The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1915-07-03
WHERE WE TAKE ISSUE

Although the people of the United
States, regardless of political aftilia-
lions, manifest a willingness to stand
by the President in any aggressive
action for protection of American
interests and for maintenance of Nat
ional honor in foreign affairs, there
is everywhere evident a determina-
ton not to let matters of this kind
cloud or permanently displace the dis
cussion of economic problems.
Democratic leaders realize that the
people will not abandon domestic is
sues because of temporary foreign
problems. Secretary of Commerce
Redtie.d recognized this when he de-
clared at Indianapolis that the Demo-
cratic party had brought the country
through the most terrible commercial
shock in its history and landed her
safe and strong upon the peaceful
shores Of prosperity and influence"
His declaration is taken as a throw
ing down of the gauntlet to the Re-
publican party and a challenge upon
that issue. His remark necessarily
directs attention to the great COM
mercia! shock which this country SUI
fered Immediately after the election of
Grover Cleveland in 1892. He practi-
cal.y declared that the commercial
shock which this country suffered i'm
mediately after the election Of Wood
row Wilson is more terrible shock
than that which was suffered aftey the
election of Grover Cleveland. While
this comparison is one which it is
needless to discuss so far as the in
tenSity of the shock is concerned,
most business men realize that there
is such close similarity that even a
Democrat could not avoid discussing
the two catastrophes in connection
with each other.
But issue will be taken with Secre-
tary Redtield's assumption that the
Democratic party has landed the
country safe and strong upon the
peaceful shores of prosperity" Bust
ness men know that whatever degree
of prosperity has been regained sub
sequent to the terrible commercial!
shock" to which Mr. Redfeld refers.
has beer due to the enormous demands
war in Europe. Every American far
Winter for anywhere from S1.25 to
ClDO pei DuSllcl hllO"S tAdCllN WHY
he got the increased price. There is
no American farmer stupid enough to
be misled into the belief that it was
the Democratic party that brought
him this portion of prosperity. Every
country merchant who sells goods to
the farmer knows that when the far
mer pays his bill he is paying it
largely with money received from the
purchasers of wheat in the warning
nations of Europe. Every manufac-
turer who is selling goods to the mer-
chant knows that the merchants
small portion of regained prosperity
comes indirectly through the farmer
who sold his wheat at an abnormally
high price because of the great de-
mand from Europe where war had
made production entirely inadequate
to the needs for immediate consump-
ton. Every producer of raw material
who supplies the manufacturer has
sense enough to know that the manu-
facturer's renewed activity is due to
demands for his products for export
to Europe, or is due to that increased
price which the farmer got for his
wheat.
When Secretary Redfeld asserted
that his party had drought the coun-
try safe and strong through the most
terrible commercial shock" which that
party had brought upon this country,
he not only threw down the gauntlet
to the Republican party, but challeng-
ed the intelligence of every American
citizen and invited a discussion of
the accuracy of his statement. While
some Democrats would now like to