Show TIC LANDSLIDE RECALLS 1894 ELECTION I J JS J'S J'S S S By Br By F Frederic Pea ederic dc J. J Haskin a in I Democratic party assumed corn corn- power OWr in every branch of the fed- fed on March March- 4 4 for 1 tf since the disruption of at men atone b lon by sectional war For twenty wenty years years neither party had B k Or of complete control with wih tho exOr ex- ex the first two JOn on Y years of at the 1 administration and then that s r so ao used or abused abu ed as to pros proK pro- pro national Means K revolt which turned the out ut and the Democrats In hi 1 pal of ot 1892 had been fought on tri and issue anc and tho the country be- be the ame into flo Democrats pledged admitted to effect that Fg reductions In the prevailing imposed by the McKInley There y and was as there there- always has t probably always r will m be he a atin clement nt which kh had tin In the Democratic tc 10 leal resolved not to permit peri rd revision of the tec- tec o pro It But as yet et this clement Jimae made Itself known to the a Mr public Cleveland tho Clevelan i took the tho oath o of f ina n. n second time he lie found tho the I most serious condition I currency Crr lc Sold gold was going out of oft t tho the country countr rapidly and the gold reserve I of or the treasury was threatened by the daly daily drain caused by by tho n necessity necessity- of maintaining the parity party of ot silver and because because be because be- be cause of tho the legal legal- for the Immediate reissue of redeemed green green- backs backe Tho The outgoing administration geen- geen had feared ered that It would be bo necessary tto tb issue bonds to recoup re the gold reserve of ot the treasur treasury Preparations had proc proceeded ede so 80 far that plates for printing the bonds were vero made The Harison Harrison administration tion managed by one orie on way and another r to postpone the evil evi day The Tho Clev Cleveland land administration had to face taco the situation Bonds Banda were oo i h issued sued The credit of ot the government was maintained Men cu differed differed dif dif- t- t then and ane they do now as to the tho wisdom of Mr Ml Cleveland's methods of at soiling selling these bonds but everybody ad admits ad- ad mils mats tho the necessity for tor their Issuance Cleveland Elected on Low Tariff ar Mr Cleveland was aa elected as a low tariff Democrat He knew his party was divided in sentiment on the money question ques ques- tion ton His party knew that he was an n advocate of the gold standard yet the free sliver silver Democrats believed that he U would he be bound hound by the the compact of the party platform that he would make the revision of the tariff the chief work of his administration that he would permit the compromises S on the mon money question to be extended for another four queston years and that that he would not of his own motion d deliberately Jl embroil the country and moton the party by taking a positive position on no the money question queston in opposition to the majority of his own party Jt It I is probable probable te I able that that If i the condition of the country had had not beon been so o serious sElous Mr Cleveland would not have taken such summary action acton But when the time cam came and h he lie was convinced that action wa acton was necessary ho he was as faithful to his own convictions and he ho utterly disregarded every consideration consid consid- of or party unity and Interest He called caled an extraordinary session of ot congress f for r the specific purpose of ro ro- pealing the the purchasing clause of the Sherman silver compromise tho the last Jast ef et ef- tort fort made to patch up the differences be tween the sliver silver and g gold ld advocates The great panic of or 1893 had burst upon th the e country countr banks were breaking factories were closing cosing mortgages mortgaged were being bing foreclosed fore tore closed men were out of ot work women and children were starving and Ind all al tho the people demanded that something must b be e done Everybody agreM that the finan finan- cial cal sy system tom needed revision Approximately half haIr half of the people said coin more silver The other half halt were equally equal equal- ly I certain that tho the thing to do was t to o stop coining oven tho the silver that was wa being coined Mr Cleveland Cleveand who camp cam Into office In hi March was very vcr very slow indeed In the business of ot turning th the rascals out out The Democratic patriots were hungry for tor pic pie but the president t v was was s unwilling to part parl with wih his greatest J. v 1101 nU power until he had achieved the work he had ha In mind The sp special session of oC congress met on August 7 Decided on Money Question Queston Both parties were divided on 01 the mone money question queston The 10 division was on sectional rather than partisan lines the lines the west for the most part supporting the fr free e silver propaganda and the east inclining to favor the standard favor gold The great majority ma ma- of ot members of ot congress from ma- ma all sections of the country country countr were unwilling al to were commit themselves further than to avow I a a. a firm fr faith in a more or less hazy doctrine doc doc- docI I trine of ot bimetallism Chief among the tho I gold standard men were such Democrats as Speaker Crisp and Representative Wilson Wil Wil- son of West Vest Virginia while prominent among the sn and bimetallist bimetallism prominent were William illiam Wilam McKinley and Joseph Josph Can Can- non The presidents president's message was received I by congress with wih mixed feelings The Democrats even evert ever the gold Democrats o resentful of ot this act which threatened threat threat- ened Irreparable party disruption As soon as the clerk cerk of the senate senate completed reading rading the tho special message Senator Hale the Republican leader supported by Senator Lodge rushed rushel to the front as a advocates of oC the presidents president's policy Senator Gorman the D Democratic and poley ad ad- ad administration ministration