The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1877-03-08
The Great Fraud.

lndlVluual VINO writes upon tue Pr
litical situation of the day, does SO
from patriotism, and from outraged
feelings, he writes to no purpose
An expression of sentiment upon
the state of political affairs, made in
honeyed expressions and in the elo-
quent language Of persuasion, at this
time, is like casting your pearls be-
fore swine" Patrick Henry when
in the Virginia House of Burgesses,
made a fiery appeal to the American
colonists, to face the "grim visage of
war" and maintain their liberties at
the price, even of death. He reali-
zed the sad truth that reason and
persuasion would be of no avail to
the lovers of liberty. So, to-day, the
lovers of peace, have resorted to al
most every expedient to avert do
mestic strife. The Democracy and
honest citizens Of the whole country
have long been imposed upon by the
Shiny frauds of set Of political
fends who pretend to be managing
the affairs of this government in
the interest of the people, when in
reality they are ravenous wolves,
preying upon the earnings of honest
toll and confding patriotism. I'm
der the dread apprehension that the
sceptre of party power would pass
from their hands, the Republican par
tylaboredlong and fervently, to "carry
the day" in the late Presidential
campaign, resorting for that purpose
to the provision and use of a corrup-
tion fund, reliance upon Returning
Boards, composed of men who are
strangers to common honesty and re-
spectability, and as well also as hav-
ing resorted to the ruze Of the con-
slant waving of the "bloody shirt"
When all their ficndish strategies
and cxpcdients failed to secure them
success, and they behcld the sun of
their power going down and saw the
horizon of the political world begin
ming to smile under the dawn Of
new administration-one shorn Of
all dishonest, corrupt and infamous
conduct, schemes and policy-they
began to wonder and remark one to
another, "What manner of change in
party power is this that is about to
visit us?' But thought they, we
will eclipse the bright prospects the
Democracy have of coming into
power by the concentration of hun
drods of glittering bayonets and
shining swords, and gaudy uniforms
at Washington, "the city of the great
king" And this they did do; and
so imposing and ominous was the
sight of armed men at the scat Of
National Government, in time Of
peace that even foreign Ministers
men resting under the protection of
proud sovereigns of the Old World
left the city of Washington and
went to our metropolis And when
the White House reflected the glitter
Of the armor of American soldicry,
the wonderful declaration went forth
from the Chief Magistrate of once
glorious republic, that"if Hayes was
elected, he would see him Inaugural
ted" Where dwells the American
citizen, that can think of this decla.
ration and not feel a spirit of resent
ment stir within him? Where is to
be found law that empowers a
President whose term OF Office expires
on the Sd of March, 1877, to assume
the command and control of our ar
my on the 9th of the same month in
the same year? To preserve the pu-
rity and prosperity of republic,
each individual citizen must feel and
realize that he is one of the essont-
ial constituents thereof that the per-
pctuation Of fraud upon his govern
ment is perpetuation of fraud
upon him; that stealing from his ma
tions' treasury is stealing from him;
that an insult to his nation is an in.
suit to him. We have arrived at an
important crisis. We have arrived
at that period in our history when
there is under solution the dread
problem as to whether this, our
American Republic shall live and
flourish in peace and prosperity, or
60 down in fraud and corruption to
mingle its cries and lamentations