The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-24
The Republican Prospect.

The philadelphia Inquirer is moved to
warn the Republican managers that tie
present year much resembles that o.her
Presidential one o. 1892, when Benjamin
Harrison was showed under SO desply
that it took several weeks of incessant
digging to find his political remains be-
reath the wreck. The Inquirer" sagely
argues that then, as now, there was
period of magnificent prosperity, that
everybody was making money. and that the
golden character of those bright days was
entirely owing to the wisdom of the Re
publican party and its man in the White
House. in encouraging the trusts and tie
protected monopolies, and in squeezing
the masses for their benefit.
Our contemporary goes on to recite the
dismal story of a wicked Democratic press,
which stepped IN just as everything was
lovely, and the honk of the migrating
the Milky Way The leboring classes of
the country were insidiously informed
that they were no; getting their fair share
of the existent prosperity. and strikes re-
sulted-notably that at Homestead. AS a
consequence. the Inquirer thinks that the
Republicans were turned out, and Grover
Cleveland, that horrible example OF the
race power 10 produce moastrosities. was
turned in and on. The inquirer" there
fore. views with alarm the prospect that
there may be discomfort ard strikes aga.n
this year, and that the same malicious old
Democratic press may be tempted to ex-
pose the truth respecting the trusts AID
monopoIies and their ownership of the
Hanna Administration. to its dstr;ment
now and its destruction next autumn.
1t is naturally convenient fer Rcpub-
lican editors to ignore the real reasons
why they enter upon the campaign Of
1900 with d:smay and doubt. They are
net stupid persons, as a rule. If they
were they would not be worth what they
cost the machine barrel to keep them in
active operation. In fact, they know TIA,
what they have to fear is the indignation
of the people over the corruptions and
scandals of the Mckinley regime, with it;
violation Of our plain duty and ths
Constitution at the command of the trusts
and it's loot ard pillage of the insular t-r.
ritories for the enrichment of its asso-
ciated explciters.
AS long as the Inquirer is reminiscent
We also will be SO, and revert to the can
vass of 1892. There is no doubt that the
labor troubles, the Homestead strike in
particular, had something to do with wha,
slaughtered Harrison; but they were no!
y
pal factor in that equation was the Lodge
Force bill, which the President tried to
jam through Congress. much as the present
Administration damned through the Porto
Rican infamy. and is now trying to land
the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty, and the Pan
anna syndicate scheme. Before that force
bill foolishness was sprung on the country
the Southern States had become alive with
enterprise and paying industry The whole
country was investing successfully in the
South. Northern and foreign capital was
seeking the opportunities for safe invest
ments in mineral and timber lands. fur
naces and factories and all sorts of business
offered south Of Mason and Dixon's line
All was peace and plenty and solid progress
down there, when along came Lodge with
his paretic Force bill. in proposing and
pressing which he was encouraged and
backed by the Pharisee in the White
House.
Anybody might have fcretold what would
follow. Capital became alarmed and was
withdrawn from the South. Panic began
to reign where confidence had been SUI
preme a few weeks before. The Force bill
for the time and for weary years, knocked
the bottom out of the Southern Industrial
movement and thousands Of people, includ-
ing Eastern, Northern, and Western men
and women who had staked their all on the
situation. were hopelessly ruined. II hap
pened at this time, near the end OF the
Harrison glacial period, that in all the
New England and Middle States. in the
and Western States. there was hardly a
professional mau, tradesman, merchant
manufacturer. preacher. or teacher male
or female, who did not have his or her
surplus or savings invested in some en-
terprise OF the day in the South. The then
President was repeatedly warned that he
must count with the financial Interests OF
reduce the Southern States to the status
of the reconstruction era; but he would
not listen He only egged Lodge on all
the harder. and he reaped the appropriate
reward. When election time rolled around
he had pretty well completed the ruin OF
nearly everybody who had Southern in
vestments. and in score of States they
and their relatives and friends took it out
of him at the polls. There were other
things contributing to the landslide that
engulfed Benjamin Harrison, but ninety
eight ard a half per cent OF his trouble
was Henry Cabot Lodge
We mention the fact because il is
highly important to observe that the bril-
liant yGung statesman who proved himself
the evil genius OF one Republican Presi-
dent, now hobs up serenely in a .,allant
and effective effort TO raise the scalp of
another All Of us who feel deeply for
Mr.. Mckinley in the humiliation and
shame OF his position as the protector of
Eagan and TIE rotten beef contractors. as
the man who could be driven TO sacrifice
his convic liens concerning our plain
duty" by Tx trusts, and who cannot help
feeling responsible for the carpetbag de-
yelcpments in Cuba, are entirely aware
tha; he dcperds very greatly for his re-
election upon the German American vote
in several doubtful States. Ey affronting