Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-06-28
THE BATTLE rs BEGUN.
ISSUES WELL DEFINED ANo sATIs-
FACTORY TO REPUBLICANS.

: Northern Democrats Still Bound b
1 Southern Chains--A Summary of tn
High Principles for Witch Republican
p Fight--Demooratio shiiIy-shallyins.
The campaign L. fairly open; we kno,
just what the issues are to be, and the
suit the Republican to t. The Demo
! Gratis wabbled ell around the dividing line
and actually put in for while an appear
ance of craftsmanship and patriotism tha
deceived some people. but when the tes
came their old instincts proved 500 stron,
for them, they fell fat before the south
ern brigadiers and took such principles a
the latter dictated They never hav,
+ been emancipated. Republicans declared
their Independence over thirty years ago
and even the negroes were freed by 1870
but the regular Old Hunker Democrat.
are still subject to the plantation lords
The result is. they oppose American
manufacturers, and freq ballot and g
fair count In the Gulf states
| And that Is just the kind of fight the
Republicans wanted. They arc never SC
happy as when fighting for human rights
and American institutions. They are for
the American laborer every time against
the European. for the right of every
American, laborer OF capitalist, to vote as
| he pleases and have his vote counted, for
education, protection and progress, and
on the present issues their triumph Is ab-
| solately certain. unless the people have
lost the sense of honor and the Judgment
of what's good for them; and we don't be-
lieve they have.
But aside from general principles, are
there no specific facts. it will be asked
which foreshadow Republican victory?
There are many, Of which we will mention
but few.
First is the fact that Mr.. Cleveland was
elected by a sort Of accident and on the
most explicit pledges. which he has openly
violated. Those who were ''too good" to
vote for Mr.. Blaine have lately given us
their candid opinion of Mr. Cleveland's
performances and what is it7 Without
an exception, from Curtis to Caliban, they
say he has violated his pledges A few Of
them announce their intention to still
vote for him; but what sort of an appeal
can they make to their followers1 Neces-
sarily it will amount to about this: In
MIR. Cleveland's name and by his authority
civil service reform and new era of
purity; he has violated all these pledges,
demoralized the postoffice department,
degraded the judicial department, con-
fused the customs service and very
grievously afflicted us by sending inferior
men. largely ex-rebels. 60 represent us
abroad. and therefore--what? Well, now
the damage is done. he cannot do any
more; SO let us try him again. and see If
he does not improve by experience. If
the American people are chiefly simpletons
that argument" will win votes.
Another palpable fact, and one that is
going to count in this campaign for much
more than the Democrats suspect, is this;
Everybody knows that the administration
of James g Blaine, whatever other faults
1t might have had, would have been in
tensely American; and everybody knows
that the administration of Grover Cleve-
land has been painfully the reverse. AS
Dickens Jerry Cruncher" said of his
wife, '.she do be always a Hopping and
q Topping agin the business. too" so
Cleveland $ cabinet has ''fopped" every
time the chance offered When Bavard
wasn't "fopping" before England or
Canada, or Cleveland himself Hopping"
before what he called the '.Confederate
states" his own words) in the flag busl-
ness, the others were Hopping" before
Mexico or the whisky ring. Always and
everywhere "a Topping" And after
backing out Of their first position In the
fisheries, and refusing to execute one act
OF congress, and violating the law by Gre
ating commission without authority,
they ended by negotiating treaty 80 bad
that the Democratic journals dare not de-
fend iti and Democratic senators only
venture to ask that It's consideration may
be postponed till after the electionl Tbs
national pride Is wouaded; Americans feel
Inundated. and mauy thousands not
known as Republicans, men who do not
say much, will put in very effective
protest in November When the majority
against Grover Cleveland is counted out,
credit 100000 Of 1t to national pride and
as many more to that shameful letter on
returning flags to the Confederate
states"
Another very palpable fact is the feel
ing of the Union veterans It is becoming
the fashion to sneer ut the soldier ele-
ment. and we must admit with patriotic
sorrow that as the years roll on the ranks
of the veterans are thinning fast; but
there are still enough OF them to make
big difference. The old soldiers are not
they cheerfully indorsed the
unprecedented amnesty granted the Con-
federates. But they do insist that pa
rolled prisoners should show a little
modesty. that they should not claim
divine right to rule the country or even
the half of it, and that as the same recon
struction acts which restored them to
citizenship gave the suffrage to colored
men. common gratitude and common hon
esty ought to make them defend the col
ored voters right as they would defend
their own. Even the common Instincts
OF honor that prevail among gamblers
ought to make them do as much as this.
To be ''bossed" by those they captured
and paroled. to be taunted as .swaying
the bloody shirt" when they protest, to
be sneered at as 'rbeggars" by Confeder.
Etes in congress and insulted In veto mes
sages. is too much. The veterans will
give good account of themselves in No
vember.
These are but few Of many forces
working nightly for Republican success.
The people have made fair trial of Mr..
Cleveland and his Confederate states"
statesmen. and their disgust Is certainly
q palpable fact. Quietly but positively