The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1890-08-22
Republican vs.. Democratic Blum
ders.


1t is refreshing TO see that the republic
cans can sometimes commit plumbers rs
made striking remark, which became
famous, because Of its truthfulncss and
point When, Disguised with the corrup-
ton and misrule of the republicans, the
people rallied to the democratic party,
gave it majority Of seventy-two i'll the
lower house, sweeping state legislatures
and governors and furnishing every assur-
ancc that the presidential election would
also be won, Grant remarked that there
was no danger; "you can always rely on
the democrats to commit some blundcr at
the proper time"
Sure enough they did blunder and blum
der until the republicans regained alb
solute control of the government.
Then when they did win the presidency
and had majority in Congress, Cleve-
land, urged on by a small coterie of ex-
tremists, and filled with the confidence Of
conceit precipitated the free-trade issue
and by it was defeated, though had he
acted with prudence and good sense he
would have been elected by an ovcrwhclm-
ing majority. SO it has become proverb
that "the democrats can always be relied
on to commit blundcr at the proper
timo." They have blundered on the cur.
rency question; they have blundered on
the banking question; they have blum
dcrcd on the tariff question; they have
blundered in having II number of shallow
Drained hlatherskites to represent them
i'll Congress who never opened their
mouths without laundering, and they have
blundcred always at the very time when
their plumbers could be used most disas-
trously against them and when their ad-
vcrsarics needed their bluudcrs most to
save themselves from overthrow and ruin.
But the. republicans, who seemed too
shrcwd for any serious mistake so far AZ
their triumph at the polls was concerned,
have, under the prccipitatc and partisan
leadership of Reed, blundcred amazingly.
Reed blundcrcd in the rules he had adopt
ed, though tits pity there was no demo-
crat in Congress with sufficient parla-
mcntary ability to show the extent of his
blundcr. That WAS not made sufficiently
clear to the country until ''N. NJ. c., a
member Of his own party, being no other
person than Mr.. Blaine himself, pointed
out with extraordinary force and finish the
folly of such ruling and thc dangers to
which it would lead. This valuable contri-
button to our political and parliamentary
literature was evidently prompted by
Blanc's secret hostility to Reed. the two
being rivals from the same state, and fur
nishcs striking Illustration of the Mach
iavcllian saving, that 1.-THE discussions Of
individuals contribute to the welfare of
the state"
But more serious blunder still was the
passage of the force bill through the
House. This measure was so manifcstly
despotic and vicious, so calculated to
breed riot and precipitate bloodshed, and
IS ,'ss pr0ri.i0ns and
purpose, that even members of Reeds own
party could not stomach it. 1t was purely
~ arbitrary and dangerous device, con-
ceived. with the TcsiS.s = provoking revolt
and thereby perpetnating the power Of his
party. 1t was -blooded and inhu-
man trick to sacrifice the negro, not to
save him, and was worthy of Il scuttlc-ship
crew of pirates, not of Il body of civilized
and intelligent legislators.
The only effect of it will be to disclose
the desperate character of the partisans
who conceived if, and to solidify the South
against the republican party for years to
come.
Whether or not the democrats will now
endeavOr to commit some new blunder Of
their own to deprive them of the advantage
they would derive from the folly of their
enemies, remains to he seen. Judging from
their past ine1 haustible resources and
satility of talent in blunder-making, we
rather think they will proceed ut as early
u day us possible to obscure Reeds blum
der by one of their own and to make the
country forget the former by the dazzling
display Of the latter.