Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-07-04
REPUBLICAN NOMINEES.
COMMENTS OF LEADING PAPERS.
The New York Times for Cleveland.

The New York Times for Cleveland.
1T WILL WORK FOR THE ELECTION OF TIE
DEMOCRATIC TICKET-soME CHILLING RE-
MARKS FROM REPUBLICAN, JOURNALS.
The New York Times, confessedly one
of the ablest republican papers in the coun-
try, in leading editorial June Goth an
nounced its purpose to give Cleveland and
Thurman hearty support. After tribute
to the personal worth of the republican
nominees for President and Vice. President,
the Times says: "But the people of this
country will pass judgment upon the re-
publican party. not upon the republican
candidates. Were that party any longer
worthy of confidence; had it not departed
widely and hopelessly from the guidance
and principles with which it won its early
triumphs; were it actuated by an honest
purpose to make the people of the United
States more prosperous and happy than its
nolitical opponents can make them; were it's
professions more sincere, its policies wiser,
and it's leaders purer, the New York Times
might not find it distasteful task to sup
port the candidates, commonplace as they
are, who were put in nomination yesterday.
But we have no faith in the party or in its
leadership or tendencies, and we have only
adherence for the monstrous policy of
confiscating the gains of labor and the
profits of trade by extortionate protective
taxes, which has become its only vitalizing
principle. The maintenance of needless
taxes for projections sake is not and never
was principle of true republicanism. 1t
is the principle that has created and sustain
ed greedy horde of manufacturers who
have bought the republican party aud shap-
ed it to their uses. They took possession
of it's charter and control of its actions in
the year 1872, when the party had already
begun to rot inwardly, and from that time,
beginning with the presidential contest OF
that year, the intelligent and thinking
voters of the country have been less and
less in sympathy with republicanism, and tt Q
people, as q whole have been moved by a
continuing and everstrengthening impulse
to put the party out of power. The i'm
pulse first showed itself in the liberal re-
publican revolt of 1872, a strong and sin
cere movement which ended disastrously in
the Greeley folly. In 1876 the people of
the country, as majority of them no
doubt believed and still believe, did cast
majority of their votes against the repub-
lican. candidate. An extra constitutional
body decided the contest Of that election in
favor of the republicans by partisan vote
of its own members, and the narrow ma
iority of a single electoral vote. In 1880
the treachery of certain democrats, discon-
tented with the nomination, and the use of
great sums of money in Indiana and in this
city and State in purchasing votes for the
republican ticket, gave the party another
four years. lease of power. In 1884, in spite
of the extraordinary growth of that most
noxious weed of American politics, the
Blaine dynamite vote, the late but deserv-
I'd penalty of its corruption and it's evil
courses was visited upon the republican
a,,l 20 hou
to regret it's action in that year, the cleo
torate gives signs of increasing satisfaction
at the change.
meanwhile the republican party, pun
ished but impenitent, clings to the idols the
voters have spurned, and again knocks at
the door of the Executive Mansion, bear
ing in its hand the declaration that whisky
should be free and clothing taxed, that the
present protective taxes are sacred and
shall not be reduced-shall be increased,
rather if ways cannot be found in jobbery
aud extravaganza to spend fast enough the
accommodating revenue. The Times will
not sha me its consistent record of more
than twenty yesrs by coupseling the open
ing of that door to these unworthy appi-
cants. Before 1868 this journal began its
advocacy of the repeal of unnecessary Gus
toms taxes imposed for war purposes.
"Whatl have we fought for freedom in
our prime.
At last to dodge and palter with public
crime?"
sNor does the republican patty invite or
deserve our aid on other grounds. 1t has
only with extreme reluctance abandoned
Blaine as a candidate, and its leading news
paper organs, without rebuke, continue to
protest that 'Blaineism is republicanism
We find too many reasons to accept the
shameful confession as truthful, The men
who were Blaine's fugemen in 1884 have
still potent influence in the direction of
the party, and Blaine and protection re-
main the only ideas which awaken any en-.
thusiasm in the republican ranks.
"For the working out of the reforms
which The Times believes to be the chief
issues of our politics the democratic party,
with its present candidates, is the better in
strument, to use Mr.. Tilden's expression.
Its candidates are incomparably superior to
those of the republicans, and the announce
ment of purposes with which it enters the
contest is more satisfactory, and in respect
to the dominant issue is firmly right, while
the other is hopelessly wrong. AS regard s
civil.service reform, though we have had oo.
casion criticise the present administration fer
some of its errors and failures, we have
greater confidence in Mr.. Cleveland's Sin
cerity and fidelity than in the written pro
fessions OF party whose leaders are I'M
able to speak of the reform without sneer.
The Times will give Cleveland and Thnr-
man its hearty support, and will do what
lies in Its power, and it is not commonly an
inactive newspaper in a presidential con-
test, to make their majority such that
there will be no doubt about it the mornlng
after ele ction."
New York Commercial Advertiser, (rep. y
''The platform is astonishing in its propo-
sails It is, as we have said, unrepublican
and unAmerican. 1t is a platform in direct
contradiction of the history, the principles,
the teachings and the oft-leiterated promi-
ses of the party in whose name conspiracy
of INSCRIPTIONS politicians has put it forth.
Lincoln would have repudiated it with dis
gust and loathing because it antagonizss
individual liberty and the rights of the peo-
pie in the interest Of a favored and would
be aristocratic class Henry Wilson would
never have assented to it, Salmon P.
Chase would have scorned it. Garfield,
Grant, Arthur, McCulloch and Folger left
words on record which condemn its most
vital parts, and we mistake the character of
intelligent republicans of to-day if many
thousands of them do not condemn it with
their ballots as their representative news.
papers have through many months con-
demned its suggestions in advance
In another article, headed 'eWhat Are
We Going to Do About It ?'' the Same
paper says "What are we-the people of
the United States-going to do about ii?
We will tell you plainly, gentlemen mono
rolists, who desire to tax us for your en-
Iichment and to make of yourselves our
aristocratic rulers we are going to enforce
the American idea, which all great parties
in this country have hitherto respected,
and to which only cranks, anarchists and