The Tucson citizen., 1902-07-03
DEMOCRATIC RULE.

The Los Angeles Times appears to
find great comfort in rejecting on the
ingenious fiction that the last fouT
wears of Democratic rule left the
country plunged in disaster and almost
in despair. and after six years or he
publican rule traffic is so congested
that the greatest railroad systems OF
the world can not handle it,
To get at the basic fact OF that al
legged contrast between the results of
Democratic and Republican rule, 1t is
pertinent to inquire what particular Pc
riod Of four years our contemporary
has In mind? We do not care to go fur
ther back than the Buchanan admin
istration. which began on the 4th or
March, 1857 Beginning then AMI
there. and coming forward to date, we
find no such fortune for the Democ-
racy as four consecutive years of rule.
The Congressional elections OF 1858
planted a Republican House OF Repre-
sentatives in the tumultous midst Of
the last ante-bellum Democratic ad
ministration. Since that far-off time
there has been just two years Of Dem
ocratic rule, although that party has
held the Presidency for eight years,
has been several times in ascendancy
In the House of Representatives. at
other times has controlled the Senate,
and for two years of the Hayes admin
istration had a majority of both
Houses of Congress. The election OF
1892 placed the Democracy in full
power for the first time since the Con-
gress elected with Buchanan in 1856
expired, The election in 1894 result
ed in a Republican House.
These facts pretty effectually dis
pose of the Los Angeles Times -four
years of Democratic rule" Having
cut down that period so per cent, let
us try to ascertain whether or not the
Democracy was responsible for the
panic in 1893. for that is what the
Times means. That disaster came on
before the Democratic Congress assem-
bled. and its worst effects had been
produced before single line of legis-
lation had been enacted. The second
Cleveland administration found the
treasury in distress. The large surplus
left by Cleveland in 1889 had been dis
PEELED because of the failure Of the
Mckinley tariff to produce sufficient
revenues. This. together with the
tendency OF the Republicans to degrade
silver and the demoralizing influence
OF the Sherman bullion purchase act.
placed the new Cleveland administra-
ton in most embarrassing situation.
In calling Congress together in special
session and securing the repeal OF
the Sherman act. no matter how much
many Democrats dissented, the DEM
ocratic President had the appreciation
and cooperation of the ablest Republi-
can statesmen, and of the financial and
Ai'H VI INC tOuulIyt T0SdTu-
less OF party The Los Angeles Times
ought to know why the mistake of
passing the Sherman act was com
mitted. 1t was compulsory choice
between that and free coinage act.
80 wise a statesman as President Har-
rison did not desire to be confronted
with the necessity Of deciding whether
free coinage bill should or should
not become law. Hence the Sherman
act-a purely Republican measure
against which every Democrat in both
houses OF Congress voted. and in the
OPINION OF many high authorities the
chief reason why the panic Of 1saa
struck this country severer blow than
IL innicted on European countries
Unless we are mistaken, the Los An
seies Times at that particular perfod
nrst advocated the Democratic free
coinage proposition. and then gladly
embraced the Sherman law which /
maze OF silver a mere commodity.
At the end OF the second C,evs1or5
aum nistration. the country was not
plunged In disaster" Under the
Democratic tariff of 1ss4-an act passa,