The state herald., 1904-09-30
BROKEN PROMISE CASES.
Have Not the People Grounds for
Damages Against Democracy


Damages Against DcmocrncyT
A Denver man has sucd restaurant
for damaging his stomach. He says the
restaurant solicited patronage on the
ground that it served good food but
that the promise was not fulfilled. The
food, he asserts. caused stomach trou-
bic, from which he suffered greatly, and
he fixes his damages at several thou
sand dollars.
This case will he watched with inter
est, for 1t opens n new field in the dam
age suit line. 1t is usually easy TO Sc
cure compensatory damages for losses
caused by broken promises, when the
plaintiff has a written contract to back
up his demand, or if he has witnesses to
verbal contract. but it is not always
possible to secure redress when the
promise is of such a nature as is alleged
TO have been made by the Denver res
taurant.
Suppose the Denver man had won his
case An avalanche of damage suits
might follow. Business men who forget
engagements, girls who wait vainly for
lovers that fail to come. borrowers who
neglect to repay small loans, politicians
who promise and forget, and political
meet their obligations these might
he liable for damages il tho Denver
plaintiffs suit is sustained.
And what a mountain OF cases might
be piled up against Democracy IL the
statute of limitations did not prove to
be a bar! Who will ever forget the
woe and misery. the distress and starvn-
tion that came with the Democratic days
Of 1893 to 1897? Industries languishcd
| aud trade and commerce generally were
paralyzcd. Millions OF wage carncrs
were either rendered idle or put on short
time. The streets of the cities swarmed
with unemployed. aud soup-houscs were
established TO feed the hungry. Once
happy homes were turned into places of
| squalor, where hnngrr.pinchcd mothers
sat trying to still the cries of ill-nour-
ished babes, and where gaunt. sunkcn-
eyed men broodcd over their inability to
| obtain work.
And what caused these distressing
conditions? In the campaign of 1892
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
'''HH'HSN Nvuii lhlipN hbollllpn OF
protective tariff. Democracy said. The
people were misled by these promises
| and Grover Cleveland was elected. Then
! came the Gorman-Wilson tariff bill and
with II general depression and panicky
conditions. These conditions prevailed
until the Dinglcy act went into effect.
| and huge wave Of Republican pros
perity began to engulf the country.
II the Denver man has grounds for
| redress, have not the millions who suf-
| fcrcd by reason of Dcmocracy's vision.
airy and broken promises just grievance?
Their monetary losses were enormous
and their suffcrings beyond financial
| repAration.
And Democracy is again making prom,
ises. VIII the victims Of 1887 listen
to the political sirens who are singing
the song OF ruin. in huucycd words aud
hesuiling tones? Not il they stop and
consider the past.
Democracy has nothing but its past
record TO stand on, and that record Is
sirewn with heaps of broken promises
blasted hopes, dism1ntlcd factories
throttled Industries OF all kinds. bank
rlpt stores and wrecks aud ruins gcner-
ally.
No candidate Is greater than his party.
| and II is a certainty that II Park, r
should, 10y any chance. b. clrrtcd his
administration would he Democratic. aud
Democracy never hns conferred a real
benefit on the people.