Amador ledger., 1904-09-02
REPUBLICAN ASCENDANCY AND
PROSPERITY.

Our democratic exchanges are
trying to reason themselves into the
belief that the remarkable prosperity
the country has enjoyed under re-
publican rule is due to other causes
than the republican policy of pro-
lection. They want the people to
believe that their plan of carrying
on the government on tariff for
revenue basis is not destructive to
public interests. True, they have
to admit with reluctance the fact
that under democratic control bust
ness interests throughout the coun-
try have become depressed, while
under republican sway business i'm
proved. They try to get around
these facts by saying that the hard
times under Cleveland commenced
during the closing year of the pre-
ceding republican administration
If that were true, it affords no ex-
planation that is encouraging from
democratic standpoint. Coming
events cast their shadows before.
When Cleveland was elected the
prosperity of the country under the
Harrison administration was arrest
ed. Business men at once started
to set their houses in order for the
coming change. The same spirit of
precaution that leads the captain to
prepare for the oncoming storm, in
duced the captains of industry also
to provide for the fiscal change that
democratic control was pledged to
bring about. According to demo-
cratic pretensions fatalism seems
to hedge about that party. They
have always managed to get into
power when the tide of prosperity
had passed the food mark, and had
commenced to ebb. 1t was case
of ill-luck, all the more remarkable
in that the ebbing tide remained
with them during the whole term of
their ascendancy. On the other
hand, the return wave of prosperity
Immediately started as soon as the
republican party was restored to
power. A few figures will not be
amiss to show the effect of the two
policies. Telegraphic messages are
ali infallible index of the condition of
a country. In prosperity they in
crease in numbers; in adversely the
business men and others curtail this
costly method of communication as
much as possible. In the year end
ing June 80, 1893, the number of
telegraphic messages was rs mill
ions. In 1894, under the democratic
administration, the number fell to
SO millions, and made little headway
under Cleveland's term, the average
per year being about 20 millions.
In 1902 the number reached SO mill
ions. Deposits in United States
banks averaged four and q half
billion dollars in the four years of
democracy, while in 1902 they were
81 billion dollars-more than double
the average of the preceding term.
In 1892 the value of farm animals
as reported by the department of
agriculture was 81, 461 200, 900; in
1897 the value was placed at 81 ,655,-
0O0, 900; in 1901 these animals were
estimated by the department to be
worth $1,000, 900, 900. In this rise
and fall in values, incident to change
of party administration, there is
food for serious thought
The same trend is stamped upon
every department of trade. The re-
publican years were years of plenty;
the democratic years were years of
famine and shrinkage. About the
only thing that fiourished in demo-
cratic times was the insolvency bust
ness. In 1892 the failures in the
United States amounted to S114,
O0O, 900; in 1893, the first year of
democratic rule, the liabilities of
bankrupts were $346, 900, 900: while
in 1901, when the country had again
settled down to republican suprem-
acy, the amount was $113, 100000.
In 1893, when Cleveland was in
augurated the second time, the wool
crop was 1854, 900, 900 pounds; in
1894 it was 328, ,OOO,0 900, and in 1895
264, 900, 900 pounds, involving a loss
in two years Of $50, 900, 900 to the
sheep-owners.