San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1884-09-11

cratic victories in Ohio, California, Colorado,
Nevada, Kansas, Michigan, Connecticut
Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.
II was q political revolution, and 1882
sent greeting to 1872 that the Liberal
Republicans Of that year we're at last vindi-
Gated. The New York Independents, who
had 30 long hoped against hope, now con-
fessed that "reform within the party" was
''as tale that is told" and that the CON-
plete overthrow of the party itself was the
only remedy. It was almost enough to
make Sumner and Greeley turn over In
their graves. The Republican leaders saw
the handwriting on the wall. They had
been suddenly and Unexpectedly brought to
their reckoning, and finally compelled to go
to trial on the sincerity Of their professions ;
and for the first time set about the work of
reform by practical methods and with appar.
ent enrnestness. But it was death-bed
repentance They foresaw the approaching
end of their power, and quito naturally
favored such regulations affecting appoint
ments to office as wonld leave them share
of the spoils under Democratic succession.
take great pleasure in according to them
due credit for what they then did and have
since done under compulsion, and with the
voluntary co-operation of Democrats. but as
the final upshot and sum total of twenty odd
years of uncontrolled power II constitutes
an exceedingly slender capital on which TO
set up business in the work Of reform.
THE REPUBLICAN PLATFORM.
Such, rapidly sketched, is the record Of
the Republican party for the past sixteen
years. But it now reappears as the champ
ion of reform. With an effrontery which
has been the natural product of prosperous
imposture, It struts before the country on o
platform Of promises which completely out
strip all its past performances. It pledges
itself to correct the inequalities of the
tariff but why has ie not made this correc-
ton long years agop Has anybody hindered
itp 1t favors "a readjustment of the tariff
on wool" but why has not this re-adjust-
ment been made2 1t has played fast and
loose with the question, and confesses its
inability to deal with it. It undertakes to
say precisely what sort of tariff system the
country needs but whose fault is 1t that
such q system has not been providedp 1t
renews its demand for the reform of the
civil service; but how does it happen that
this reform has not long since been accom-
plished2 For sixteen years the party has
been prating about the civil service, with the
power all the while in its own hands to
reform it. Why are we still fed on promi-
ses, and the law against political assessment
set at defiance in this campaign 1t says
the public lands "should be reserved for
small holdings by actual Settlers" and
condemns ''the acquisition of large tracts by
corporations or individuals"; but the irony
of these declarations is transparent, for the
Republican party is responsible for the grant
of more than 200, 000, 900 acres of the public
domain to railway corporations, being an
area equal to that Of the thirteen original
States, and making impossible hundreds Of
thousands of ''small holdings by actual
settlers" It demands of Congress the
speedy forfeiture of all land grants which
have lapsed by reason of non compliance
with the acts of incorporation )" but Con-
gress, during long years of Republican
ascendency, has neglected and refused to
perform this duty, and to-day at least 1OO,-
200, 900 acres of the public lands are held
back from settlement and tillage by the
landless poor by corporations that have not
complied with the conditions prescribed by
Congress. It calls upon Congress to
''remove the burdens on American ship
ping :" but it imposed those burdens and
continues them, and has nobody to blame
but itself. 1t demands the enforcement of
the eight-hour law. This amazing declara-
ton will certainly attract the attention Of
the workingmen but they will remember
that the party has never enforced the law,
and 80 confesses by its demand. Itdeclares
.ho. ''tba rArnetuity Of our institutions rests
NJ n free ballot, and
s..'.. A. - s:.s.o 80 rms" Itis
upon the maintenance - .H
an honest count, and correct retu.
OH ff1ciant IN nav of this dacIarafion fba,
comes from the party whose Returning
Board performances In 1876, and charming
exploits under Dorsey in 1880, have done
80 much TO make Iascality sublime. In
short, this last creed of the party constitutes
the record of its failures and q catalogue of
its transgressions, while as burlesque upon
the men who framed 1t Is masterpiece.
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND ITS 1sIouITY.
Rnt in renlv IN .suob ouestions as tbase
,,a 80 frao,,en,l, ran,;rdad that ,ha na,oo,
crot;c nart1 l. as had as the Rennbl;cao 10
NOT verv nucb worse and the opest;on "a
asIed SHow can Won hone for reform nv
CHANGE ~ adm;nstrat;on5 Gran,;no tbs
fanIts ~ Ranuhl;can;sn wbs, Ia 20 he cain,
"a hv oo;no pvsr 20 Aha snamv,,, To t6;s
rsnIy that The RennhIican nsrtv lila tha
nla;ntig in an action of eisctment mnst snc-
cead an tba s,rengtb Of Re- own title and
not ON tbe ALLEGED westpess Of that 81 its
adversarv T6s aroument Of "Yon,re an
othsr,, ;s not lso;t,mste 7 am not now taIl.
inc about the Suesfion Of slaverv and the
var which received ample attention when
~ hsn ,hav were in order but ths adrn;nistra.
tor ~ a6airs s;nca thosa ones,ion. vero
so.sieJ nr-;u,, ~. -. - ,l,;. ,,.-;oS
- D. tI;-a.e - - - =. - -
snd !, p,nst ha ;ndged he i,s 80 mn ,hs
De,noc-atic r, % ns,tv ia bsd no sucb onnort,n- |
Nv 40 ,n.Le H. ,scord and can not x. oon-
4 Ss,on,J an ,he nrincinia % i,nnnt,d oniI,
D., -. - -, - -, ,e -