The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1882-08-17
A Sufficient Issue.

Sufficient Issue.
!. The Democratic party is sometimes
described by its enemies as q party in
search OF an issue. If that description
was ever accurate, the enemies of the
Democratic. party have now rendered it
inapplicable. The issue of the next
campaign. and of the next, and of the
next, has been supplied by the Repub-
lican leaders in Congress. Kelley and
.Kasson and Keifer and Robson and
Reed and Hiscock by mere folly and
mere jobbery have done more to show
the country that change in the political
control is absolutely necessary than
could have been done> by the wisdom
and the integrity of any equal number
of Democratic leaders.
Colonel Conkling put the case in
nut-shetlin the interesting interview re-
ported ssterday's World. He said
J that nQSo H was needed to secure the
! success to-sfle Democratic party except.
s;siio p peid Be 9ehiocrst dc. in sprin-.
cipfes and practice as well as IN name.".
Colonel Conkline, though Democrat.
for ten years past, is a representative of
o large and increasing number of men.
who would be very glad to abandon the
win let them. To the Republicans, be-
is necessary. 1t is the party that seeks
TO turn them out which must Affirmative
ly show cause why they should be turned
out. The Republicans have the control
of the Federal offices, which they are
using with an unscrupulousness beyond
all precedent to add to the corruption
fund they are otherwise amassing, and
they hayea complete and efficient organ
ization, besides the nine points of the
Law" inherent in possession. 1t is true
they have nothing to say for themselves.
Their Congress is openly managed with
the purpose of preventinga a reduction of
taxation by making away with the sur
plus their monstrous taxes have pro-
duced. They are spending at the spigot
in order that they may not be compelled
to save at the .bung. So long as they
can empty the Treasury as fast as they
can fill 1t, they have no fear that they
will be compelled really to abate tax
alton. And if the producers of the
country can be bribed with small
share of their own money, in the form
of liberal appropriations" not only
will Robson be rich and Reed be rich
and Keifer be rich, but the Republican
party will remain in power until people
have had chance to forget how Reed
and Keifer acquired the money they ex-
| pect to derive from the transaction. As
for Robeson, he is probably aware that
social respect in his case is past praying
for. The exposure has been too thor
| ough. ALI, that he can reasonably ex-
| pect is to get more money and keep out
of jail. 50
This seems TO be the programme OF
the corruptionists in Congress. It. is
founded, it will be seen, upon what we
believe to be the erroneous idea that the
4 people of this country will stand any
thing from the Republican party. They
have. stood great deal, and if the Re.
1 publican leaders would steal in modera-
ton and with some pretense of de.
| ference to public decency, the pro.
gramme might be carried through. But
when the country is confronted with Q
I Pension bill OF one hundred millions,
rushed through under suspension of the
rules, two-thirds of it admittedly tosbe
bestowed upon impostors and claim
agents; with River and Harbor bill,
appropriating eighteen millions and {
half, two-thirds Tor jobs; with appropria
tions for public buildings, mostly need
less and all eXtravagant, footing up ter
or fifteen millions more; with RObeson's
Naval bill, of which Robeson's advocacy
is accepted everywhere as an unmis: ak
able badge of fraud, and with the North
ern Pacific job, clear plumber of the
Treasury at the lowest estimate of six
teen millions over and above the whole
cost of the road. protected even from
discussion by the whitewashing repor
of Reed and the outrageous ruling o.
Robson, the country needs no furthe
evidence that the recognized leaders o
the Republican party belong distinctly
to the criminal classes. The Issue
whether a gang public plunderers shal
be deprived of an opportunity to stea
any more public money is one whicl
the public plunderers have themseIve
presented to the country and to th'
Democratic party. 1t is an issue upol
which it is an insult to the country t,
suppose that its decision can be doubtful
The plunderers themselves think, as W.
have said, that they can bribe the own
: ers not to prosecute with part of tn,
swag distributed in liberal appropria
, tions. They certainly cannot do this
} the Democratic party simply accept
the issue they have raised and puts
e properly before the country, so tha
, every voterin the land is made awar
E before the Congressional elections com
, on what the Republican party has don
+. to entitle itself to the control of Cor
gress for another term. Oppos ton t
public plumber on a scale which make
. Twced's theftS seem mere pilfering
enough of a Marty DlatfOrm for Such
a cratic party need only point to the re,
: ord of the last House of Represent;
:, tiyes which it controlled to show til;
in driving out House of Represent
tives which accepts the leadership (
g audacious, notorious and all but avowe
IS public plunderers the people will be
least sure of not putting band of bris
g ands in control of the Treasury.-M
d World.