The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1914-04-16
list REyULSION OF FEELING.

Two special congressional cleo
tions have Just taken place. A Mas
sachusetts democrat at variance witt
the administration on the tolls-e4
emption question has been electe(
by a heavy majority. A weak demo
crat has been beaten by united op
position in New Jersey, where pop
uIar democrat was elected against
badly divided opposition two years
ago, The president gave aid anC
comfort" to the democratic candl'
dates in his own state. Hence re.
joicings in the republican camp and
free prophecies that the elections OF
the coming fall will cost the admins
tration the house as prelude to a
republican victory in 1916.
We have not the slightest obJec-
ton to the extraction OF all the re-
publican comfort that can by any
possibility be distilled out OF the in
cidents Just narrated. Comfort has
been as scarce in that fellowship for
the past few years as spring water III
Death Valley. Let JOY be unconflned!
But we desire to speak a word OF
caution to those democrats who are
disturbed by sounds of music and
mirth where all has been funeral
silence for SO long.
Democratic success was not thing
that came with suddenness in 1912.
1t began two years before, when
house heavily republican was retired
in favor of one with a comfortable
democratic majority. The new house
began by making good the democrat
ic promises of reformed rules. For
two years thereafter the eyes OF the
country were upon it's legislative
record. The nation went democratic
in 1912 because that record met the
approval of the country.
The democratic party has been in
power only thirteen months. In that
brief time tariff bill and a currency
bill have been passed. The tariff
bill of 1913 redeemed every ante
election pledge as to reduction and
reform. Democrats have not been
under the necessity of making any
apologies whatever, in view either OF
the act as passed or it's operation
thus far. The very activities which
were to have been paralyzed in con-
sequence of it-cotton manufacture
and iron and steel production-have
been slightly more prosperous since
the bill went into force than the
general state of trade appeared to
warrant.
A drouth which reduced grain
yields more than one billion bushels
below those of 1912 came on oppor-
tunely from the republican point of
view and began to affect trade just
as the tariff law went into force.
Financial conditions in Europe were
extremely bad, and the bank rate in
London stood at S per cent for many
weeks. And the democracy had be-
gun to revise our currency laws.
Surely here was the short cut to
party disaster. In the years Of their
greatest power the republicans had
never dared attempt any thorough
going currency legislation. What
would be the result when a party
new in constructive experience, with
power, in a time of drouth at home
and threatened panic abroad. had
the temerity to try to revise the cur
rency just when the industries Of the
nation were getting used to new
scheme of tariff taxation? Our friends
the republicans were much concern
ed and all the Grape and immortelles
in market were cornered in anticipa-
ton of democratic obsequies.
They have not been needed. The
best currency law in the history OF
American finance, praised alike by
conservatives and prOgressives, is
now on the books. AS we write
financial conditions are
easy again and the greatest winter
wheat prospect in our history makes
glad the eye of the American farmer.
From the republican point of view
up to the present week all was dark
for everywhere was prosperity, con-
cord, confidence. 1t was very sad !
indeed and even the optimism of the |
Hon. Jim Mann himself was strained
near the elastic limit. |
And, then, when all seemed lost |
there came the election news sum-
married. at the beginning of this ar
title.
Nothing of moment has happened.
It is simply the revulsion of feeling
inevitable in view of the first grain
If com fort that has fallen on the re-
publican side Of the table since the
Wiuona speech of William Howard |
Taft. No wonder the poor fellows are
i bit hysterical. He would be an I'M
generous democrat who would |
yrrGge them their brief hour of sor-
-cw. For no emotion of the moment, |
10 matter how genuine or how pas
sicnate. can undo the history of the
Taft administration or the closely |
written record of democratic achieve
ments since March 4, 1913-St. |
Louis Republic.
Tho announcement of opproccno a n |