Milford chronicle., 1904-09-23
A DEMOCRATIC HERITAGE.
Terse Review of Some Things the
Party 'FatherH" Left Us.

Terse Review of Some ThfnRa ahs
Party "FatherH" Left Us.
[From the Honesdale (Pa.) citizen1
Mayor Mcclellan of New York city
in his speech at the Democratic har
mOny banquet early in the year said
"The people will trust the Democracy
today if it but proves that it has kept
Unsullied the heritage of the fathers. -
There is no difficulty in proving that
on various important points this heri-
tage has been faithfully kept.
When the Democratic party retired
from power in 1s41, after having con-
trolled the government for twelve
years under the administrations of
Jackson and Van Buren, it left the
country a heritage Of industrial pros
tration, due to the practical free trade
arising from the sliding scale reduc-
tions of the tariff Of 1888 and of finan-
cial wreck, coupled with wildcat bank
ing, resulting from the panic of 1887.
Under the Wing tariff of 1912 indus
try revived, but the Democracy, re-
gaining power in 1874, restored the
heritage Of free trade by the Walker
tariff Of 1916. Disaster followed. and
in 1s4s the party was again shorn of
power.
In 1852 and again in 1856 the Demo
cratic party was successful. Follow
ing the latter victory its heritage of
free trade was enlarged by the tariff
act OF 1857, with its horizontal reduc-
tions of 20 per cent. Nine months
later the result Of this was set forth
by the Democratic secretary of the
treasury and president. Said Secretary
Cobb in his first annual report Dec. s.
1857:
simultaneously with this act going
into operation the country is subjected |
to a disastrous revulsion."
Said President Buchanan in his first |
annual message to congress Dec. 6.
1857:
"Our country, in its monetary inter
ests, is at the present moment in a de-
plorable condition. We find our manu-
factures suspended, our public works
our private enterprises of
different kinds abandoned and thou
sands Of useful Iaborers thrown out of
employment and reduced to want"
Thus was the heritage of distress
,reated by the Democracy in 1887 re-
tored twenty years later. In our large
titles only the charity soup kitchen
toOd between the poor man and star
'ation.
Debt was soon added to distress. and
he Democratic heritage of the Mexi-
an war debt, then standing at more
han $25,OOO,000. was rapidly enlarged.
4Oan followed loan until the public
ebt rose from S25,165, ,154.s1 to $780, {
S0,SI3.72 In the meantime the in G
ustrial and financial interests of the '
ountry continued and suffered from Q
be depression that began in 1857. /
In 1893 the Democracy again acquir- {
d control of the government, and once 1
lore the Democratic heritage Of dis Il
'ess and debt was restored to the peO- ;
le. The heritage of distress opened L
18th the wreck of financial interests 4
iroughout the country, followed. un-
er the sugar trust tariff, by general L
ldustrial prOstration. Again the char v
y soup kitchen had its innings among q
le wOrkingmen of our cities. At the Y
me time the heritage Of debt under Z
ent an expansion far beyond that un- II
,r Buchanan's administration. Loan x
;ain followed loan until S262, ,315. 400 u'
as added to the public debt. This was
e heritage left to the country when pl
e last Democratic president retired ST
ON office in 1897. W
So much, at least, Of the heritage of W
e Democratic fathers has been faith V'
lily kept, and today the people can ST
lst the Democracy. if it regains q
wer, to restore the heritage Of fnan- 10
Il collapse, industrial prostration, the I'll
arity soup Kitchen, failing revenues al
d increase of the public debt for IiO
rrent expenses in time of peace Ir'
lich have been conspicuous products IN
Democratic rule -..--s III
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