Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-09-01
1UEsDAY......sEpTEMBER l. 1885.
Republican statesmanship Hard
Times.

lVkoUA IssssssSBt n"DHAs - ~'
Republican Statesmanship Hard
Times.
The Republican party was dismissed
non power last fall for several reasons.
One reason was that though they had
had control Of tho Government for
twenty odd years they had, according
70 their own charges and admissions,
not succeeded in perfecting restored
Upion. They themselves, IS has been
we'll and truly said, had not accepted
the results Of the war. They wanted .
union restored so far only as to make
the southern people tax-payers-not 9
union under which any southern man
could take Office. They desired the
assistance Of the "rebels " in bearing
tho burthens Of the National Govern
msnt, but not in sharing the hsnors or
The emoluments Of Office.
Another reason for dismissing the
Republican party from power was
found in the hard times of which symp-
toms began to manifest themselves
everywhere last year. But for the appre-
tensions which pervsded the public
mind on this subject, it is possible that
BLAINE might have been elected Pre-
sident of the United States. The panic
Of 1873, under Republican rule, was
still fresh In the minds Of the voters.
Surely the people cannot have forgot
ten the terrible days Of 1873, when the
largest Of our banking-houses went
down; when almost everybody was
afraid to deposit money in any bank
when those persons who had money in
bank were afraid to leave it there and
when, in short, all business was threat
sned with . total paralysis. What
vas the Republican remedy for
this state Of things? Why, their
Congress passed the resumption act,
which was denounced in the Democratic
platform Of 1876, and condemned by
the people when in November of that
year they elected Mr.. TILDES to be
President Of the United States. Mr.
TILDEN cid not get the office to which
the people had elected him, but Mr..
HAYES got it. The resumption act
was saved from being an entire failure
by the passage Of the silver bill over
the veto Of Mr.. HAYES. But for
the operation Of the silver law, dire
disaster would have been the result Of
the attempt to force Q resumption Of
specie payments on the LIST of January,
1879. II Mr.. HAYEs's veto had been
sustained in 1878, the year 1879 would
have seen such panic IS would have
ended forever the career Of the Repub-
lioan party.
One single fact can be named which
ought to render it impossible for the
Republican party ever to secure the
control Of the Government again-the
fact that though the national debt has
been reduced by about one thousand
millions Of dollars since the war be-
tween the States closed, it would take
more wheat, or -four, or cotton, to pay
the remainder Of that debt now than it
would have taken to pay the entire debt
in 1866. In 1866 the entire debt was
. little over twenty-seven hundred mil
lions Of dollars. The average price Of
wheat in New York the same year was
>l.s7a per bushel. In other words,
fourteen hundred millions Of bushels
Of wheat would have paid the whole
debt. The national debt in 1885 is. q,
We have said, nearly thousand mil
lions Of dollars less than it was il
1866--that is, 10 about seventeen hun
dred millions of dollars, and yet /
would require, not simply fourteen
hundred millions Of bushels Of wheat
but about eighteen hundred millions 0
bushsls, to pay the mere remainder Q
that debt!
Isit any wonder that the people las
year dismissed such . party fror
powsrs Are the people Of virgini
expecssd to allow such party to clair
thia State - approving statssmanshi
Of that sortf Will you longer trust
party which At the end Of twenty-a,
ysass Of rule lsn the country in such
condition - It Was in whom the Den
ecss<s took charge Of the Government,
where 10 the Democratic speaker WI
desires any better capital than the fac
70 which we have called attention
this article?
A French boy who had been col
dsunsd to death for the murder
both his parents responded, when ask
4 hs bed any reason to give Why SO
tsncs should not b pronounced up,
him, list b hoped the court YOU
take pity spon . poor orphan. II
inpudsncs Of the Republican party
equal to that Of the French boy. Und
~ rule the panic Of 1878 occarre
AZ ~ end Of the period Of its lol
rule, il leaves the country in the to
sibls condition IN which Il Vas VIII
~ Dtuecrstie party accedsd 70 pows
when asksd II they have any reason
ejys Why sentence should not b pr
nsuaesd spon then, they sctually plea
Hths hard times " !-ths hard tim.
~ Whlch they were responsible !
ma and again n 1884, and for ne
pssvsstiag which ths people last ysa
conlsnnsd thsn.