The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-03-05

States and the purchase of the presidency?
What party is the willing tool of the liquor
league2 What party stands to-day eaten
through and through with plutocracy, and in
which a poor man has little or no chance of
promotion? Call the roster of the Democratic
candidates and then call the roster of Repub-
ican nominees, and see in which party poor
men have been honored-men representative
of the great middle class of the American peo-
pie. Frankly conceding that there has been
much to find fault with in the Republican
party, that here and there it has been tarred
with the stick of corruption, it is still indis-
putable that the party has not Mathematical the
almighty dollar, and does not march under
the banner of any barrel, whether of money,
Standard oil or whisky. No such test of avail
ability is ever mentioned in connection with
any Republican named for high office.
Next to citizenship, there is the tariff.
Trimmers would like to have it appear that
there is no fundamental difference between
the parties upon this question: but any can
did man knows better. 1t is not question of
the reform of the tariff, as some Democrats
would have us believe; but it is question of
the retention of the principle of protection to
home industries and home labor in the Amer
lean political system. Whatever may be in
dividual differences in the one party or the
other, the clear, sharp dividing line is upon
the very essence of the principle of protection,
and the divergence is just as decided to-day as
it ever was.
Civil-service reform in its best meaning is
involved in the pending election. The defeat
of Pendleton in Ohio, and the prevalent idea
that the Democratic House of Representatives
will refuse to make an appropriation. for the
commission, to say nothing of the general
record of the two parties and the utterances
of their leading papers and public men, are
evidence sufficient that Democratic success
means to turn back the hands upon the dial Of
civil-service reform. Individual and isolated
opinion cannot have any effect upon the gen
eral trend Of the parties
A sound financial policy is involved. There
are many indications that the wisest states
manship and the most thorough honesty are
yet needed before all financial questions are
settled, and before the United States is put
upon a solid financial foundation. Squalls are
already beginning to arise, and financial
storm could be easily raised by demagogues
and empires, especially were the industrial
basis of the country to be rudely disturbed
by Democratic success.
These are some of the leading questions
upon which the Republican party is right and
the Democratic party is wrong. They are ma
tional questions; they affect national policies.
There are those local and minor, but which by
many may be regarded as more important even
than these. Whatever they may be- whether
they involve public morals or private rights,
the Republican party is still nearer the right
and the Democratic party nearer the wrong.
On these questions the parties will go to the
battle and the man who thinks there is moth
ing in the wager worthy of his best achieve
ment simply makes an exhibition of his own
want Of earnest conviction.