Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-10-09
VOORHEES,.
[Coniin,led from First PAGE. |

together since the foundation OF the
Government, the Republican leaders
now come before you, bowling and
smiling, and claiming great credit for
the fact that the business condition OF
the country having been made as bad
as possible, therefore, il there is any
change it must be for the better. After
| making the last six years a vast con-
tinuous grave yard in which are bnried
the homes and the happiness OF millions
| of their countrymen the Secretary
of the Treasury and his followers
are now asking for Your reimbursement on
the ground that the daily death rate in
business, the daily roll Of bankruptcies
is not quite so great as it has been at the
worst periods heretofore. The fact Is
that the deadly financial policy OF this
| Government has destoyed nearly all the
active business men who were IN debt a
few years ago, and its fatal effects are
decreasing for the want OF natural sub
iects on which to operate. The scourge
| of the yellow fever has to abate when 1t
has killed off pretty much everybody
who is susceptible TO its attack in the
community where it prevails. But that
would hardly be sufficient reason for
iadorsing yellow fever, yet it would be
| as good q one as is now urged Tor the
| Endorsement of the financial policy Of
| the Republican party. That policy has
forced the people as between themselves
TO repudiate their private debts to the
amount OF perhaps $4,000, 600, 600, and
| hence the business OF paying debts by
enforced reputation is necessarily
less now than when the epidemic OF
bankruptcy first broke out. But do the
people, therefore, who were driven by
that accursed policy through the bank
rupt courts thank its authors? Do
| those who were compelled 10 receive a
bankrupt certificate in full payment OF
what was coming to them feel an intense
| gratitude toward the men who are re-
| sponsible for such mode OF payment?
| No, not so. There is guilty response
| bilitv on this subject which will long re-
main i'm the memories OF the people.
| The servile castles of the East Indies.
with blind and ignorant faith, worship
| the Juggernaut, and feel no resentment
when mangled and crushed by their
| hideOus deity. Ii is not so, nor viii 1t
ever be, with the American people.
| They will not worship at cruel and
heartless shrine. They will rather teach
their children, and their children's chill
dren, to eXecrate the authors OF their
| misfortunes.
Who is Res 5onsibleP
Those who are responsible for the
| business calamities of the country are
i :. .I.,,g.1,,.l thot thnNr
| have been and still are persistently
labOring 10 SHIFT the responsibility and
! fix it where it does not belong. They
say you are TO blame, and In saying so
Islander you to your faces. Thousands
of times over John Sherman, Carl
Shurz, Charles Foster and the other
leaders of the Republican party have
charged that the people were themselves
responsible for the cyclone OF business
ruin which hasswept the country. They
| charge that commercial disasters, mort
gagged lands, impoverished homes, sheriff
| sales. idle men and women and begging
| tramps have come upon you as punish
ments for your own sins; Tor your SINS
! of extravaganza, wasteful expenses and
! high living. They say you have been
| drunk with speculation and luxury
beyond your means, and that you had
TO suffer the consequences of your de-
bauch. And all this insulting calumny
is poured out on your heads from the
mouths of those who, commencing with
the war, and staying away from Its
| dangers, have become enormously rich;
who live in palaces, and fare sumptu-
ously every day, while they have made
YOU poorer every hour, and caused
your farms to shrink in value until you
are now worth in property but little
more than one-half what you were sew
en- wears ago. What a sublime spectacle
il here presented, Behold the million
aires of recent and rapid growth, the
masters of gilded mansions and gold
| laced servants engaged IN lecturlng the
hard-handed, tOil-stained millions on
| the virtues of economy 1t is enough
TO raise the gorge OF every farmer and
mechanic and every other honest man
in the land. In what way have you
| sunburned labOrers been so extravagant
that YOU deserve censure from the lips
| of those who have waXed fat upon the
misfortunes of the country? On Tor
mer occasion | used the following Ian
| guage on this subject:
eco TO the homes of those who eat
| their bread in the sweat OF their faces
and ascertain if you can the eXtraya-
! gancies in which they indulge. DO
! they maintain costly equipages, SPLEEN
| did carriages, and richly caparisloned
| horses? Are their humble dwellings
adorned with valuable paintings, or
| I, nx-f,nngitn 4 rnItnrap lln
you see pier glasses on their walls ana
feel velvet carpets beneath your feet on
their floors? Take seat with them at
their frugal but hospitable tables.
Where is the solid silverware, the long
succession Of delicate dishes, the various
brands of high priced wines? None OF
| these things tempt the epicurean tastes
of those who, while preaching economy
| TO the industrial classes, sit down each
| day TO banquets such as Dives presided
over when Lazarus lay at his gates
begring bread. Have the farmers and
| mechanics of the country brought
calamity on themselves by eXtrava-
rance in dress. Where one INDUCES
! i'm broadcloth, a hundred are glad
| to DO comfortable and appear decent in
| homespun. Do their wives and daugh-
ters wear velvcts and expensive silks?
| Must they, too, economic, and put on
palmer attire, in order that the votaries
of fashion and wealth may increase their
demands? The fact is that the labOring
men and women OF this country consti-
tute the only economizing, self-denying
class of citizens in all this broad land.
With what force and justice could they
turn upon their accuSers and fasten on
them the crimes OF protiigacy and
shameless extravaganza? The Federal
Government itself has been admins
tered for many years past on a scale OF
the most stupendous exPendi
lures. 1t has rioted with the
public money and set an
evil example. But OF all who commit
extravaganza, and practice self-indul-
gence, the most conspicuous is that
class which holds the bonds OF the Gov
eminent and the mortgages Of the peo-
pie, and loudly urges its oppressed deb
tors to the most rigid economy for its
own benefit. To those who compose
this favored class, the luxuries OF every
land and cline are accessible. To them