Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1876-10-07
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Correspondence of the Washington Standard
WASHINGTON, Sept. 10, 1876.

Correspondence of the Washington Standard.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 10, 1876.
NOT POLITICAL
There is any amount of hiShfaluting
balderdash going the rounds of the
press, just now, about " National Pro-
gress, " American Civilization" &C.,
&C., suggested, probably by the celebra-
ton, at Philadelphia, of the hundredth
year of our national existence. Pshaw.
Let us not deceive ourselves.
There is no Government in Christen-
dom that is making less actual progress
than that of the United States, in the
successful application of the principles
of social economy to methods for per-
manently securing to the masses larg-
er and fairer proportion of the products
of their industry. The entire time OF
Congress is devoted to legislating for
the few. The needs and rights of the
many are totally disregarded. A few
years ago, Congressman at least kept up
the appearance of being interested in
the welfare of the producers of the
country's wealth, by referring to them
occasionally, in their speeches in the
Senate and the House, although they
had long ceased to legislate with prima-
ry reference to the general welfare; but
lately there is not even a pretense OF
considering the rights of the people at
large. The working man is seldom or
never even referred to, on the floor of
either House. And this disregard of
the fundamental principles of a Govern
ment professedly for the people is not
confined, by any means, to the party
that has been dominant for the last
past fifteen years. The Republican
party has been growing, year by year,
more corrupt and reckless; but, on the
other hand, what great measure for the
security of the masses from the avarice
and tyranny of monopolists has been
championed by the Democracy? What
measure for making the condition of
the mechanic and laborer more endura.
BILE? What legislation has been pro-
posed and persistently urged, by the
Democracy, for the direct purpose OF
securing, beyond all peradventure, to
the producers of all the necessaries, the
comforts and the luxuries of life homes
of their own and suficiency of plain
food and raiment?
No man who has learned to Judge
men by their deeds, instead of their
words, imagines, for I'm instant, that
any leading politician of either party
ever loses an hours rest, or risks O cold
dinner, while maturing measures TO,
bettering the condition of the working
masses. None of these political lead
ers care one fig for the people. There
first business is to maneuvre for thei,
personal advancement in public life
Or to enrich themselves either or both
according to their needs and tastes
and their next business, which plays
into the first, is to see to it that tele
graph, railroad, steamship, express
gas, associated press" and banking
companies, and other corporate monop
lies, shall be empowered by law to en-
rich themselves at the expense of the
people. The majorities in the Federal
and several of the State legislatures
have got to be just SO many firms OF
attorneys elected by the money and
influence of wealthy corporations, and
expected to do their bidding.
In certain woful sense, we are fal
in advance of other civilized countries
Our monopolists are getting to be SC
grasping, reckless, and utterly regard
less of the means of attaining their
selfish ends, and of the rights of the
people generally, that the day can not
be far distant, in the nature of things,
when the later will rise in their might,
sweep from existence every vestige of
the gigantic system of class legislation
by which they are ground down and
oppressed, and commence the business
of self-government de moro.
THE POLITICAL SITUATION FROM A WASH
INGToN OUTLOOK.
At the present writing, it looks as if
nothing can prevent Mr.. Tilden from
being elected but the failure of his
friends to convince the voters in tho
North that he was loyalist, in word
and deed, during the late civil war.
Mr.. Tilden's Northern supporters have
thus far shown themselves to be less sa-
gacious and patriotic than the Demo-
Gratis Of the South. The latter under
stand the situation" and are clamor-
GUS that pamphlets shall be distributed
all over the doubtful States, setting
forth undeniably the Union record of
our candidate. The Southern men un-
derstood well the impossibility of elect
ing any candidate who did not have a
good Union record. and thew seIected