Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1908-08-29

troll ~ the government. Mmnufactur.
ere have inundated their employees
and threatened them with n reduction
In wages unless party favorable to
the system WAS continued IN power.
This Is an old device. aud there are in
dications that II Is being rcsorted 10
again. The New York Leather Belt
Ing company has sent out number Of
letters 10 companies with which IL has
business dealings. asking them Ia post
] In their factories notice saying.
Relieving that the election Of Taft
and sherman means n safe and con
sentative administration. the day fol
lowing the election we shall start this
plant on full time and keep going"
Here is u direct attempt 10 influence
the election by u brlbe. II Is virtually
promise Of wages II the Republican
ticket IL successful and an implied
threat in ease Of Democratic success
but the offer Is so made that II gives
the employees no guaranty Of itS full
hllmcnt The same Kind of promises
were made in 1916. and yet for six
months after the election times were
worse than they were before There
were business failures and bankrupt
cleS. and many institutions that prom
ised their employees steady work aud
good wages shut down or reduced
wages. II any factory posts up the
sign which the Leather Betting com
pany Is sending out. the employees
ought TO get together and ask for a
guaranty NJ TO the amount of the
wages they are TO receive and as 10 the
length OF time during which the guar
anty is TO extend. II the votes are to
he bought the purchase price NJ least
should be made secure II the employ
ee's heritage citizenship i to be- sold.
he ought al least 10 he sure OF his mess
OF pottage
The Whole System Is Vicious.
But the whole system Is vicious
Business should not he built upon leg
islation. II should stand upon It's own
merit. and when il does stand upon its
own merit we shall not only have purcr
politics. but we shall have less nuctua-
ton IN business conditions and more
equitable distribution of the proceeds
OF toll.
cnnnot pass from this part Of my
subject without calling attention to the
fact that Secretary Taft has allowed
himself TO bc drawn into the use of an
argument which the henehciarieS OF
protection have been employing for Il
generation. Speaking of the gradual
substitution Of revenue tariff for the
protective system, he says In his nOti-
fication speech:
"rhe introduction In power of a par
~ with this avowed purpose cannot
but halt the gradual recovery from
our recent financial depression and
produce business disaster compared
with which our recent panic ana de-
preston will seem small indeed
Here is n threat Of panic If the
Republican pnrty il not retained in
power This panic argument was
worked overtime In 1896 hut | am sur
prised that II Republican refers To il
In the present campaign.
We have had three panlcs since the
Republican party was born the panic
OF 1878. the panic OF lS!l3 aud the
panic OF 1907 The panic OF 1873 came
after the Republican party had been in
complete control Of the federal gov.
eminent for twelve years and eleven
years before our party succeeded In
securing control OF the executive
branch OF the government The star
Ting panic aud depression" OF 1873
occurred In the very midst OF Repub-
lican rule. just after Republican vic-
tory. and under high tariff Is il not
strange that Secretary Taft should fer
get this panic when he warns ny to
beware OF any departure from the pro
tective system?
The panic of 1907 came after the Re-
publicans had been IN complete control
Of the federal government for more
than ten years. They had had mn op-
EViANhAtt w Wv WV AhiN~ AlisiN iHAA
wanted 10 do and to undo everything
that needed 10 he undonc and we were
under such high tarin that even See.
rotary Taft admitted the necessity ~
revision. This panic WAS 50 bad that
banks felt II necessary 10 do something
that they had never done before
namely. arbitrarily limit the amount
OF money that depoSitorS could draw
on their own accounts TX Secretary
Shaw says thar the stringency of 1907
was the sevcfest the world has ever
witnessed" With this panic fresh In
his mind IA Il not strange that he
should argue that his election Is neces-
sary to prevent panic:
have referred To- two Of the three
panics. both Of these coming under
conditions which compel the Repub.
lean party 10 accept the responsible.
ity for them Now let us consider the
panic Of isa3. II that could he prop
erly charged 10 the Democratic party.
II would only be one Democratic panic