Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1912-10-25
NO EXCUSE THIS TIME
The Past Shows That Democratic
Success and National Disaster Are
lnseparable.

SUCCESS and National Disaster Are
y Inseparable.
For those who voted into power q
/ democratic low tariff administration
twenty years ago there was the ex
! cuse that they had no lesson of expe
rience to warn them from their
course. More than thirty years had
passed since the enactment of a pro-
itective tariff, industries were flourish.
ing, wages rising and the treasury had
a considerable surplus. There was
feeling that Cleveland had not been ac.
corded a fair opportunity to prove that
"a tariff fer revenue o lily" would ben.
.eft the country, and while the issue
was still =. the balance came a des-
perate labor struggle, amounting to c
local war to inflame the public mind
and evoke a demand for some action
on the part of thI national govern.
ment to curb the power OF large cor.
porations. The Sherman law, enacted
by the Republican Congress- and
signed by President Harrison July 2,
1890 was n force, b1t it's powers had
not been invoked, and it's scope had
not been determined by the highest
judicial authority. Mr.. Cleveland's
supporters argued that radical re1uc.
tion of the tariff would restrain cor.
porate greed and prove cure-all for
economic evils. Mr., Cleveland him
self took substantially this ground in
his inaugural address.
The facts OF history are that the
ot.G 10
the Sherman law remained dormant,
capital shrank rom investment, lac-
tories were closed CT ran On short
time, business lanLuished because
very few had money to buy, Pre-
went down for tie same reason, the
farmer could rot sci his produce, and
hundreds of thousands OF unemployed
workers had to live On Tie sav.ngs Of
former prosperity CT, il they had no
savings, on charity. \ large number
of the uuempio. cd f'rmed what was
known as "CoXoy's arEy" and marched
on Washington to demand relief.
Such were the conditions under the
last Democratic administration, and
the people waited iong:ngly and re-
pentingly fer that four years to rass.
Knowing that mcdiied free trade had
proved 4 failure, the Democrats Of
fered free silver SIS their next pa a
cea, but the people would have none
of it and when 1895 came Repub lean
rule and Republican policies were
voted IN with wi0cp.
Fifteen years have passed since a
protective tariff was restored in 1897.
Under President Taft the nation has
achieved height of prosperity far
exceeding any in the past. Every le-
gitimate industry is active, wages are
higher than ever before, and the saw
ings banks TEEN with thousands Of
millions of dollars of the wage earn
ers' money. The Sherman act has
been and is being enforced agar st
every violator, and important legisla-
tion has been enacted for the greater
protection of employees of public serv-
ice corporations within the jurisdic-
tion of federal authority.
With the lesson of the last Demo
cratic administration before the peo-
pie step backward in the same di-
rection would have no sensible ex-
cuse. When dis aster followed in the
wake of Cleveland's second election
the plea of ignorance could be offered
for the false step that had invited the
lean four years OF misfortune. A sim
liar plea could not be offered IN the
future, should majority decid9 to
make the trial cf another Democratic
administration. In view OF past eX-
porioupn c,,ch ,l, would ha
from a cert" irty 10 an uncertainty;
1t would be frrm 4 certainty of rrc3-
perity, industrial activity and good
times generally to a certainty of de-
preston, industrial paralysis, general
reaction and privation. 81 told you
sol" could point with accusing and
unerrlng finger to The costly and pain
full lesson Of 1S93-97, whose moral had
been set at naught, and those who had
brought about the new era of wretch
edness could offer no palliation for
their folly.
Happily all signs point to continu-
ance of the present fortunate condi-
tions under the guidal ce of President
Taft whose sound, sane and impartial
administration of affair has made
these conditions possible. The Amer
lean people are not going to make a
change simply for the sake of change.
From every part os the country comes
assurance that the Republican party
Is gaining in renewed strength every
day and will go to the polls in No
ve.nber to roll up a substantial major
ity for Taft, prosperity and progress