Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-07-17
DECAYED CRAFTSMANSHIP.
From the Washington Post.

support OF the Government In proper
ton To the amount of their customs
and internal revenue collections, is
still being circulated by the half mil
lion, along with the cipher telegrams.
The great State of New York ought
to be ashamed of distinguished Sena-
tor who has perpetrated such transpa-
rent folly. We suppose the late A.
T. Stewart paid more important du-
ties, for many years, than any other
six men in the United States, but Mr..
Stewart did not contribute heavily to
the support of the General Govern
ment, because he was prudent man
and used but few costly foreign goods.
Many dashing widow, with an in
come of $4,000 n year, helped the
Government more than he did with all
his millions.
Two citizens of Indiana, who own
aud operate the largest distillery in
the United States-the largest ON the
globe, in tact-are now paying more
money into the Treasury than any
other hundred thousand men in that
State, except distillers. But rs these
gentlemen are temperate and thrifty,
it happens that many day laborer
who drinks and smokes actually con-
tributes more than they to the support
of the Government. Mr.. Conkling
knows that the consumer and not the
importer or producer pays the tax, in
the end And vet he deliberately
built up a so-callcd argument on the
assumption that the locality where the
tax is collected pays the tax. 1t was
an insult to popular intelligence that
has rarely been paralleled. But this
argument is now being printed i'll i'm
mense editions, and sent all over the
North, East and West, to inilame the
public mind against the Southern
people.
1t is humiliating to think that the
author of this puerilc trash, the pro-
pagator of such shallow sophistry, is
leader of a party, and has been talk
ed of as a candidate for the Pre>i-
dency. For although Mr. Conkling
i not so asinine rs To believe his own
silly attempt at argument, he Is weak
and small enough TO assume that
Others will believe it, and he Is dis
honest enough TO desire to take ad-
vantage of assumed ignorance. In
all seriousness and candor We ask any
honest Republican-the masses of all
parties are honcst-what he thinks of
a man in Mr.. Conkling's position, the
senior Senator of the Empire State, a
long time leader in his party, man
who has been regarded as really n
statesman, who gets down 50 far into
the dirt of demagoguery as to con-
struct n fallacy like the one We are
considering. and. presuming on popu.
lar ignorance and the influence of his
name, send it forth to the people as n
campaign document?
But this presumption on popular
ignorance is not confined to Mr.. Conk-
ling. 1t has come to be the habit of
statesmen" of the Radical faith.
The history of the extra session shows
this in striking light. With posi-
bly, three exceptions, all the Radical
speakers appealed to passion and pre-
judice. The Democracy dealt in calm
reason, and addressed their appeals to
the intelligence and honesty of the
country. The Republicans evaded
fair discussion and, instead of attempt
ing to meet argument with argument
and answer fact with facts, stirred up
the embers of sectional hatred, and
with the hot breath of anger tried to
rc.kindle the flames of passion that
burned low dozen years ago. Ii is
the verdict of candid men, who are
not hide-bound partisans, but try to
see things pretty much as they are,
that the country never before witness
ed such degeneration of brains and
such prostitution Of craftsmanship, rs
were shown by the Radical leaders in
both ends of the Capitol during the
entire session. From beginning to
end there was no serious effort to an
swer the Democratic statesmen, or TO
show a single good reason why all that
they demanded should not be done.
Chambers furious foaming and frothy
TRADE of last Monday is an epitome
of the entire debate on his side.
Blaine. Conkling, Garfield and their
followers furnished every point, and
the muddling Michigan mountebank
arrayed their points in his hideous
English, and let it loose on the country,
after being duly trimmed by the re-
porters.
The people cannot help seeing and
believing in the dreary decadence OF
Republican craftsmanship. The peo.
pie will not be dragged backward halt
a generation, and compelled to dig in
the mouldy graveyard Of dead issues.
They will not admit that the hanging
of John Brown furnishes a good rea-
son for troops at the polls. They will