The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1880-08-26

7 laDorer to make his home comfortable and rea
I his family educated, respectable members
society.
, Anation is constantly becoming impovel
f lshed III all that constitutes national greatnee
and power if its wealth increases only by tn
? lmpoverlshment of its labor. The cheapnes
J OF production by increased Skill or by the ali
OF improved mechanical contriyances, is al
advantage to all But the lessening of the cos
of an article simply by reducing the pay o
the labor necessary for its production is in tn
end public evil. To illustrate If the stat
OF society is such that it requires 81 a day 70
laborer practlclng proper economy to sup
port himself and family in reasonable comfort
and the regular. compensation for days work
is less than it, then sooner or later that state
OF things will bring disaster upon all indus
tries. The most baneful of all influences thai
leadt to national decay is policy that impov
erishes or degrades labor. 1t is the great fact
stamped upon all the ruins that streW the
pathway OF empires.
If an article of consumption or trade can be
furnished to the consumer cheaply only byre-
ducing the wages Oflabor to the same rate paid
to his competitors in other lands, where he is
compelled to live in poverty, and penury and
want and sorrow surround his death-bed, then
cheapness is not desirable object Hence
comes the necessity of what is called incident
al protection in adjusting the scale of duties on
foreign importations.
| THE REPUBLICAN LEADERS
| The Republican party may well congratu-
| late itself aud the country upon the work of
| its National Convention. 1t selected as its
standard bearer, James A. Garfield Father
| less and almost homeless in infancy, he was
forced in early manhood to earn his daily
bread by his daily toll at manual labor in the
workshop OF the field and later in life as
| teacher in the schools. Without the aid of
wealth or family influence he has carved his
way to honorable distinction among his fellow
men; and, unaided and alone, by his own in
| herent force of character, has climbed to the
topmost round in the ladder that leans against
the sky. Whether as carpenter-boy, day
laborer on the canal or in the field soldier at
the front or statesman in the councils Of the
Nation, he has always been faithful to liberty,
to country and right. His associate on tie
ticket for Vice President, Chester A. Arthur,
began his Legal practice young man at the
par, by invoking the spirit Of liberty and the
majesty OF the law to strike the manacles of
human bondage from the limbs of poor des-
pissed, friendless strangers in the streets of New
York, who had committed no crime and were
guilty OF no ofense save the hue of their skins,
painted at their creation by the God Of the
Universe. By the voluntary aid and unpaid
oOA WIS VI blIo yOullS5 dtGO1ICy IlC LGulluOu
slaves go free.
With these chosen standard bearers, emf
nent citizens OF the Republic and fitting rep
resentatives OF the great party to which they
have devoted long years OF faithful service, the
Republican party is again to meet in the polit-
lcal arena and at the polls the party that has
in this generation proven recreant to the vital
principles of free elective government and
false to liberty and the rights of men.
ltappealed from the decision of the ballot
box in an election conductedin strict conform
itY with all the forms and requirements of the
Constitution, to the cartridge-box to nullify
that decision and overturn the Government
framed by the wisdom of our fathers and &C.
mented by their blood. This party in order
to shroud its acts and veil its future designs
selects as its standard-bearer a man who is
known to the country only for his brave deeds
on the battlefield in confronting a majority of
his present political leaders. Is it a sufficient
reason why the great offices of administration
in government, requiring fitting knowledge
and training in order to discharge their re-
sponsible duties well, should be conferred for
mere bravery? fla President is to be elected
simply for heroism or self-sacrifce in the cause
OF the country, then certainly Tie person ought
to be selected who exhibits the most heroic
service. Ofall the heroism and sef-sacrifice
developed by war, there is none equal to that
OF the young mother, standing in the doorway
OF her humble cottage, with ner infant in her
arms casting a sad glance upon its haf-conceal-.
ed face and then, like the Spartan mother of
old, she turns with a smile and bids it's father go
forth to the battle-felds of an mperiled coun-
try. And as his receding form passes out of
sight, she gives vent to the iOng-pent-up tear,
and sinks down at the lonely tireside where
through weary years she must wait and watch
in alternate hope and fear, whether her earth
ly protector will return with his shield or upon
it, leaving her homeless and that child faith
erless, to grope their way in sorrow through
this world S pilgrimage. Search the annals of
self-sacriticing heroic deeds, and where will
you find a greater?
Officers of administration in free elective
governments are not gifts to be bestowed upon
tavortes. They are great trusts held for
the people, and in their administration are
garnered the rights and liberties of the mil
lions of the present and the countless millions
of the future. While the people have confer
red the honors of the Presidency upon the
chiefs who let their armies to victory i'll each
of the great wars of the country, yet the only
Presidents of purely military education have
been Gen'ls Taylor and Grant. Washington
the representative of the Revolution, Jackson
of the war of 1919, and Harrison Of the In
dian Wars ofthe Mississippi Valley, were each
civilians of large experience in civil affairs and
without any regular military education or
training in camp except in time OF war. With
the exception of the recognized representative
and leader of the war in which he served, no
man ola purely military education has been
elevated to the Presidency Gen Scott, great
Gen'l as he was, failed of an election. So at
a later period, did Gen. Mcclellan. The spirit
and genius of our institutions are not Of mill
tary character. Hence the people in selecting
their Chief Executive, have always required a
fitness and experience in civil education, ex-
cept in the two cases where they permitted
their feelings of gratitude to oyerrule their
judgment But when they pass from the chief
in a war their gratitude applies alike to all
who defended bravely their country. In all
such cases they decide upon parties and poll
tics as well as the personal fitness Of the can
didate.
In the onward march of civilization and the
development of individual liberty and personal
rights history is constantly repeating itself. In
1854 the Democratic party repealed the Mis-
souri, Compromise in order to extend and per-
petuate the institution of human bondage
The slave power went forth then with bowie
knife and revolver, adopting coldblQoded muir
der as an element of partisan success to make
Kansas a slave State. In 1860 over a solid
South in behalf of slavery and the suicidal
doctrine of State Rights, the Republican party
marched to victory under the banner of free
sol, free speech and free men. So in 1880, overa
solid South in behalf of the oldideas of nullifca-
ton and secession, and again adopting violence
and brute force as an element Bipartisan success,
the Republican party will march to victory in
November under the broad banner of the in
alienable rights of all men, the Union, the
Constitution and the enforcement of the laws.
The Democratic party ofTennessee has split
in the middle-one side nominating John V.
Wright debt paying Democrat, for Governor,
! and the other, S. FWilson, low tax Democrat,
for Governor. The Republicans have full
ticket in the field The division of the Demo-
cratic party does not extend to the electoral
ticket both wings supporting Hancock, with
the same ticket
In Georgia. a similar disruption has taken
place, but from different causes. The debt of
the State has nothing to do with 1.-THE Dem
ocratic party has disposed Of as much of that
as it suited their purpose to get rid of. 1t is
the Independent element against the Bourbon
,,rino, of ba Democracy Gov C0luJIit rpDrp-