The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-05-24
The Crime Of Republicanism.

be repubiicanized. Driven from every po-
sition in State and Federal affairs they
have announced, and having not one sin
Gle argument in their support to address
to the reason and judgment of men, they
assume that the voters OF the Common
wealth can be driven into any measure 10y
/ the terror of a name. This is their last
ditch stand, and they cling to it with the
desperation Of depair. But even this cry,
/ which in times past las been the rallying
shibboletli, has lost IFS virtue. Men are
beginning to inquire, In what does this
crime Of Repubhcanism consist? The
moment this inquiry is suggested and fol-
lowed by investigation. that moment dis
appears the last round of ammunition in
the Bourbon arsenal.
The assumed mission of every political
party is the enforcement OF reforms, the
correction OF abuses, and the enactment of
wise laws. the result OF which is to enrre
to the good OF the people OF every section.
! Platforms are prolific OF promises, but the
party whose platform fails to refer to re-
suits already accomplished. as well rs
blessings which the future may bring, is
wanting in the essentials which inspire
confidence. Practical men prophesy by
the past. Experience is the lamp which
guides their feet in untried paths. Polit-
ical organizations are the means employed
to reach certain ends. The greatest good
to the greatest number should he the de-
sideraJum, and that party the result OF
whose administration approaches nearest
to this end is entitled to and will receive
the commentator and support of think
ing people. In a country like this where
every man has a voice in the government
under which he lives, there is and should
be rigid accounting demanded OF those
to whom he entrusts the preservation and
promotion of his interests. No human
organization was ever perfect. Least OF
all do men expect perfection from politi-
cal parties. Good men and bad men will
be arrayed on one side, and good men and
bad men Oh the other. In making up YER
dict as to the success OF failure OF party
sums of its debit and credit column must
be ascertained and the balance struck
If the result shows q judiciouS use of the
opportunities presented if it can be de
| mOnstrated that the measures adopted ant
2 enforced have yielded benefit to the people
: OF all classes and sections if upon the
: record it has made the upbuilding of com
2 munity and the prosperity OF the country
have followed. then to the party whose
policy has brought about these results Ii
due the credit And IT, upon the Other
hand history attests that its Antagonist
t has uniformly and persistently opposed
S these measures has bitterly denounced
: and tried by every means i'll its power tt
t thWart and overthrow them, then just il
| proportion as credit is due the one, mus
4 condemnation be visited upon the other
1 Let us apply these tests to the two great
parties contending for the mastery il
Federal affairs. In the limits of news
e paper article, only the more prominent
measures can be referred to-those meas
S ures Which most OF all have contributed
2 to the growth and glory OF the country
2 within the last two decades.
Il During the twenty years Of comparative
e peace and prosperity preceding 1860, the
Democratic party had control of the Ma
tional Government. At the end Of that
2 time what was the condition OF its
? | finances for the dollars and cents test is
the thermometer by which the world
guages tie standing Of nation. The SIX
per cent. bonds Of the United States were
selling at adiscount of 12per cent, and out
of Il loan OF twenty-five millions less thai
eighteen and a half millions could be negoti
ated at even that ruinous rate This was
the inheritance Of the Republican party
a government unable to meet its current
!, expenses, the credit OF which had sunk
so low that shrewd financiers did not care
about dealing in its obligations at all. Not
only was it called upon to assume this
heayyresponsibility, but scarcely hadit beer
, installed inpoWer before demand was made
, upon it to equip armies and meet the enor
nous expenditures Of long and sanguinary
war-a war that cost nearly thirty hundred
thousand millions dollars that changed
producers into consumers and decimated
ollS AOlhouOp W Iul llIoli lOOu IOI
Every State was demanding funds; every
county crying for help money was poured
forth like water and no resource from
which to draw. In this trying ordeal the
Republican party pledged its faith, and
promised that should victory crown it's
arms, those who had trusted it should be
repaid i'll gold and silver. The patriotism
; OF the country came to its rescue, and the
war WAS brought to q successful termina-
ton. AS soon as hOstilities had ended the
work Of building up the Masterpieces COM
menced. Provision had to be made for the
enormous debt incurred, and scarcely had
the soldiers returned to their homes before
/ the process Of reduction began. With
i'll a year from the date of the sur
render over fifty millions of dollars had
; been paid off, and the interest rate material.
ly decreased. Steadily yet rapidly has that
reduction continued and year after yeal
the interest charge been lessened. until to-
day, the 3 per cent. bonds of the United
States are selling at a premium ; the debt
, has been reduced to about one-half of its
Union stands higher in the foreign mar
kets than that Of any nation Of the globe
Contrast this with the condition of affairs
in 1860
, But all the Way up from the depths to
the heights the Republican party has been
! forced to contend against the machina-
lions of its oldDemocratic foe The lat
ter tried to hinder and thwart at every
turn. Every important measure proposed
met with its determined opposition, and
had to lie carried out in the teeth of its
relentless warfare When the faith that
had been pledged for the Nation in its
darkest hour, WAS asked to be redeemed,
the work OF redemption commenced. The
promise lad been given that the bonds is
sued when The government needed help
should be paid off in gold. Bravely did
the Republican party address itself to the
discharge OF this obligation. In the face
of a united Democratic opposition it
passed the resumption act, declaring that
on the LIST day OF January, 1879, every
man to whom the government owed Il dol
lar could exchange thaJ dollar for n like