The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1886-12-23

in, in the matter of imported dollars and cents,
the Southern man ought to be stone blind to
wish ever to see q Republican Administration
again. fndic0tor.
Our genial neighbor struggles manfully
to make itself believe that there is really
something good in the Democratic party J;
but every time 1t undertakes to bolster up
its waning faith it has to travel outside of
the straight path. No one knows better
than does the Vaadicator that the boom in
the South is due to the fact that the Dem
ocratic policy has not been carried out
Had the declaration Of the Democratic
platform, the recognized policy of the par
ty, or the promises made by its acknowl-
edged leaders, materialized into laws. the
boom of which the Vasdicator boasts would
never have been visible to the naked eye.
We had specimen of Democratic ''boom"
Immediately preceding and Immediately
after the Presidential election. Then the
apprehension that democratic promises
would be redeemed, cast gloom over eve
ry business enterprise. The stagnation
that followed democratic ascendancy was
without precedent. Every industry felt
its effects; the depression reached to eve
~ community, and invaded the home of
every man who worked with his hands,
When it was ascertained that the dominant
party was powerless toenforce its announ-
ced program, better feeling became man.
ifest. Confidence by degrees began to be
restored. The process was slow, until the
pet scheme of the democratic party was
defeated last summer. Then the business
interests discovered there was a mere
fragment of the Democratic party that
could be relied upon to stand with the Re-
publicans in the maintenance Of Republic
can principles. That assured. pent up cap
ital CONNER need to look about for invest
ment. A fresh impetus was given in the
result of the November election. Free
tradeisn received a staggering blow, and
the Democratic policy was doomed. Its
chosen champions were either sent to the
wall, or returned by majorities slender
enough to constitute practical defeat
This gave renewed assurance that the wise
policy inaugurated and upheld by the Re-
publican party would not be disturbed and
it was this assurance alone that caused
the business boom.
Our contemporary will hardly contend
that these results would have followed the
passage of the Morrison or the Hewitt
bill, both Democratic measures, framed
in accordance with the platform declara-
lions. Nor would they have resulted from
the enactment into law of the recommen-
dations of tho President or his Secretary
of the Treasury. They followed because
neither the President nor his party could
redeem the pledges they had made. They
followed because the well known policy of
the Republican pariy-that policy that has
made this the greatest nation of the earth
has stood kunshaken by democratic as
sault. They followed because the business
interests of the country approved and re-
lied upon the maintenance of that policy.
The boom" is the legitimate fruit of
the defeat of the Morrison bill. The defeat
of the Morrison bill was the defeat of the
Democratic party. and the triumph of its
opponents. 1t was rebuke to the Presi-
dent and his party,-the reputation of the
recommendation, made by the one, and the
violation of the pledge given by the other.
It is an endorsement of the Republican re-
cord. 1t is the assurance Of the renewed
confidence which the country feels in the
wisdom, the patriotism and the integrity
OF that old party which is to-day better
understood and dearer to the hearts of the
people than it ever was before.
We challenge our contemporary to point
to one single act of the Democratic party
that has contributed to the result upon
which it comments. Nay. more we chal-
lenge it to arrest that the enactment of
any one of the revenue measures, sane
toned by the highest authorities Of its par
ty, would no. have proven disastrous to
the South-either the Morrison or the
Hewitt bill. the recommendation Of the
President or of his Secretary of the Treas
ary.
The French government is working In
,essantlv and vigorously to place The arma.
nent of France in the cempletest condi-
ion possible. Italy IS arming, and Germa-
~ is reported to be increasing her troops
n Alsace and Lorraine.