Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1886-09-04
LOOK TO RESULTS.

Let no man be deceived in the
approaching election by political
promises. Let all who would cast
their ballots intelligently look to the
record. The only thing that is GER
tain is that which is past. IF the
Democratic party has fulfilled its
pledges; if it has redeemed the
promises it made; if its administra.
ton has contributed to the upbuild-
ing of the state and nation and the
prosperity of the individual, then it
is a public duty to endorse it and
strive for It's continuance. If on the
other hand the pledges it gave re-
nam unredeemed; if the promises
it made were broken; il the effect
of its administration has been to
paralyze business; to excite dis
trust, aud to bring distress upon
those whose labor is their only cap
ital, then it is plain, palpable duty
to use every honorable means for
the overthrow of party that has
proven so unfaithful to the trust
committed to it. In other words if
the citizen can conscientiously say:
81 have tried the Democratic party
for nearly two years, and am well
satisfied with the result" then in
justice to himself and those DEEPEN
dent upon him, he ought to vote for
continuance Of that condition of
affairs that has proven so beneficial
to him.
Ii on the contrary, however, in
looking over the business of the past
eighteen months the record shows
that the balance is ON the wrong
side of the ledger; if work has been
scarce and wages low, then it is his
duty to himself and family to en-
quire into the causes that have con.
tributed to the disaster that has
overtaken him. Politics are no
longer purely sentimental. Legis-
lation does reach down into indlvid
ual life. Whatever affects the state
at large affects also the various sec
tons of that state, and thence de-
scends in greater or less degree to
the humblest homes.
1t is idle to contend that the
enactments of law are not felt in
every day affairs-that measures OF
public interest are mere abstract
questions, useful only as themes for
Congressional debates and neither
designed nor intended to serve a
practical purpose. To illustrate
this we need only refer to single
measure that has become more or
less familiar to every intelligent
reader. If the last Congress cost
nothing more, it has certainly cost
the county of Augusta alone $685.
900, which would have come to us
under the Blair Educational Bill, as
it twice passed Republican Senate
and was twice killed in Democrat
lc House. But for Democratic
Congress We would to day have
been in the enjoyment OF that mu-
nliicent sum, and the children OF the
county would be reaping its benefit.
This measure alone would have
reached to nine-tenths of the humb-
LEI homes in this county, aud in the
same proportion to every county
and state of the South. The result
would have been that the children
of the poor wonld have had the
advantage of good schools without
additional cost to our people.
Again. The distrust and apprehen.
sion brought about by the threaten
ed passage OF the Morrison bill pro-
dnced business stagnation almost
without parallel in the history OF
tins country. The manufacturers
knew that Congress was dominated
BY a majority Of practical free
traders that il their aims and pur-
poses were carried out the duties
upon importations would be abolish
ed, or reduced to so low a figure
that competition, under our system
OF labor, would be impossible. Men,