The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-05-29

Is the Nation dangerously iii
We nro asked by u correspondent
il the nation is dangerously ill? Tia!
depends upon tho treatment which II
shall receive. It is too sick for Home
opathy to do any good. It is acase that
requires n pretty free surgery and u
vast amount Of allopathic purgatives
The patient Inns avigorous constitution,
but it il covered with boils, cariuncles,
and cancers. Yet il il hopeful case,
and we may expect to SEQ the patient
up and dressed il we can get the right
kind of doctor. As it is very well
known, however, We place much more
dependence upon diet and sanitary reg
nlations in ease Of sickness than we 10
upon medicine. In this case we would
chop off what cannot he cured and
purge until we had cleaned the system
Of the worn-out matter that clogs it.
Then we would give considerable Mt
tcntion to the stomach and to house
clca. ing. \ correspondent asks us
what will be the policy Of one Of tho
parties which he names, il it succeeds
III clecting its candidate? Its policy
viii lie to keep in office, and the policy
Of the party that il defeated will he to
get into o;licc Positively that i all
there il I'd the pasi;san politics Of to-
day. There is not shadow of
principle in either one Of them. Tho
tariff question is the only thing that
bears the slightest scmblance OF vitality,
and neither party has ever agreed upon
that and neither party ever will agree
upon il. II that question il ever
settled mt n national election
it must be done under the
auspices Of two new parties, one for
tariff and the other for free trale, Will,
no other question before the people
and no other political influence to op-
crate. Ii one party should adopt n
high-tariif platform, there would be
thousands of free traders who would
get wild upon the bare mention Of tar
i'll, and yet would vote the ticket be
cause il was the party ticket. Tho
same would be true Of thousand. OF
mon who would he connected with the
party that adopted free trade plat
form. lo., we repeat, that is the only
shadow of issue that there is between
the political parties. 1t is a grand
rush of 10000 mcn---lGO, 900 OF e:.cl,
party for Office, with all the rest Of
rs hurrahing and pushing in the re ".
The 200, 900 know rrec sely what they
arc after. The rest of us do not know
exactly what we are trying to do. The
nation needs to be relieved from all
such tomfoolery and supreme selfish
ness as that, or it " II not he long be-
fore these States Will be referred to rs
the sick man Of the West. Is, cc:ally
is such course reprellensible when
there are SO many quest ons OF pub
lie importance pressing for solution.
From tho scramble for Office upon plat
forms without principles, it M ht lie
judged that we had reached the solu-
ton of all the questions that affect our
prosperity. It is doubtful ii that could
be the condition of any people. New
questions are constantly coming up in
human affairs and relu re the best wis
dom to settle. Certainly il is not ourcon-
dition. Things with us are very much ut
loose ends. Ii the Government answers
any purpose whatever, except 10 sup
port hundred thousand o.hce-hol,lers,
we confess that We do not know what it
is. Will anybody please tell what the
General Government has done to bpnc-
tit the people of this country for the
last four years? II does not seem to
have any power to Go anything The
most helpless thing upon the face of
tho earth. judged from what it does, is
the American Government. The Pacific
railroads owe it large amount OF
money, and it cannot enforce payment;
the Mormons are defying the law, and
the Government cannot help it. Mon
opolics are robbing the people, and the
Government sits idly hy and permits it
tho people arc taxed to death, and,
though the Government has more
money than it wants, it cannot see its
way clear to lessen its assessments: our
1.-Two stock is exposed to destruction,
but the Government does not seem to
be ablc to afford us any protection
thieves plumber the public treasury
and the Government cannot convict
them, and this people have not bene
! fitted for four years particle more
from the Government ut Washington
rs far rs any direct act is concerned
than they have from the Government
Of Great Britain. 1t is \ pretty veal
concern, or it is monstrously corrup
one; and when the question is asked
What is the Government for? the onl,
answer that can be given is, To feet
and clothe a hundred thousand mendi
cants And, il that is really all til,
Government is doing, wc Lad bette
support tho poor in tho poor-house
and see If wc cannot get men in oflic,
who will he more eilicient.-- )Iiesteri
1 Rural