The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1878-09-25
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cfaLlc party. tnoFruNeI 5l4lty Yeais "
the short life Of the republic lit con-
trolled its destiny Under its benign
influence peace and prosperity pre-.
vailed, the burdens Of taxation were
light, our commerce, both BY sea and
land, grew with giant strides, mer.
chant marine was built up which
was The pride Of the nation and sur
prise to the world. Fratricidal strife
came, and upon the passions of i'm
pending war d new party came into
power. 1t is not worth while to
argue that this or that political fac
ton was responsible-great differ
ence of opinion existed which could
only be. settled by arbitrament of
arms. The war had to be foughtand
it was fought. 1t settled two impor-
tant questions eyollastingly-seces-
sion and slavery. They are both
dead and no one desires to disturb
their corpses, The waro over, the two
great parties faced each other-the
republican party had grown power
full and insolent by the prestige of
the war-the Democratic party
proud and defiant, even as q minori-
ty, demanding constitutional govern
ment andeconomy administration.
From 1861 to the present time, the
Democratic party has not been one
day in power. From 1861 to March,
1875, the Republican party had entire
control Of the. government since
that time the Democrats have had
the lower House Of Congress; but the
Republicans have had the Senate
and Executive. by which to check all
legislation which did not please them,
What occurred doing those years
inwhich the Republican party had
full sway2 By frauds and immense
swindles in contracts, debt Of two
Thousand millions of dollars was sad
died upon the shoulders of the pro
ducers of the country, who must
I
eventually pay it, very nearly, if
not quite one-half of which amount
was made up of large thcfts and was
not spent for The honest purposes of
carrying on The war. This however,
the people did notcomplain ofmuch,
as, in their zeal for suppressing the
rebellion the people Of The north did
not stop to count the cost, and south
orners were not thoughtto be entitled
to criticise the formation Of a debt
contracted in driving them into
terms But the war ceased in 1860;
the south once more became q part Of
1.-THE United States; they speedily de-
clarcd against the payment of their
own war debtand in favor ofpaying
the debt contracLedin supressing the
rebellion. 1t was then thought That
as the Southern States were once
more in the Union, and were taxed
to pay the national debt, hey should
DO entitled TO all the constitutional
rights which the other States en-
ioyed. For advocating this just doc,
trine President johnson was i'm
peached; and the Republican party,
a sectional party which could not
have lived longer than one Presiden-
tial term after the war without the
use Of the army, began its policy Of
inAaming the hearts of northern men
against the southern men, a policy
of hate which it has continued ever
since. 1t has in addition, steadily
Ilegislated for tho bondholders and
railroad monopolies Of the country
and against the labo:ess and produ'
GERS. Its grandcst sin in this direc
ion was the "act to strengthen the
public credit which it passed in
1869, against the protest of q solid
minority-an act which, for infamy
and cold-blooded robbery has never
had an equal; an act which made
bonds payable in greenbacks by the
contract, payable in gold, and which
put s5O0,OOO,OOO into the hands o.
tho bondholdcrs, without one cent Of
consideration. When it is remem-
bercd that the bonds were bought
with greenbacks worth fifty cents on
the dollar in gold, its enormity may
DO fairly realized Not satisfied with
this service to the bondholders-N
special privileged class, whose wealth
pays nothing toward the support Of
a government whose protection and
benefits it cnjoys-in order to make