Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1884-02-13
The Political Issues.

1SSuNS'
We publish below an excellent article
from that standard Democratic paper,
The american Register. We hope every
voter in the county will read it carefully
as il presents IN clear and concise lam
guage the issues ofthe next campaign:
"Much has been said aud written OF
late about the political issues before The
country and the Republican organs ap.
pear 10 have dlfli-ulty 10 shaping the
issues 10 suit themsel YES at the present
particular juncture. The question arse
upon matter of fact, which newspapers
cannot wholly iabricate, and should
not be allowed TO mould or give form
To. Attention is invited here to few
of these issues.
First. What is the real issue on the
tariff? The Republican party is in favor
of protective tariff which makes pro-
lection its primary and controlling object
and rerenue simply incidental thereto.
But the Democratic party adheres to
reUenue tariff, which makes revenue its
controlling object, but affords protection
as incident TO the selection Of the artl.
Giles on which the du es are laid
The consequence of this Is that the
Democratic tariff is limited to the nee.
essary expenses OF the Government,
while the Republican tariff collects be-
tween one and two hundred Millions OF
dollars a year more than is needed for
the public expenditures, This is the
real issue on this subject, and it makes
the question whether the people desire
to be taxed a hundred million dollars
and over, a year, more than is actually
necessary or not.
Second. What is the real issue OF
the finances of the Government The
Democratic party has ALWAYS siGce the
days Of Jefferson, indeed since the for
nation of The Constitution, made econO-
my 10 ;he administration of the Gov
eminent cardinal principle. Where.
as the present Republican party since
II came into power in 1861 has favored
a constant enlargement Of the expen-
ditures of the FEDERAL Government
with view not only TO PERSONAL az
grandiz3ment, but also with view 10
the Capitalization of power, and the
protection OF favored interests, and the
creation of moDlpolies. In 1873, hav-
ing an overwhelming majority in btoh
branches of Congress, the Republican
party passed "tne salary grab law"
whereby the salaries of the leading
public officers of the United States
were about doubl, d, and the Presi-
dents salary raised from $4,000 to
so, 900 a year, when his perquisites
of Office in the way of expenses of the
Executive Mansion were already over
$500 a year. Besides this, the prof.
legacy with which the Republican
party has squaudered aud given away
the public lands to railway and other
corporation monopolics shows a waste
ful extravaganza in that party that
knows no bounds. When this Repub.
lican party came into power, In 1861
the total net animal ordinary expen-
ditures had been under Democratic
administration the year previous only
$6O,O56, 754,71 ; whereas under the
Republican administration 10 1862
the expenditures reached the sum of
$456,379, S96.71, and they continued
to increase in the same way every year
until in 1865, the total expenditures
of the Republican party for that gear
reached the enormous amount of
81, 217, 7O4, 1929, exceeding a mil
lion of dollars a month. During the
war of course the expenditures were
vastly increased, but since the war,
aud exclusive of the war debr, the Or
binary annual expenses of the Coy
eminent have grown to about three
hundred milton dollars a year, an
increase in the ordinary annual ex-
penditures of the Government of more
than four hundred per cent. IL der
this Republican party.
So much for the finances.
Third. What is the issue as to the
preservation Of equality Of rights
among the people? The Democratic
party has always insisted upon jeff
erson's idea, that the blessings of gov
erDment, like the dews of heaven,
should fall equally and alike upon all.
the rich and the poor, the great and
the small, all men. paying il homage,
the least as feeling its care, and the
greatest as not exempt from its power.
But this Republican party is the party
of monopoly, of corporations and con