Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1904-09-30
BROKEN PROMISE CASES.
Have Not the People Grounds for
Damages Against ncmoeracyg

Damages Against Democracy
A Denver man has sued a restaurant
for damaging his stomach, lie says the
restaurant solicited patronage on the
ground thar Ii served good food, but
that the promise was not fulfilled. The
food, he asserts, caused stomach tron-
bic. from which he suffered greatly. and
he fixes his damages at several thou
sand dollars.
This ease will be watched with inter-
est. for il opens new field in the dam
age suit line. Ii is usually easy to sc.
cure compensatory damages Tor losses
caused by broken promises, when the
plaintiff has a written contract to back
up his demand, or il he has witnesses to
verbal contract, but 1t is not always
possible to secure redress when the
promise is 81 such nature as is alleged
TO have been made by the Denver res
taarant.
Suppose the Denver man bad won his
case, An avalanche Of damage suits
might follow. Business men who forget
engagements girls who wait vainly for
lovers that fail 10 come, borrowers who
neglect to repay small loans. politicians
who promise aud forget. aud political
parties which bid for votes and never
meet their obigations--al these might
be liable for damages IL the Denver
plaintiffs suit is sustained.
And what mountain OF cases might
be piled up against Democracy II the
statute OF limitations did not prove TO
be bar. Who will ever forget the
woe and misery. the distress and starva-
ton that came with the Democratic days
OF 1893 TO 1897? Industries languished
and trade and commerce generally were
paralyzed Millions OF wage earners
were either rendered idle or put on short
time. The streets Of the cities swarmed
with unemployed. and soup-houscs were
established to feed the hungry. Once
happy homes were turned into places of
squalor. where hunger pinched mothers
sat trying 10 still the cries Of ill-nour-
| ished babes, and where gaunt, sunken
| eyed men hTooded over their inability 10
obtain work.
And what caused these distressing
conditions? In the campaign OF 1872
Democracy was lavish with promises.
The Republican policy OF protection was
a great evil, the Democratic platform
| said. The people were urged to try free
| trade or tariff for revenue only. Great
blessings would follow abolition OF u
protective tariff, Democracy said. The
people were misled by these promises
and Grover Cleveland was elected. Then
came the German Wilson tariff bill and
with II general depression and panicky
conditions These conditions prevailed
until the Dingley act went into effect,
and a huge wave of Republican pros
perity began to engulf the country.
II the Denver man has grounds fol-
redress, have not the millions who sur.
fered by reason Of Democracy's vision
airy and broken promises just grievance
Their monetary losses were enormous
and their sufferings beyond fnancia
reparation.
And Democracy Is again making prom
Uses. Will the victims OF 1897 lister
to the political sirens who are singing
the song OF ruin. in honeyed words ant
heguiling tones? Not IL they stop ant
consider the past.
Democracy has nothing but its pas
record to stand on, and that record |,
strewB with heaps of broken promises
blasted hopes, dismantled factories
throttlcd industries of all kinds, bank
rupt stores and wrecks and ruins gener
ally.
No candidate Is greater than his party
and 1t is certainty that II Parker
should. by any chance, be elected hi.
administration would be Democratic, and
Democracy never has conferred d real
benefit on the people.