The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-01-10
The Same Old Dodge.

In every election which has taken
place since the Republican party has
come into power that party has had two
issues which it constantly pushed to the
front. One was the .'bloody shirt" and
the other the imperiled ''business in
terests." Upon these two strings it has
been wont to play most dreadful and
discordant music to the ears of hmid
people. The scare on ''b business IN
terests was intended to reach the ears
of the commercial and Industrial part oil
the people. and the dreadful outrages
at the South was meant to paralyze the
benevolent and philanthropic people OF
the country, whose delicate sensibilit es
could easily be inhamed by skilfully
told stories of desperate assaults upon
the inohensive and harmless colored
brother. These familiar schemes are
we'll known to all the country, and as
they were thought to contain much food
for the stumper, and abound in fruitful
texts for the average editor, they have
done woman Serv ce in several cam
paigns. But it has been noticed by OBJ
serving people that as soon as the cleo
ton was over the colored brother found
no one to modest or make him afraid, and
the business concerns OF the country
gave no evidences of the fearful danger
which they had escaped. This singular
| thing has doubtless caused some remark
! and perhaps given rise TO the suspicion
| that after all these picturesque accounts
| of S luthern troubles and impending
commercial dangers may have been only
| the visions of the disOrdered fancieS Of
| Republican statesmen, Superinduced by
! dwelling too severely upon the posi-
bility of losing their patronage and then
| offices. Such q danger TO the mind OF
Republican statesman might possibly
produce a disordered fancy and give
| risesto the most fearful apprehensions;
The loss of position and power mig
possibly present great uneaSness to the
mind of those protiting by party doml'
nation, and the most harrow ng spec.
tiers might rise to confront them, and
through them the country, in tie event
of party disaster. But as no social up
heavals. no commercial disasters have
followed the narrow escape which the
country has made upon several recent
occasions when the Democracy were
very near obtaining the supreme power
it NAV be reasonably inferred that per
haps all this racket is but the device o.
Republican politicians to save them
selves from danger. At any rate it /:
safe to receive all such narrowing an
nouncements with much allowance. fol
these dreadful visitatiOns seem only Il
come with the return of the Presiden
tial year. In sort of feeble way thi:
humbusgerv is now again sought to b'
tried on. The Republican editor see:
danger to the negro in the defeat o
Malone in Virginia, and sees CONNER
cial calamities in the election OF MIR
Carlisle OF course the old plan won
work so well this time, because TIL
people are getting tired Of fleeing from
Republican ghosts, but will Try the ole
dodge just the same. 1t is but a sorr,
attempt to save a discouraged part.
from defeat, but as it is The best the.
can do perhaps we ought not CRITICS.
them too severely. 1t will be the las
time they will ever use it, and let then
make the best ofit.-Anericd'a Register