The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-06-28
Democratic Progress.

pathway along which the Republican col
umn has passed. 1t virtually declares
that it has always been wrong and that the
have been always right. When
any great governmental policy is mapped
out by the Republican party the Democ-
racy rushes to the front, proclaims that
national ruin will follow the enforcement
of such a policy, and does everything in
it's power to thwart and impede every
measure of progress that has for its object
the upbuilding Of the Union and the pros
perity of the people. But when, in spite
of it's protests and efforts the measure is
enforced and the result aimed at by the
Republicans follows, then the professionals
embrace the opportunity offered by their
next convention to embody the every
measure against which they so vigorously
inveighed in their platform, and give it
forth as altogether original with them. 1t
is singular fact that for nearly three
decades in the Nations history every sim
gle measure that has contributed to the
growth and development Of the Republic
that has stimulated the people to increased
enterprise. and opened the way for the ac
emulation of wealth and grander ma
tional destiny, has been of Republican Or
igin. Nay more. Every such measure has
met with the determined and almost unan-
imous opposition of the Democracy. Look
at the record. The Democracy defended
slavery, and now acknowledge that the Re-
publicans were right in abolishing it, 1t
was the peculiar champion OF the States
Rights theory and now claims to be the
most national OF parties. In 1864 it de-
clared the war failure and demanded a
cessation of hostilities, and in 1868 it re-
| ;oiced that its demand had not been effective
1t denounced the reconstruction acts as
INSCRIPTIONS and unconstitutional, revolu-
tionary and void. 1t opposed internal i'm
provements. In it's opinion the granting
of public lands to actual settlers was agra
rian, unconstitutional and demoralizlng
1t characterized the resumption act as
| financial imbecility and political immoral
ity. AS early as 1856 it announced that the
| time had come for the people OF the United
States to declare themselves in favor OF
progressive free trade throughout the
world, and never thoroughly awoke from
| the delusion until the year OF our LORD
1883. All of these leading measures have
been consistently and perSistently advo-
Gated by the Republican party, and what is
the result? Under it's administration the
| United States has risen to the proud posi-
ton of mistress of the world. Her peo-
pie are the happiest and most prosperous
of any on the globe. Her wealth equals
that of Italy, Spain, Portugal, India,
South America, Turkey, Egypt, Sweden,
Norway, Canada, Australia, Denmark and
South Africa aggregated. 1t equals the
wealth of Great Britain, Canada and Aus
tralia combined and exceeds that of Ger
many and Russia. A competent author
ity makes our national debt less than that
of Great Britain by billion and a half OF
dollars about three billions less than the
debt of France; about a billion less than
that of Russia, and nearly a billion less
l.
exports of the United States are greater
by two hundred millions of dollars than
the exports of any nation except Great
Britain. The cost of running the govern.
ment in Great Britain is about two hun
bred million dollars more than the eXpen-
ditures of the United States in France,
over three hundred millions more; in
Germany two hundred and thirty millions
more; III Russia, two hundred millions
more; and also greater by many mil
lions in Australia Hungary, Italy and
India. 1t has been estimated that at the
present rate Of increase our population in
fifty years will reach the enormous num-
Der of one hundred and ninety millions.
If wealth increases as rapidly as population
land there is no reason why it should not.
for the South, as well as the West is
awakening into a new life-half century
from now America will be worth almost
as much as all other civilized nations put
together mot including China and Japan)
are worth to-day-two hundred billions of
dollars. These figures absolutely stagger
the imagination much less the comprehen-
sion, and when it is remembered that the
nation is yet an infant in years compared
with those we have mentioned, the unpre-
cedented progress it has made is simply
marvellous. 1t shows, too, that the ma
TONS resources have been wisely and
splendidly developed and utilized. At no
period in it's career has there been such
giant strides as during the past twenty
years of Republican rule, and at every step
of that upward progress the reigning
party has dragged after it the dead weight
of democracy.
We have been led to this brief review
by reading the platform adopted by the
| Ohio Democratic State Convention, which
met in Columbus last week. 1t leads off
/ with string of platitudes, coupled with
al arraignment of the Republican party,
and gradually passes from fustian to false
hood. Further on it reannounces "our
previous declarations for staple money. .
This reads well when placed alongside the
| financial plank of it's national platform
adopted Just previous to resumption and
when the fight for ''staple money! was be-
ing bravely made by the Republicans. The
tariff plank means anything OF nothing,
and is intended to be used to catch free
traders and deceive prOtectionists. 1t,
however, drops the 'tarifffor revenue only
clause and undertakes to sneak over to the
protective policy, which it has opposed at
every point. The remainder OF the decla-
rations are about on a par with those we
have noticed. There is not one single
page of the Democratic record to which it
can refer and ask endorsement. 1t con-
siderately drops all such references and
seeks to gain the support of the people by
timid, half-hearted announcement in IA
vor of the very measures against which it
has consistently warred.
The Ohio nominations have been watched
with unusual interest all over the Union.
1t was thought that each party there would
foreshadow in it's platform the position OF
the respective national party to which it
belongs. If this has been done, then the
Democracy might as well dispense with
the formality of Convention in 1884, for
the voters of this nation will never con-
sent to entrust their interests to the keep
Of xul,io Oply trnth-