The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-27
The Democratic Party and Business

The Democratic Party and Business Tt is a common thing to hear men say that while democrats are good at govern- ing in the southern states and as for that matter in any state where they hap pen to be in control yet large business interests feel safer under a republican President than under a democratic eNe- cutive," said an old voter.
 Those of us who have taken any in terest in political history or in current events, will recall the arguments which the republicans made in 1884 in favor of Blaine and against Cleveland was based on this idea-'democratic victory will spell business disaster
 Now, when the republicans in 1SSi were trying to scare business men who happened to be democrats, and make them stay away from the polls, the coun- try was suffering from great industrial depression. Never had there been sucn a large percentage of wageworkers out or employment. Business seemed to have struck rock bottom.
 T spent a good deal of time in the east in 1884. l met republicans who told me that they intended voting for Grover Cleveland, saying that business couldn't be any worse than it was; that with the change of party in control at Wash ington, business might be better. MT Cleveland had been President scarcely a week when there were symptoms of an activity in general trade. Throughout the year 1885 business had been better than at any time since 1881. Wall street is more quickly sensitive to tendencies and rumors than any other center Wall street acts largely on sentiment. There was no particular reason perhaps why business boom should have started with the accession of a democrat to the exe- cutive chair, but it is interesting to re- call that Wall street was well satisfied with the change in party administration. Business started up with a whoop. Pros perity was in full swing throughout Mir Cleveland's first administration. In MT. Clevelands second administration it was different. But it was because the demo- cratic party inherited republican blunders EIarper's Weekly in recent number said:
 Tn every campaign since 1892 we have
 
 and particularly Grover Cleveland, were responsible for the financial troubles of 1893. Although these troubles came upon the country before Mr. Cleveland and his party had had time to put single new law on the statute book, We have again and again been asked to believe that here was a demonstration of their unfitness for power. Of course, the dem- ocrats have stouty denied the charge, and they have had much the best of the argument; but the charge has kept on reappearing. Many republicans have made it part of their creed. It is worth noting, therefore, that the time mas come for the trained historians to deal with that period and that controversy. Mr. James Ford Rhodes has brought his studies down to Clevelands administra- tions and here is one of his conclusions: 'Fate has decreed that Cleveland should be tried by a varied experience; that he should grapple with a surplus during his first and with a deficit during his aec- ond administration, for neither of which was he responsible. Indeed, it is obvious that had he been reelected in 1888, there would have been no deficit in 1S94.'
 Tt is well for the new generation to remembers the facts. One can readily imagine that conservative business nen would become nervous if they thought a populist or democrat with radical to- tions were about to win; but the demo- cratic party has today a number of able men of Presidential calibre. oscar Un- derwood is the best of the lot I think No greater party leader has in my opin- ion measured up to Underwood in the past p years If Underwood should be the democratic standard bearer in 1912, he would get an enormous vote from business circles"