Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1908-01-30
HARD TIMES AND POLITICS.

possible use of the present period of hard
times, which bids fair to continue to a
gradually lessening degree, for several
months to come. Our friends, the enemy,
will ask pointedly, What has become of
Republican prosperity? Where is the gold
few years since ? Why are the mills shut
ting down or running on slackened
time !? Why are wages cut and men
thrown out of employment Why have
prices tumbled? Why is railway traffic
fallen off ? Why is money SO scarce
Why have stocks and bonds slumped
Why have banks suspended and deposit
tors lost heavily? And why, pray tell
us, have all these things happened under
Republican rule, with a Republican
president and a Republican Congress for
the past twelve years? And the Demo-
cratic press and spellbinders will turn to
the wavering voter and say, See how
hollow are the Republican claims that
they have the monopoly of prosperity,
while Democratic rule means hard times.
Don't you recall how, after the depres-
sion of 1913, the Republicans ascribed it
all to the Democratic administration !;
how they led the voters to believe them,
and to give them new lease of power in
'96 4? And how, when good times came
again, the Republicans said, There, see
hot AID hen
hard times comes, with everything ar
ranged according to their liking, how
can they evade responsibility for present
conditions ? II Republican rule meant
prosperity in '96 to '07, how about the
adversely of '07-'0s under the same kind
of rule? Either their former claim was
bosh and moonshine, or they will have to
take the medicine now that the Demo-
Gratis did then.
And of ali the arguments that the
Democrats can rake up this year, none
viii be so potent among large class of
voters as this. Men out of a job, per-
haps hungry, reason on a short circuit.
There is no work: the Republican party
is in power; that party is Cor may be to
some degree) responsible; therefore let's
kick it out and try the other crowd; it
can't be worse. II Bryan, whose nomi-
nation now seems a certainty, is the
next president, be will win on this issue.
He is the ideal candidate under present
conditions. lie has sophistry enough to
win thousands of votes.
The keen analyst of present con-
6itions cannot and does not hold the
party in power responsible for them;
certainly not to the extent that the
Democrats were responsible in 1913.
in the tariff and a reversal OF policy
from protection to low duties. Rev
enues fell off and the treasury speed
lily emptied until bonds had to be sold
to fill it, as well as to bolster up the
currency. Nothing of this kind has hap
pered now. In fact, there has been no
radical legislation since soon after the
Republican victory of '96 to which the
recent depression can be attributed.
Revenues have not sunk to a dangerous
mark. There is still well-flled treasury.
Neither is there any reasonable fear thai
the Republican party is about to do some
thing radical, sufficient to cause distrust
and alarm. We are under the same laws
that we have been during the most pros
tho has
The depression of the present must be
ascribed, if fairly treated, to other causes
than the Republican party. But the
Democrats will not so treat it, IL by
doing otherwise they can promote their
chances. This is their opportunity and
they will not neglect it. And they will
get a hearing from voters who do not
stop to think and are inclined to blame
somebody or something when, in fact,
no earned blame attaches.
1t should be the immediate and con-
slant effort of Republicans to checkmate
this move by showing its fallacy. Hard
times comes occasionally under any party
or rule. 1t is the product of causes not
all of which are clearly understood. 1t
did appear as if the Democratic program
in '93 invited adversely. 1t did appear
as if the Republican policy of 1916 paved
the way for good times. 1t does not ap-
pear that the Republican party has lately
done anything to invite back hard times.
1t is true that President Roosevelt is
accused of contributing to present con-
ditions by his attitude and methods
toward certain financial interests, but
only small proportion of either party
take stock in this, and the Democratic
party cannot consistently use it as a
weapon, for it has been in consonance
with their own ideas and with their loud
approval that he has acted.