Lower coast gazette., 1913-03-15
Democratic Government

Jersey rs UTGSIuCit VI IN 1t@s>S &~
ing in the presidential chair the second demo
cratic president since the civil war and the ffst
one inaueurated since March 4, 1893. |Wenly
wears represent half Of a human generation anC
considering the rapidity with which events move
in these modern days, twenty years is a very
long time. During that period the domination
of the Republican party has seemingly changed
the character Of the entire American people,
The s~o-called industrial movement which adyo-
Gates the consolidation Of the more profitable IN
dustries into a restricted number OF great cor
p~orations was one of the first manifestation Oh
the increasing strength Of the Republican party,
The old doctrine of Democratic individla!lsm
seems to have been entirely lost sight OF ana
thousands of seemingly good reasonable ano
reasoning men began to admit thasHeompetltloh
was a wasteful process and that producers
should combine to avoid competition ana 70
cheaper production in every way possible. rheY
claimed also that they would cheaper the cost
Of goods and that a necessary sequence CT Ghls
would be to cheaper the selling prices OF. goods
and to a limited extent there was some truth IN
this last phase that justified the conclusion.
There are many people today who think nat the
Standard Oil combination cheapened the price
If oil and oil products to a degree that could not
nave been reached excepting by the poWer'ot
that vast corporation. It is q fact that The dis
STAY Of the power Of these great corporations
has been largely in the direction OF forcing
down prices on the producer, and to eliminate
he middlernen between the producer and the
great manufacturer. and thus seemingly bene-
fitting consumers, while crushing all competlf-
9rS.
The general discomfort prevailing through
out the United States as the result OF this pro-
longed administration of the Republican party
naturally led all the Disconnected voters Of the
country into opposition to the dominant party
and the result was seen on March 4, by the re-
turn of the Democratic party to power with q
lnrrar. mo inritu Than world Lo.a hnan tL~.-el&
possible.
All eyes are now directed toward the dom
inant party, which, for the first time since the
civil war, has control of both houses OF congress
IS well as the presidency. At this writing it is
gery difficult to calculate what can be done,
what may be done by the Democratic party,
thus suddenly placed in full power for the first
time since the 4th Of March, 1857.
When Mr.. Cleveland was elected in 1881;
the casting vote of New York was what determ,
med his election at that time and he only car
sied New York by some llGe votes in that great
state, which then had a population of over three
millions of people. The narrowness Of this
margin of success led to the telegram from his
opponent. Blaine, to one Of Blaine's supporters
70 claim everything in sight" as they thought
they might overthrow the 100 majority upon
which the election of Mr.. Cleveland depended.
Mr.. Cleveland was so conservative in his char
acter and responded with so little alacrity to
she wild and woody democracy Of some of the
western states that he failed Of reelection in
1855, having been defeated by President Harrl-
son of Indiana. The conservative character OF
President Cleveland, however, gave him very
great strength with the people anc he was re-
elected in 1892, this time largely by the mug
N,mp. or independent, vote, His conservatism
still damaged him considerably with the Demo-
ocrats of the South and Southwest and since
that time there has been no democratic success
scr until the present election and the Inaugural
ton of President Wilson.
It now remains to be seen as to what the gen
eral character of President Wilson's administra-
ton will be. Either of the three great powers
in Washington, that is the House or the Senate.
may block legislation and the president may
veto any bill which he believes to be injudicious
legislation. These opportunities for these sew
eral branches of the government would seem to
provide a line of action insuring the conserva-
tive control Of the business of the country, but
still the present talk Of the radical free traders
and the fact that they have been never SO near
ly in power as now than for more than half q
century, necessarily makes the entire country
apprehensive as to the dangers Of radical legis-
lation.
Under the domination of the Republican par
ty the United States has developed an enormous
manufacturing interest. It's unparalleled resour-
ces in raw material and the extreme ingenuity
of American artisans have placed the United
States in the far front of labor saving devices
for all purposes and these are what every coun-