The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1888-07-26
WHISKY AS AN ISSUE IN THE
CAMPAIGN.

WHISKY AS AN ISSUE IN THE
CAMPAIGN.
New York Herald,)
The history of the Republican
party furnishes one of the most
striking and mournful contrasts
of modern politics. The cham
pion of the higher law in 1861. it
has become the advocate of free
and unlimited corn juice in 1888.
The gentleman who in prehis-
toric times fell for twelve consec-
utive honrs-that is ''from morn
to noon, from noon to dewy eve,
a summers day"-aifords the on.
Iy parallel of rapid descent that
we can at the moment recall
The Republican party and the
gentleman whose example it has
followed had an equally clear and
clean record up to a given point.
The punishment of the latter
came quickly on the heels of his
guilt, but it remains 10 be seen
whether IN this respect human
and divine justice bear any close
resemblance to each other.
The Republican party in its
youth was vigorous, virile, with
the courage of its convictions,
somewhat reckless of consequen.
ces, but open hearted and large
hearted. Slavery is hell incar-
nate, was the war cry that rang
through the land like the notes
of a trumpet. Political organiza.
tions were split asunder by its
beetle and wedge, and when Gen.
Anderson evacuated Fort Sumter
to the music of his band and with
a salute to the nag of one hun
dred guns the North peeled off
its political prejudices; demo-
cratic generals led republican
regiments and republican gener.
ais led democratic regiments to
the cemeteries where hundreds of
thousands of brave men lie hon
ored and remembered. In the
throes of civil convulsion that
shook every throne on the planet
the question of slavery was set
tied forever. Those were heroic
days.
Now, however, after a progres.
sive decadence of quarter Of a |
century, the republican party is
willing to regain power at any
cost. Principle gives way to \
strategy and conscience to ambi-
ton. Thrust into the outer dark
ness of retirement. where there |
is wailing and gnashing of teeth,
but neither prequisite or patron
age, it scans the horizon for an
issue, and at last finds one. That |
issue is symbolized by the two
campaign cries which at present
fill and vex The air-The Flag Of
the Union and cheap corn juice;
and The Red, White and Blue
and universal drunk.
The people of this country,
therefore. have come to the cross
roads in politics and must choose
which path they will take, The
one leads 10 a distillery and
station house; the other to a
woollen mill and steady work.
Cheap clothing is worth to the
poor man almost as much as re-
ligion. 1t is not a luxury, but a
prime necessity. His very life
hangs on his ability to purchase
a good flannel shirt. The health
and consequently the prosperity,
contentment and happiness. of
his humble home depend on the
price of wool. With warm un-
derclothiBg men, women and
children can resist the dread en-
emy Of this climate, pneumonia.
A glance at the statistics of NOR
tallty will prove that the proper
clothing placed within the reach
of the miner, the mason, the far
mer is next in importance to the
New Testament and the Declara-
lion OF Independence.
When the working classes turn to
the two political parties to discover
which Is moro thoughtful of their in
terest they make this discovery:
That the Democrats would low
or taxes, cheaper the price of the
of life, start up the mill
wheels that have been rotting with
disuse, extend the American mar
ket, make the demand for labor
greater and increase the purchasing
power of the workingman's wages.
That the Republicans would
mako taxes still higher in order to
protect and perpetuate a wealthy
class, and then throw a sop TO the
Iaborers of the country in the shape
of free corn juice.
That is the true and only issue
in this campaign.
This country exported last year
$40, 100000 worth of petroleum