The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1878-10-30
ResponsibiilhE. for the Hard
Times,

ministrution of all public affairs has
had no effect uEon the business and
industrial Interests Of the country of
what account have they been, any
way2 OF what use can it be to keep
them in power any longer2 When
they deny responsibility for the ex-
listing state of things they confess to
an incapacity to administer the af'
fairs of the country properly. They
have either mis!mdnaged and aided
in bringing disasters upon the poo
Pile or else they are pOwerless and in.
capable of affecting our business in
terests one way or the other, and on
either theory are no longer worthy
of popular confidence and support.
Among the reasons they give for
present troubles the most prominent
and frequently advanced is private
extravaganza in living. Suppose it
true. Who is responsible for this
growth of habits of extravaganza
Who has moulded public sentiment
during the past eighteen years, set
examples in modes Of living and es-
t,blishnd the fashions2 What intlu.
ences have controlled our educational
institutions, established the tone of
literary productions and other instru-
mentalities for the formation Of pub
lie opinion and guidance of popular
habits2 Are we to be told that the
Republican party has ruled this
country for eighteen years, led in
and given direction to all its varied
interests without leaving any i'm.
press upon them, or having any eff
feet on the public welfare? If that
is the record they present there GER
tainly can be no necessity for or nd.
vantage in continuing their suprem-
acy any longer. t2' y'T
Another reason given is the multi
plication of labor saving machinery.
They say the methods of production
have been SO changed and cheapened
by inventive genius and machinery
used so extensively that hundreds of
thousands of laborers have been
thrown out of employ, rendered una
BILE to purchase supplies, thereby
causing decrease in demand and
consequent stagnation in business.
If that is SO they should have had
craftsmanship enough to foresee the
'eVn ana should have provided for 1t
by abolishing the Patent Office and
taking.measures to repress instead of
encouraging the inventive genius of
the country. If they really believe
that to be the cause Of our industrial
woes, why do they continue to give
letters patent for inventions, and
why are inventors still regarded as
benefactors, awarded premiums and
diplomas instead of being treated as
destroyers of human happiness and
enemies to the public welfare? If
that is the source of trouble how can
they expect or promise any improve
ment in the future with the causes
still in full operation2
They sometimes attribute these
troubles to the burdens of the debt
created by the war, which is undoubt.
edly true to some extent, but when
that debt was being created during
the war, they seriously argued that
a national debt was a national bless
ing. They said it made a govern
ment strong and cohesive and cited
the debt of the British Government
as its greatest element Of strength
Thieves and contractors were virtu-
ally told by plundering the govern
ment they were strengthening it,
but now that the government has
become terribly strong in that direc-
tion they treat the blessing asa curse
and seek to hide all their sins behind
it, They claim credit to the Repub-
lican party for reducing this "blesS.
ing" since the close of the war
The people have paid in taxes the
money that has reduced the debt, but
the party claims the credit for it.
When the debt was running up by
millions daily and people were dis
posed TO find fault with the protliga-
cy, theft and plumber characterizing
the enormous expenditures, they
were told that the debt would be n