Year: 1876

FROM Inc baltimore American, sept. Il.


With the return Of better times
the principal means of Democratic
propagation Is taken away. The Til
den party had charged the depression
in business on the reigning admins
tration, and predicted that it would
not be relieved until another party
should come into power. The peo-
pie, dissatisfied with the general de-
preston in business, have often lis
tened to these arguments, and finding
their condition bad enough, have
sometimes been wiling to take the
risk of anything for the sake of a
change. 1t has come at last to be
felt by the Democrats that they need
hard times as 4 campaign instrument,
and they have purposely done what
they could, if not to intensity them
and delay their departure, at least to
exaggerate their Importance in the
minds of the people. AS in the late
war, when their hopes depended on
the Union losses. and political sue
cesses fuctuated between the Demo
cratic and Republican parties accord
ing as 1t went worse or better for the
Union, so now the successes of the
Democratic party depend on the mis-
fortunes of the country, and their
hopes go up or down according as
the business indications are better or
worse. 1t is customary to associate
the cause of disaster and despair
with that of the Democratic party,
who, during the last fifteen years,
have fourshed exclusively on the
msfortunes of the country.


1t is generally assumed by Demo
cratic orators that the Republicans or
Republican administrations are res
ponsible for hard times. 1t might be
enough to rcfute this assumption to
point out the fact that the present
hard times are general throughout
the world, and not peculiar to the
United States. England, Germany,
and most other countries are in about
the same condition as we, and the
cause which works on them all is 4
general one, not chargeable to the
administration of government in any
one country. The world is now at 4
sort of commercial standstill, and we
are standing with it. When it moves
we shall move with it. But whatev-
er may be the cause of our hard
times, there is every indication that
they are passing away. Reports are
received from all parts of the coun-
try of 4 revival of business and mer-
chants are predicting lively fall
trade. We do not hear of bankrupt
cies and suspensions as we heard a
year ago; but of sales and new en-
terprises; and the signs all around
are better than they have been for
three years past.


Now, it is evident if things can
proceed in the same direction we will
soon be relieved OF our financial dis
tress. We are already on the way to
something better, and we only need
to proceed in the same course for its
realization.


1t, however, we make change at
this time, when everything is thus
looking up, and more especially if
we take a step backward,as our Dem
ocratic friends would have us do, we
shall have a return and intensifying
of hard times rather than their re-
lief. There is little doubt that the
elevation of the Democratic party to
power would introduce uncertainty;
and more uncertainty is just what we
do not want at this time. The peo-
pie now know what they may expect,
and they are beginning to accommo-
date themselves to it. They know
the general principles and policy of
the government, and that if Hayes
and Wheeler are elected there will
be no revolutionary changes. If
Tilden and Hendricks, however,
should be elected the people will be
waiting to see the result. Thousands
will give up or delay their business
in the hope of getting something
from the government, and thousands
more will wait and speculate until
they see what the new order of
things will be. Uncertainty in the
financial policy, uncertainty in re-
gard to tariff, uncertainty IN South
ern difficulties, will all tend to make
the people hesitate till they see the
new policy developed. They will