Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1886-09-01

tariff was with it; the gratitude of the cOun-
try for the preservation of the Union was
with it-all in the hands of the leaders of
the Republican party to be used and
abused exclusively for enriching and pro-
longing the life and power of the party. 1t
was drunk with power. 1t was not sur.
prising that such party should attempt
anything. 1t passed laws that the Supreme
Court had to declare unconstitutional; it
rioted in revolving corruptions like the
Credit Mobilier; it dispersed legislatures
with the bayonet; it corrupted the ballot
box; it put troops at the polls, and finally
ventured on the perilous experiment of re-
ject;ng man whom the people of the
country had elected Chief Magistrate
Such has been the history of the Republi-
can party.
THE NOBLE FIGHT OF THE DEMO
CRAZY.
1t had become clear that such party
must be thrust out of power, if it was meant
to save the Republic If the rights of tie
people were ever to be restored to them the
Republican party must be iethroned. In
this country there was still party that
year by year was struggling against this
usurpation of power. 1t had never backed
an inch from the close of the civil war. 1t
faced the bayonets, the deputy marshals,
the government roughs the officials, every
year, with the demand that the government
should be restored to the people. They
we're sBourbons' who had never in all
those long years forgotten the principle on
which the government was founded-that
the people must control it. Beaten one
year, they were at the polls in larger num-
bers the next, but always with the same
cry-that the people must rule. They had
no new doctrine on which to ask for sue
cess; they only repeated the same cry with
stubborn and answering courage. Die
they might, but yield they would not. The
bribery of position, the threats of force,
we're tried upon themin vain! Their courage
was chronic and their persistence inexora-
Die. At last, under their terrific blows, the
rock began to yield. The civil disabilities,
the test oaths, the prescription were shat
tered and scattered in the border States.
State after Stale in the South lifted itself
out of the mire and started on course of
dnexampled prosperity. Then the Demo-
cratic party marched straight on and fear
lessly to assault that Republican party as
it stood entrenched behind the Notifications
of Washington City. 1t first drove the
Republican majority from the hall of the
House of Representatives, and the country
drew long breath of relief as it felt that
the possibility of further reconstruction bills
and force bills, which were devised and
passed to fasten Republicans supremacy on
the country, was ended. Then came the
supreme effort and Democratic President
was installed at the White House, Such
has been the career of the Democratic par
ty. Its history stands before the American
people, and you are now called on to choose
between that and the Republican party.
THE PRINCIPLES OF THE DEMOCRATIC
The Republicans are making desperate
effort to paralyze the Democratic admins
tration by electing hostile House of Rep
resentatives. In this they are opposed by
the Democracy, which brings this platform
of principles
That Government cannot interfere with
the citizen more than is absolutely neces-
sary to perform the functions for which it
was ordained.
That the Federal government is one of
limited powers prescribed by the Constitu-
ton, and those not so prescribed are re-
served to the States. The Republicans
hold that these reserved rights of the State
can be recalled. But the Democracy of the
country hold that while the war settled for
all time the right of a State to withdraw
from the Union. every other right of the
States remains to them in full force, and can
only be affected by change in the Federal
Constitution. The Republicans profess to
discard the doctrine of States rights and
vet themselves conceded its force, by pass
ing the 18th, 14th, and 10th amendments
to the Constitution to be accepted by the
States, in order to adjust the country to the
new order of things.
That the revenue necessary to admins
ter the government must be derived from
a tariff on imports and from no other source,
and that such tariff so laid must of necessi-
ty protect the articles on which duty is
levied. They hold that the tariff should be
adjusted in it's application so as to protect
the natural products of the country, pro-
tect our home industries, and protect our
home labor from foreign competition. and
that the benefit of this protection should be
distributed among the people and not piled
up upon monopolies.
That there shall be sound currency and
that ST worth of work or 81 worth of any
commodity, shall be worth one dollar in
gold or silver, and that every bank note is
sued under the government shall be con-
vertble into its face value in coin.
THE BLAIR BILL.
The Democracy of Virginia has declar-
ed unquestionably for the Blair bill. 1t is
not only expedient and necessary but it is
right. 1t is the only fair and just method
by which the surplus of taxation taken from
the people can be returned to them.
THE HARD TIMES.
What has produced the hard times, which,
have now begun to brighten up little, but
which, with brief interval of two or three
years, have been trying the country ever
since the year 1873? They have not been
confined to the United States-High tariff
France and Free trade England, only sepa-
rated by a body of water that you can see
across. have suffert alike and at the same
time, and still suffer side by side. In this
country they san be ascribed to no change
made by the Democratic party, for since
that party took possession Of the Admins
tration the tariff has not been touched or
changed in word, figure OF letter. The
tariff of to-day is the same Republican tariff
that has been in active operation for fifteen
years. And yet the Republicans tell you
that their tariff is sure guarantee of good
prices for farm products and good wages
for labor. This is their tariff; how do they
explain its failure to give prosperity From
1861 to March 4th, 1885, there have been
Republican laws executed by Republican
Administrations. How do they account,
then, for hard times ever since 1873. What
are the facts shout our prosperityi More