Evening journal., 1898-02-11

Gt1OWD lt1E r AlI4AO1 VI AuliA
SILENT MAN BEING THE AID
VANCE AGENT OF PROSPERITY.
The Evening Journal is in receipt of
an official copy of the speeches Of Hon.
Levin Irving Handy, OF this state, in
the House of Representatives at Wash
ington on January 25 and February 1.
The House was in Committee of the
Whole on the state of the Union, when
Mr.. Handy said:
/ wish to be entirely frank in what l
have to say It would be strange if
there had not been a slight improve
ment in the business Of this country.
The Republican party entered into
power with such opportunities as no
other party ever had. The country had
gone through a long and deep depres-
sion, liquidation had been accomplish
ed, and the time for reaction had come.
Immediately after the Republican party
entered into power we had favorable
crops in this country and they had
short crops abroad. Here you have a
period of liquidation, you have favor
ble crops and a shortage abroad. In
addition to those advantages, the Re
publican party came into power with a
great many things in their favor and
on their side Every capitalist in the
country felt that he had triumphed in
the election and was determined to
make good times. The Republicans
came into power with the whole press
of this country on their side saying
| that the good times had at last dawned.
| We read the thing in the newspapers
| all over the country. One Of the widest
circulated papers in my country is the
| Philadelphia Record, formerly a Demo-
cratic paper. That paper broke into
paeans of praise Immediately after the
election, saying there was no cloud to
darken the prospect of American pros
| perity. Day by day, week by week
and month by month every issue con-
itained articles that read very much like
sections of the speech delivered this af
ternoon by the gentleman from Ohio
| CMr. Grosvenor)
The chairman. The gentlemani
time has expired.
Mr.. Handy Mr. Chairman, move L
amend by striking out the last word. L
| there has been, as / admitted when
was last on the floor. a slight, though
noticeable, improvement in business, /
is equally true that there has not beer
anything like a return Of general pros
perity to the people of the Unite'
States. There is every reason (eXcep
the mistaken and evil policies of tn
party now in pOwer) why this countr
should go leaping and bounding alOn
the pathway of prosperity. We have
, great country. We have the creates
Z home of any people in the world. Gu
land is fertile; our forests and on
mines are practically inexhaustible
our climate is good; there has been n
pestilence; there has been no war; ther
has been no great disaster or calamit!
= We have in this country an industriou
5 people, a skillful people. The Amer
e can people have willing hands to wOrl
4 with such a acountryand with sucha pei
pie why should there not be aboundin
n | prosperity? Why should any politics
e party plume and pride itself in tn
! | House on the meager signs of return
Z | ing prosperity? For in all candOr, gel
: tlemen on the other side know that Il
signs of returning prosperity are N
yet satisfactory. They are meager, th'
y are uncertain, and, worst of all, th'
are doubtful and hesitating; for N
Chairman, the return of prosperity
steady onward march that was prOr
ised in the Fall-has slackened its paC
n It is not so manifest or positive tO-di
as it was three months ago. Il seen
= that the prosperity which we so glad
hailed in the early Fall was but a fla
in the pan; it was but "a swallow tn
= does not make a Summer" And G
y, whole flock of birds is now threatenil
to fly away.
= Mr.. Chairman, the greatest fact
practical politics is that the Americ
people are weary of hard times. TIL
o. are disposed to lay the blame for ha
1n | times on the government; and to
large extent they are just and right
doing this / am perfectly aware th
the government cannot support the p'
v ple. I am perfectly aware II
d the government cannot make prOsp'
. ity for the people. Mr.. Chairman,
, peOple must support themselves; a
80 in addition to osuppOrtingthems mselves tt
must support the government. The &
. ernment can support neither itself I
ler the people: and the government the
by fore cannot make prosperity for
people. But the government can int
fere with the prosperity of the peoI
ct. The government can make laws VIII
. burden and harass the people. q
+: government can Overtax them. ]
=: government can diminish their nee'
: supplies of money, of circulating I
: dunn. It can only help to restore pr
perity by repeating the evil laws WI
block prosperity's pathway.
The difficulty in the United Sta
to-day is not a natural difficulty; Il
not a difficulty Of air, or soil, or wa
1t is not a difficulty in the industry
disposition of the people. 1t is a &
ernment-made difficulty And the 7
pie Of the United states are quite "
politically in assuming the post
that if, under the party at present
power. good times come TO this coun
: then they will sustain and maini
- that party in power; but If good III
= do not come to this country. then
will drive that party out OF power.
lem They are wise. Mr.. Chairman, in
to position, because these questions,
tu- volving economic conditions and