Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1900-08-15
THE OLD SHIP OF STATE
HAS ENCOUNTERED MANY STORMS
But One of Our Readers Tells Us
How to Keep Her Head TO the
Storm and Successfully Ride
the FOaming BillOws.

The tree Is known by its fruit; so
are political parties. Now let us ex-
anime the fruit of the democratic and
republican parties for the past As years.
In 1856 James Buchanan was elect
ed president, with democratic con-
gress, and with the government turn
ed over to them ia fairly good con-
dition. The republicans with the aid
of the Known thing party elected the
speaker. The democrats having a
working majority were responsible for
the continuance of free trade and the
prospect of continuance of the feeble
effort toward manufacturing was kill
ed. Hard times and dark days en-
sued. Capital, always timid, would
not start the factories and railroads go
ing. In 1860 came another struggle
for liberty and prosperity. The
southern democrats nominated Brock
enridge and the northern democrats
Douglass. Those in favor of quieting
the agitation over the slavery question
voted for Bell, while the republicans
and free soil democrats voted for Lin
eoln, who was elected. The old ship
of state had new captain and crew,
and the new party received her with
out ballast or sail The new captain
selected Seward for first mate, Chase
for second mate, Cameron for engl-
neer, and Wells for pilot. With her
treasury exhausted, her larder empty,
and civil war on their hands, they
sat about to righkthe old ship and head
her for prosperity; but they saw in the
lightning flashes of the broaching
storm the dangerous shoals of state
sovereignty or state rights, with slave
ry for the bone of contention. With the
wise guidance of her captain and crew
she was strengthening her crew, re-
plenishing her treasury and filling her
harder. So at the end of four years her
prov began to see through the storm
clouds of war and see the clear sky of
peace and freedom for all.men: on: this
continent; and the officers couldEbor-
row money at from A to 6 per cent in
stead of II per cent as the last Captain,
Buchanan, had done. The old ship
of state sailed along quietly from this
time, with now and thenya lightning
flash with Indians and occasionally a
little clash between capital and labor.
In 1884 the crew became uneasy and
took on a new captain, Cleveland.
Very soon there were signs of old anti
bellum days when sleeps head and
pluck were the price of a days work,
and the days of work were faTbetween.
About all there was left for the labor
ing men was to join Coxey's army.
In 1892 the old ship changed captains
again and Harrison was elected.
Soon the ships compass began to point
toward prosperity again. Coxey's
army was disbanded for the want of
recruits, for every man had work that
paid better; and the old ship never had
four years of better sailing The calm
and quiet of the times was too much
for the nature of the American people,
80 they must have change; and in
1892 they put Cap. Cleveland in COM
mand again and they had change to
their hearts content. The laboring
men had nothing to do but go to the
free soup house aud lay i'm the shade |
and contemplate the misery of their
families in want. The farmer had |
plenty to do raising and selling eggs |
per pound, corn at Is cents per bushel,
oats at 10 cents, fat hogs at q cents per
pound and beef in proportion, good
horses from $50 TO $40 each. Reader,
compare this with the four years pre-
vious or the present.
Now reader, in doing your part to-
ward choosing captain for the glor-
ious old ship of state, judge men and
parties by what they have done and
not by what they say they will do.
Under the wise Command of Captain
Mckinley the old ship has stood firm,
head to the storm, with prosperity at
home and prestige aboard. The storm
cloud of war is about, but with a
steady hand at the helm the old ship
will come out with flying colors, and
in the future as in the present every
man will have plenty to eat and wear
from his own earnings.