The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1915-03-19

4
Treasury has not been as empty since
the Cleveland Administration"
Why is this?
Why this inherited incapacity I,
make both ends meet?
Why this widespread expectation
among men of affairs-an expecta
ton that is never disappointed-tha,
there will be mismanagement, mis-.
takes, carelessness, and waste to-
gether with disturbance to business
and feeling of insecurity when the
Democrats get in?
We know of nothing that has kept
them out quite as consistently as
this.
We know of nothing that has
seemed more ominous, to one with
a tincture of independence, than that
IL seemed as tho he must perforce
make his choice between an IRON
bound stand-pattism that had the re-
deeming merit of efficiency, and an
empiricism run wild that took up one
economic fad after enough, one fnan-
cial heresy after enough, and made
of them the test of a perfect faith
and perfect obedience.
Believe in Free Silver, it read once
upon time. Believe in the Heaven
sent dispensation of ratio between
the metals of sixteen to one. or be
everlastingly read out of the party.
Believe in William Jennings Bryan
and all his works, and he will see
you thru-and he di.
But, tho it preached and exhorted
and expounded; tho it rallied at ex-
travagance and jobbery; tho it wrap
ped itself in the banner of civil SER
vice reform; tho all it wanted was
just revenue enough and not a penny
more-that other way lies tempta-
ion and all manner of evil-it never
got anywhere. Given the chance to
better the condition of the Nation,
IT bred panic and disquiet and dis
couragement. Sent in on platform
of reform and regeneration, it has
invariably outrun the Constable and
INDUCED in a perfect orgie of nepot-
ism and favoritism.
What has been lately written in
the record, might have been copied,
as Representative Gillett reminds us,
from the story of the Cleveland de-
bauch. Ditto, ditto, is all that needs
to be said.
And yet, in Grover Cleveland and
in Woodrow Wilson it has had two
men strong as we'll as headstrong,
and honest as we'll as prejudiced.
The four years that cover the second
term of Cleveland may be character
lied as the most momentOus period,
in time of peace, in the history of
our country. In them foreign rela-
tons were of sudden brought to the
lfront. far-reaching, dangerous, excit-
ling Big as they were, domestic
problems and conditions threw them
into a relative insignificance. 1t is
curious to note the completeness of
the parallel.
An attempt, dismally unsuccessful,
was made to introduce a new princi-
pie in the levy of import duties.
There ensued a steady and large
deficit in the revenue, not corrected
by new and additional taxation.
Commercial distress and private need
and resort to lawlessness became
general.
Foreign complications aggravated,
but did not cause, the dreary condi-
tions that prevailed. Cuba then, as
Mexico now. added to the preplexities
of the Administration. Treaties then,
as treaties now, failed of action in
the Senate. AS the term of the
President progressed, there were con-
stantly increasing Differences between
himself and his party as represented
In Congress, and the measures u
which the President bent all his en-
ergies were precisely those that fail
ed of passage. From one catastrophe
to another matters proceeded miser-
ably until 1t was with positive relief
that the candidate of the Republicans
was hailed turnout the land, without
too close a regard for political affili-
alton, as the advance agent Of pros
perity."
\These recollections have something
more than an academic or an histori-
cal interest. They have a present
bearing. They have had it since the
Inauguration of Woodrow Wilson and
a Congress subservient to his will in
both houses. They have had 1t since
the mandate, as interpreted by these
new men. began to take form.
The Democratic party, brought into
power at a time when it might have
profted by past experience has fail
| al unfairly II has lack ad caDacity