Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1888-01-20
TIE SITUATION.

HE SlIUA1lONs
If our correspondent "D' desires to
make votes for the Republican party,
he should not place that party in such
awkward positions. One week he will
endorse, or apologize, for miskegenation,
one of the strongest moral planks upon
which the Republican party won many
adherents in it's purer state by denounc-
ing. lie thinks enough cannot be done
for the soldiers OF the late war and de-
nouuces Cleveland as a fraudulently
elected President because he vetoed
bill thaG would put them before the
world as paupers, and accepts John
Sherman's assertion that Cleveland was
fraudulently elected and totally ignores
the opinion of the soldier, Gen. Sher-
man, who as positively asserted that he
was honorably and fairly elected, whose
opioion was fully confirmed by the most
deeply interested party at the time
Jas G. Blaine-who gracefully accepted
the situation and called upon Cleveland
after inaugurated and extended his con-
gratulations. Last week I'D" capped
the climax by insinuating that Cleve-
lands administration was responsible
for the enormous land grants to railroad
monopolies, aggregating $i47, 729, 40,
while the facts are patent to all who
read and know anything about the af-
fairs of the government that il is just
the reverse. The readers of the JOUR-
NAL can fully attest the fact that it has,
while advocating Republican principles,
denounced without stint since 1872 Re
publican politicians for wholly ignoring
their own platform on this subject and
voting away the public lands under the
fascinating influence of well salaried
lobbyists, always claiming that there
was an abundance of idle capital IN the
country to build railroads into the west
rs fast as the settlement of the States and
Territories would demand and make
profitable. Where is the man that knows
enough to know how to vote for the in
terests of a Republic who don't know
that these great monopolies have been
built up mainly through the facinating
influence of lobbyists upon the men
whom we elect to Congress and the men
with their millions who buy up Legisla-
lures for a seat in the Great American
Board of Trade? President Cleveland
strongly recommended the reclaiming
of these lands, thus given to monopolies,
and his administration has been doing a
very good work in that direction during
the past three years. Shall we. condemn
and hold him and the officials he has ap-
pointed and recommended to carry on
this work responsible for the corruption
of others? There are pot house politi-
clans in both of the old parties, who say
yes. Our idea of supporting Republi-
can form of Government says no. By
such condemnation we simply place a
premium on rascality and robbery and
can expect to have nothing else in pub
lie Office.
The idea also advanced by I'D" that
the government cannot have too large q
surplus, is simply an admission that a
lot of politicians can handle and dis.
burse surplus better than can the peo-
pie from whom it is collected in taxes,
The weight Of such an argument is well
calculated to sink itself, without effort
to refute it.
In rupport OF these thoughts we ap-
pend the following two paragraphs from
the Columbus Dispatch, one of whose
editors was considered a good enough
Republican by President Garfield to be
appointed Postmaster at Columbus, and
these paragraphs appeared right in the
midst of the red hot campaign of last
fall
President Cleveland's letter to Secrs-
tary Lamar in the Guilford Miller case
bids fair to be big Presidential card in
1888. The President has struck very
tender and not in the least an unrespon-
sive chord in the popular heart. He has
befriend9d poor man in mis- struggle to
keep his humble little home out of the
clutches of powerful and grasping
corporation. 1t is enough. Mr. Cleve-
land is now not merely Mr. Guilford
Miller's friend and protector, he is the
friend and protector Of the poor man
everywhere. He has taken his stand by
the poor mans side, and said In stern ac-
cents to the constituencies grabber of
the poor mans land, Hands off I"
"1'his is undoubtedly the most popular
act of Mr. Cleveland's administration.
Without any question it will give him
immense strength as a candidate in 1888.
The interview with Dir. Powderly in
the New York Herald of Saturday. was
exceedingly significant. Mr.. Powderly
Is not only a sensible, clear-headed and
conservative man., but he speaks for a
million and half of Knights of Labor.
And what does Mr. Powderly say of the
Presidents letter? He says 1t is gen
erous, bold and patriotic" When ask
I'd If the Knights of Labor were In sym
pathy with Mr.. Cleveland in this mat
ter, he replied Entirely so. We
shall 10 a man support any Administra-
tion which enters earnestly upon land
reform, and stand by IL until the Last
gun is fired" This is only the Begin
ming" continues Mr.. Powderly. "Mr.
Cleveland is not the man 10 stop there,
or, IL, lac does. we shall vote for can
didate who will go ahead with this great