican
prosperity than Democratic de-
preston. (Applausc.) But, contd-
ent in the correctness OF my prln-
cipleS as am in the eternal truths
Of Heaven, | know that you are
riding to your fall, and | know
that when YOU stake your future
success upon the prosperity bought
bya protective tariff you must lose
the confidence Of the American
people. applause from the Demo-
cratic side)
The country cannot he deceived.
Fight merely for the sake Of fight
ing? Sir, | decline to lead in q
blind and furious assault where
the blows are as apt to fall upon
my friends as upon my enemies.
Distract the attention Of the
country by small wrangling, when
everybody is anxious to see whcth-
cr the Republican party can re-
store prosperity or not? Thou-
sands whose enterprises and whose
business are trembling in the
balance are almost ready to repent
their folly Of last fall, when they
were persuaded to believe that
high taxes are Il remedy for hard
times. They voted the RepubIi-
can ticket in the vague hope that
Republican policies would bring
prosperity to the land. Now let
us give them a fair trial, and II
they fail, these men will help us to
apply our remedy.
Let us rise above the narrow and
illiberal partisanShip which fights
for the mere sake of lighting, and
LEI us invite even our adversarle'
to make the country prosperous II
they can. If they cannot, let US
compel them to acknowledge theil
failure before the country, under
circumstances that leave them ne
excuse or explanation OF theil
failure. applause on the Demo
cratic sidel.
Chairman Dinuley estimates II,