Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-05-07
THE NEXT NATIONAL
ELECTION.

IHE NEXT NAIIONAL
ELECTION.
In its next conflict at the polls this
ountry is to decide whether it will sup
'ort party whose progress has been ever
inward in giving the control OF gov
to the people, or whether it snail
continue in power one that has come TO
,top and is determined to fall back on tnaI
'orm of imperialism, known as "strong
rather than take step for
ward. The Republican party OF the North,
% which section its intelligence is chiefly |
confined, possesses in a very great measure |
The control of the wealth of the nation and
has come to regard the safety Of that
wealth as dependent upon very rigid po-
Icing of the Union at large. It's idea OF
freedom among the people is that OF well
repressed tenantry who shall till the lano
without much voice in directing It's aHalrs
and at intervals when that the tenants OF
State express views upon wnaS ~
hest for the interests of the nation at
large that party raises the cry that dis
turbance is contemplated and that danger
to the general government Is lmlnent.
Strange to say this party, though not thir-
ty years old. is following in the same path
which has just led to defeat one of the
hoary parties Of England. Like it. 1t
wholly fails to keep pace with the advan-
cling thought of the age. The Tory or
Conservative party Of England has been
fighting it out on exactly the same line
adopted by the Republicans here save the
differences that necessarily attend parties
in q new country and an old. 1t is the
party of the ''strong government" OF the
great land owners, of the peers, and Of leav'
ing things as they are. Pretty much like
it's Republican brother in this country it
has fostered strife and disturbance any
where so it was outside Of England, JUST
as the Republicans here have reJolced IN
strife and bloodshed anywhere in the coun-
try. so it was outside OF the sectlon III
vh;ch that party most devoutly believes
the true right ito govern this nation. re-
sidas Reforms in local government In
Graat Britain have been secuted by Bea-
consfield and pointed out as but covert at
tempts against the British crown.
While the English were as anxious for a
change in the land laws as the Irish, yet
the former have been kept quiet and their
loyalty appealed to by the information
from Conservative orators that the COM
plaints of the Irish were not sincere but
merely to cover their designs against the
government which they were ready to
overthrow at the first chance, in favor OF
disunion. The complaints OF Scotland
have been treated not as those OF Ireland
we may be sure, but rs the Republican
nartv of America treats the views OF tine
western people-to be listened to, but
crude and from people not atall htteo to
give opinions about the government OF q
treat nation. Under this party queen
Victoria has quietly been transformed
from the Queen Of constitutional mon
archy into the Empress Of INDIA bauble
If is true. but the kernel of the thought
consolidation, power and strength to the
government. This party has just been
defeated in Great Britain by an over
whelming majority.
The Republican party Of this country
has made history which has prepared IL
for a similar experience. Its plan like It's
prototype in England, has been to KEEP
the attention of the people diverted iron
the practice and results Of government, b,
amusing them with theatrical platforms
about liberty, greatness of the nation, tn
nrotection of the weak and the genera
aJinpon talk of it's transatlantic original
IT. has seized upon the noble emotion o
patriotism aroused by the civil war in one
section and moulded it into a hard, un
reasoning and senseless party feeling. II
has stopped the ears of the nation to thu
appeals of commonwealth on the plea tina
thew are but disguised expressions of dis
satisfaction with the existence OF the gen
eral government and it has turned dea
ear TO local constituencies on the susplc
ion that they were but the forerunners o
mutiny. In America there is ruling
class al well as elsewhere, the dlfferenc
be;no that here the rule is perpetuated D.
wealth only, while elsewhere it is OF ram
and wealth combined. None who nav
scrutinized the history of this Republica
champion of liberty in the last ten year
can have failed to observe with apprehen
sion how the voting class of the Union
being subordinated, especially the respee
table middle class and particularly is TIL
the case in the East around the grea
money centres. The chief State OF NeN
York. as far as the Republican party
concerned is in the hands Of Conkllng, 1t
wealthy neighbor is directed by Cameron
and so on. The wealth Of these common
wealths makes these men its agents; Tn
floating mass of irresponsible voters ar
onerated on and when the day of ties
comes the protests of the middle class ar
hardly heard above the loud command Q
the party manager or the roaring huzza
of the party bummers.
But all this, as has just been shown i
Great Britain, is going backward an
must encounter and be defeated by til
advancing thought of the people. In
tendency of all civilized nations to-day
toward fret, independent local government
So careful is Liberty in this particuls
that it is making a firm stand on locs
government. The feeling, the CROWN
feeling. the overwhelming feeling. tn
feeling which has just found expression l
an election in the most enlightened coun
try in the world is against centralisn
AGAINST the undue predominance OF pow
or of any sort, and in favor OF dlstrlo'
lion of that power just as widely as it ca
he distributed with safety to the whole
No fierce cries of the central governmen
in danger will be now taken as reply
The demand Of the people all over tn
...,..,, 70 .auarn themselves. The asse