leader chided them for their zea zeal but but It was apparent from flom the rT first t that thAl thAt the great victory which the Democrats had gained in 1890 and In 1892 1592 was wa but dead sea sea fruit Mr Cleveland's special message of August 1893 1593 cut tho the Democratic party palt in twain and slid It has not since spice been reunited Under Rule of Big Stick The bill bi for the repeal of the ing clause cause of or the Sherman act was as pass passed d by the house t bY y a vote vot of ot to The D Democrats gave and the R Republicans 10 of the affirmative vote In the negative ne negative n ne- ne e there were 76 Democrats Democrat 23 Re Rn Republicans publicans and 11 1 Tho The majority of at the D Democrats who voted for th the repeal re repeal re- re peal did It their will H The They were were under the compulsion of the big big stick in the white house and in tho speakers speaker's s chair at Washington and the deman demand pf pt the plo hungry constituents at h home me Cleveland and Crisp let It be known uia that I patronage and committee appointment would go only to those who supported n. n the administration measure re Otherwise the repeal never would have hayo pl passed seQ S fa tit 1 that congress In the tho senate crenate tho the presidents president's power was was s snot not so great reat and he ht was able ahle to control but half o of his hi hl party part following The repeal re repeal re- re peal peat bill bi passed d the senate by a vote of 43 to 32 Of the 43 affirmative votes totes otes 23 were warp cast casl by Republicans and 20 b by Dem while there we were e 19 Democrats Democrat 10 Republicans Republican an and J 3 Populists In tho the negative Party lines wore were destroyed ab- ab ab ab- When the tho final nal vote was taken I In the 1 house on nn in UIA tho amendment made by oy the senate senale 3 an attempt at- at at tempt was made mad to filibuster against the bill bl This filibuster was led by William Jennings Bryan aran who had the support of 76 D Democrats and 5 S Republicans orie of them bel being Joseph Joeph G. G Cannon ora Democrats Democrat Disorganized Disorganised When tho the extra session adjourned the thE Democratic party was no longer a a comp compact com- com p pact ct organization There were two Demo Democratic cratic parties partes on one Cleveland tho the other And as yet vet nothing hart had been done toward redeeming the promises made mae in the campaign with wih respect to the revision of the tariff Chairman Wilson WiRon of oC the ways and m means means committee ans' ans committee of ot the tha house reported his bill bi on Janu January r 8 S 1894 several months aft after r the end of the panic for which the f Wilson on bill bi frequently IB is held held responsible The party was torn asunder asunde r tor by the silver question Queston and th there re was sm smAll l disposition to get ct tog together ther on the tar tariff If As Ati AI the bill bi passed the tho house on F re February ri ar 1 X 1 If t pr for or substantial re- re noc c fr ll H of f ti tariff I duties dutes and Included an income e tax f feature It I vent went to the sen sen- senate ate and nd t there re w was s amended m n ed ond all prec precedent d find aril so changed change that tha it bore al pm s ne to the original meas- meas men ur tire In Ti spite spire of oC the radical amendments h hv ly the senate r e. e however It Jt represented a a considerable reduction from U the schedules of the act t. t The great tight light came over the subject ct of free fre e raw materials and in ht the end the house had hud to surrender to ta the senate Senator r Gorman had much to do with the course e of at the bUl billin i the senate tend and Jd as ass as finally passed on August 13 3 the meas wa was s known as sla w. w tin MIA the Wilson hilt hill bB pu U landslide Four years before the McKinley bill bi wa was passed only anI a month before the election Tho Wilson Wison bill bi was vas as passed I less ss electon than two wo months before the election electon The McKinley Mc- Mc Kinley 3 bill bi wn was repudiated at the polls before tho the country to had an opportunity to test J. J ttY The Tho ho Wilson Gorman Gorman bill bi met ft a similar fate The November elections in 1894 resulted In a veritable Republican landslide which wiped out the Democratic majority In both senate Renate and house and gave the Republicans control bf br both caO bodt bodies s In Ih Ih tho the n new w house there were Ib y 2954 Si Republicans Democrats Democrats and 7 1 Populists Yet the tariff tarl question queston entered but lit lit lt tie tle te into the campaign of 18 1894 4 The Wil Wll- WI- WI son son son-Gormen Gormon bill bi was not a a fair air redemption tion ton o 0 th party platform promises and and Mr MI Cleveland refused to sign It I permitting permit permit- ting it I to become a law without his signature signa signa- ture characterizing the action acton of et prominent prominent prominent nent Democratic senators as ls party perfidy per per- and dishonor But the country countr was no longer r interested in ih the tariff t i question Queston The money money problem was the chief issue Throughout tho the south and west the massof mass massof massof of the Democrats were sliver silver siver men they were opposed to the policy of or the administration admin admin- and they were particularly wrathful against those representatives s sand and l senators who had bowed to the administration administration ad- ad ad ad- ministration will in the hope of reward re at the plo pie counter These Democrats for Cor the most part lart did not go so far tar as to vote against their their party part candidates but the they ey retired d many od old members In the nominating conventions and primaries and on the election electon day hundreds of thousands thousands thousands thou thou- sands of or Democrats went fishing a-fishing The Democratic defeat was absolute a and sin since e March Marh 3 1895 th the tho Democratic party never ha has has- had control of or any branch of ot the tho federal fed fed- fed fed- federa rat era government |