The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1912-07-25
WASHINGTON LETTER

stand that continuation OF Repub-
lican rule means IA still further sur
render of the government to the Big
Business plunderbund, the q. o. p.
orators and newspapers are trying
to raise the spectre of hard times
and To make 1t seem that business
will falter in the event of Democratic
success.
Such imbecilities AS this never
weary the Republican mind. With
out regard TO the truth and unim-
pressed by evidence To the contrary,
these men go on shouting the same
old heresies. The "hard times"
heresy Is Il twin brother of the long
exploded doctrine that a protective
tariff protects American working
men, when every school boy knows
that II does no such thing.
A brief history of recent American
business depressiOns provides Il full
and sufficient answer to theie fool
ish arguments. The last panic In
this country, II will he remembered,
occurred less than five years ago,
when the Republicans were In full
control OF the machinery Of govern
ment. Theodore Roosevelt, who
has "a cure for all known political
evils, was In the White House when
this panic, which was the least ex-
cusahle panic the nation ever had,
.ame about.
The Republican party was In full
possession of the government when
the panic of 1873 came about. Like
wise, II was this party that was In
power when panic came In the
early part OF 1854, and the country
recovered from that panic during IA
campaign that resulted in the cleo
ton of IA Democratic President. The
Republican party was in control of
all branches of the government for
four years previous To the panic of
1873, which was currency panic
clearly due TO the Republican Silver
Purchase law of 1870. This law had
depleted the gold reserve so rapidly
that before the Harrison admins.
tration could get ont of office II few
millions in gold We're borrowed In
New York IN order to keep the re-
serve at more than Sl00, 200, 900 until
this administration could get out of
office, and thus throw the response
bility on the incoming Democratic
administration.
The New York Bureau of statistics
publishes figures showing that month
by month more persons were employ
ed in identical industries from the
election of Cleveland until the fol
lowing June than for the same per-
iod the year before.
The silver panic of 1898, which was
a fA ~ In
ton, Is the only one for more than
half century that did not occur
while the Republicans were IN full
possession of the government. Yet
Republican orators, true to their
habit of Obscuring issues aud raising
false cries, go right on trying to
make ii appear that Democratic sue
cess means hard times.
The Big Issue.
United States senator Laliollette,
IN the closing chapter of his auto
biography, which has been running
in the American magazine and which
soon Is to he published In book form,
gives what he considers to he the one
big issue now confronting the Amer
lean people. He says:
"ln twenty-five years of political
struggle | have found one great
issue overshaiowing all others the
encroachmeut OF the powerful few
on the rights of the many. All the
issues of today are phases Of this
one great question. How shall the
individual, the farmer, the worker,
and all those who pay tribute, he
set free from the unjust eXactions of
the tariff, the railroads and other
forms of oppression by special in
terests? When Roosevelt became
President the total stock and bond
issues of the trusts was ~, 7SI 900 900.
When he turned the country over to
Taft this total had grown to 3l 81,
900 900, seventy per cent of which is
water. The people of this country
are paying dividends on their wa
tered stock In the form of unneces-
sarily high prices for the things they
eat, use and wear
Wilson'S Broad Appeal.
The practical wisdom of Governor
Wilson'S nomination is asserting
itself more every day. OF all the
men that were available for the
Democratic nomination, none was
so well fortified rs the New Jersey
governor to meet the requirements
of the country aud the party.
That he has the confidence of the
business interests is shown by the
fact that his nomination did not
cause the slightest diStu finances In
the financial cent"rs that are sup.
posed t. Ice harUmetrrs of the bust
ness welfare.
All the big corporations are work.
ing almost t. the limit of their ca
pacity. The Baldwin locomotive
works, Of Philadelphia, which err.
ploys 1000 men In one plant, an
nounced within the week that ii
would work to capacity for year
to come on present orders.
Every day sees the conversion of
influential Republican to the Gov.
ernor's allegiance, notable among
whom is &. X. Crane, the Chicago
millionaire, who long supported
Roosevelt.
Added To these favorable signs the
government crop reports point TO II
bumper yield, so II would seem that
even PrOvidences approved the Sc.
lection of the Noted Princeton man
to lead the Democratic hosts to vie
tory.
I