Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1886-08-25

The Sick Man.

thief has, says the Lynchburg NeaUs, its
parallel in politics. Not unfrequently a
party that is conscious of its own short
comings Will vehemently arraign its oppo-
nent in the hope that by overwhelming him
with ooncocted crimes it may escape the
criticism to which it is itself justly amena-
Bile. An instance in point is offered by the
Republican party at the present time. 1t
is in consciously moribund condition, and
in order to withdraw the public gaze from
its own rickety condition it continuously
clamors that the Democratic party is dead,
or in dying state. The collapsed condition
of this effete and obsolete party that has
had its day, and yet lags superfuous on the
stage, is given by the New York World.
Five causes, our contemporary says, tend to
impair the health, if not to threaten the life,
of the once "Grand Old Party" First, it
has positively no issue on which to 60 to the
people. 1t was kept alive for years after its
mission ended by two things-the use of
money and the abuse of Democracy. But
it is positively destitute of an issue. "Pro-
lection" is On absurdity because there is no
Free Trade party and the Republicans, like
the Democrats, are divided in opinion on
the tariff. Southern outrages" are I'M
available. The "bloody shirt" is washed
as white as snow. The ''solid South" is a
failure, because it is understood that the
South is as untrammeled in it's political
action as is the North.
Secondly, the Prohibition movement is a
serious cause of Republican, ailment. As
the Prohibition strength increases the Re-
publican strength naturally decreases. For
years the Prohibitonists have been allies of
the Republican party. Now the Prohibition
party looms up into the proportion of an
important separate organization and is in
ereasing in number, especially in the donbt-
full States, every year.
A third cause of the Republican malady
is the Labor movement. The Republican
party is the creator Of monopolies. There
is not an intelligent laboring man in the
country who does not know that the Jay
Goulds and Huntingtons have been the
supporters of Republicanism; that their
money has been spent to elect Republican
administrations, to corrupt Republican
office-holders and to purchase seats on the
Supreme bench for their Republican tools.
Fourthly, the Repu blican party no longer
has ''October States" nor can it now con-
centrate upon them Federal official army
and an unlimited corruption fund.
A fifth cause for the "Sick Man's'' IN
fortunate condition is the loss to the Re-
publican party of its heretofore valuable
capital of ghost stories concerning the
Democracy. 1t can no longer make even
the silliest people believe that Democratic
ascendancy means the destruction of bust
ness interests, the degradation of the public
service, the overthrow of constitutional
provisions, the payment of the rebel debt,
the pensoning of Confederate soldiers and
the return of the South to the saddle. The
Democratic Administration has shown the
stupid falsity of such ISLANDERS.
Without issues to present, without 100,-
600 Federal officers to assess, without the
old assistance from corporations, without
money to purchase votes and without the
power to successfully SANDER the Democ-
racy. the Republican party is indeed very
''Sick Man."