The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-10-09
The Revolution in the West.

Unless the ShrewdeSt and most care,
full observers completely misconstrue
the signs Of the times, the greatest
political revolution of the present year
will take place in the West Ohio, In
diana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa,
Kansas and Illinois, besides some
smaller Western States, are in apparent
readiness TO repudiate the Republican
party, to which they have adhered in
every Presidential year since 1860, with
the exception of Indiana in 1876, and
to enlist under the banner of Change
and Reform.
Republican intolerance, bad faith,
greed and corruption have gradually
prepared the WY for Il great revOlu-
ton. The ''insolcnce of power" shown
by the Republican party for nearly a
quarter of q century; its ruthless taxa
ton OF the people for the purpose OF
amassing :; huge surplus in the National
Treasury, which it controls; It's az
gressionS on the personal rights and
liberties OF the people; its undue favor
itism OF monopOlieS and corpora ions;
is open, defiant corruptions, have hy
degrees kindled the Indignation which
is now prepared 10 break out into q
consuming FIRE. ----.---
The French Revolution was seeming
II the work OF q night. The uprising
Oh July L, 1899, took Paris by sur
prise. Yet it need not have done so.
The infamies OF the Regency, the
weakness Of the King, the insolent
usurpationa and outrages of the mobiles,
the wrongs OF q hard-toiling people,
pinched by hunger and driven to des-
pair, had for years given sufficient in
dicationS of the gathering of the ter
rible storm which suddenly burst over
the Nation.
The pending political revolution in
the West has had ample provoc;Gtion.
The Republicans have ground down
agricultural labor, while driving rail
roads over its neck and pamperIng
favored interests. They have given
away hundreds of millions of the pub
lie lands to- wealthy and grasping coz
porations, putting the bopa-fCte settler
under the power of monopolies. In
all their policy they have abused the
Western section of the country in a
greater degree. probably, than any
other The Germans, who have fiocked
to the West, have found themselves,
under profesSedly free Government,
stripped of their personal privileges
and amusements and placed in n strait
waistcoat of other peoples intolerant
notions and pre-, udices.
1t is desirable that the wave % po-
Etical revolution should come frora the
Young and vigorous West 1t VIII be
the more irresistible because it Will bear
on its crest the rugged honesty OF the
broad prairieS. Ii will be victory all
the grea'er and more sienifcantis won
by States which are marching on like
an armyof giants and which have re-
manned faithful to the Republican par
ty as long as it was faithful to itself II
will be 8 victory that will stay, that will
know no reVerSeS, that will grow with
the growth of the West and be
strengthened by the wisdom and patri-
ot;sm with which it VIII be used.
New York is pledged to the Demo-
cratic cause. So are New Jersey, Con-
necticut and other Eastern States. But
we shall all gladly hail the West rs
leader in the great revolution and shall
feel that our common triumph wall be
made doubly glorious ii it is to be the
signal of the emancipation of the West
ern States from Republican thraldom.
~ 7. World. g,