Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-10-27
Adncaster futeil.gsllrer.
WEDNESDAY EVENING. OCT. 27. 1890
The Contrast.

The Contrast.
We have an announcement to-day
from Richmond, Virginia, that the Re-
publican candidate for Congress i'm that
district has withdrawn at the request of
the Republican national committee, in
favor of the Readjuster or Malone
party, the reason assigned being that
its candidate is sound Oh the tariff.
That does not explain whether he in
clines to free trade or protection, the
Republican idea Of soundness on the
tariff question varying very much with
the locality. But it does not matter in
this case, since the assigned motive for
the withdrawal of the Republican candi-
date is not the real one. 1t has been done
because of the alliance entered into be
tween the Republican party of Virginia
and the wing Of the Democratic party
which proposes to repudiate the settle
ment made with the creditors of the debt
Of the state, which wing has just been
discOuntenanced by the Democratic ma
tional committee, through its request to
the Democrats of Virginia to vote for
the electoral ticket nominated by the reg
ular and debt-paying organization.
The alliance between the Republicans
and the followers Of Malone in Virginia
has long been notorious, but the eSpec-
ial significance of the news we now have
is that the National Republican organi-
Zation las recommended and endorsed
this alliance between its followers and
the Virginia RepudiatiOnistS. This gives
a national interest and significance to a
local contest, since the Republican party
is thereby compelled to defend the cause
with which it has allied itself. That
cause being one Of reputation it follows
that the national Republican party is
put by the action of its representative
committee in the position Of sustaining
the reputation and the regulators OF a
state debt.
We say that the so-cal!e:l s. 'Readjuster >
party of Virginia is in fact party of
Reputation, although 10y the name it has
taken il seeks to persuade itself that it
proposes only to = readjust and not 10
reWmi:ite the state debt. Still to the
common sense Of uMprejudicetl men who
understand the question the attitude of
Mallone's party is strictly one of Repudi-
alton: and it is the only attitude it has,
since it has severed itself from the regu-
lar Democratic organization solely upon
this question OF debt and has absolutely
no other principle or doctrine for its
foundation. The question between the
two branches of the Democratic party
briefly stated was Just this: The
debt of the state, since the war,
has been adjusted by the Legis-
latuie which threw !; third of it upon
West Virginia, and agreed to discharge
the other two-thir,s upon certain cOndi-
tions which were accepted by the creli-
tors and carried out for time by the
state. Tie executive and judicial de-
partmentS of the state have affirmed the
validity of the contract, and no earthly
chance of doubt exists that the state IS
bound by ii. The Democratic party
stands by the contract and the law :
the - Readjuster" faction has separated
itself fram it on this issue. 1t gets it's
vitality from the leadership of Malone,
WAC has ground his axe with it and got
into The United States Senate by it and
an alliance with the Republicans in the
Legislature. IIeproposes toerect party
on this combination. which will make
him political master of Virginia. The
Republicans OF the state are disposed to
help him, having nothing 10 lose and
everything to gain.
The Republican party of the nation
has gone now into the same cOmbina-
tiom; but it has something to lose by it :;
and if its voters have any sense of right
and self-respect about them it will have
a great deal 10 lose. How can a party
which pretendS all over the nation to be
the defenders of national, state and i'll
dividual credit, and to bear upon its
shoulders the ''business interests of
the nation, go down into Virginia and
take into It's arms party Of dirty Re-
pudiationisis without being smirched by
the association 50 markedly rs to exhibit
to the people its absolute insincerity and
its disposition to sell its birthright for Il
miserable little mess of pottage!
See the contrast! The national Demo-
cratic committee repudiated the repudia-
tionists of Virginia: the Republican
national committee embraces them.