Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-11-19

watchfulness of expenditure among the peo-
pie tend to secure thrifty government,
and cheap and careful living on the part of
individuals ought to enforce economy in the
public expenditures. When, therefore,
men in high places of trust, charged with
the responsibility of making and executing
our laws, not only condemn but f1ippantly
deride cheapness and economy within the
homes of our people, and when the expen-
ditures of the government are reckless and
wasteful, we may be sure that something
is wrong with us, and that condition
exists which calls for vigorous and resent
ful defense of Americanism by every man
worthy to be called an American Citizen.
"HERE WE STAND"
Upon the question ofcheapness and econ.
omy, whether it relates to individuals or to
the operations of the government, the dem
osratic party, true to its creed and its trad
itions, will unalterably remain attached to
our plain and frugal people. They are es-
pecially entitled to the watchful care and
protection of their government. and when
they are borne down with burdens greater
than they can bear and are made the OBJ
iects of scorn by hard taskmasters we will
not leave their side. AS the great German
reformeI, insisting upon his religious con-
victions, in the presence OF bis accusers, ex.
claimed, 81 can do nought else. Here /
stand. God help ma" SO, however much
others may mock and deride cheapness and
the poor and frugal men and women Of our
land, we will stand forth in defense of their
simple Americanism, defantly proclaim
ing, "Ne can do nought else. Here we
stand"
GLoRYING IN CHEAPNEss.
Thus when the question is raised wheth-
er our people shall have the necessaries of
life at a cheaper rate, we are not ashamed
to confess ourselves sin full sympathy with
the demand for cheaper coats" and we are
not disturbed by the hint that this seems
necessarily to involve cheaper man or
woman under the coats" When the pro-
moter of party measure which inEades
every home in the land with higher prices,
declares that ''cheap and nasty go together
and this whole system of cheap things is a
badge of poverty; for cheap merchandise
means cheap men and cheap men mean a
cheap country" we Indignantly repudiate
such an Interpretation of American senti-
ment. And when another one, high in
party councils, who has become notorious
as the advocate of a continuance to perpet-
uate partisan supremacy by outrageous in
reference with the suffrage, announces
that "the cry for cheap1ess is un.Amer.
ican," we scornfully reply that his speech
does not indicate the slightest conception
of true Americanism.
FALSE AND TREACHERoUs.
Twill not refer to other utterauces oflike
import from similar sources. I content
myself with recalling the most prominent
and significant. The wonder is that these
things were addressed by Americans to
Americans. What was the occasion of
these ceDdemnations of cheapress and what
had honest American men and women
done, or what were they likely to do, that
they should be threatened with the epithets
''cheap," 'nssty" and ''un-American?'
1t is hard to speak patiently as we answer
these questions. Step by step vast num-
Der of our people had been led on, follow.
ing bliIdly in the path of party. They
had been filled with haze and sectional
they had been cajoled with mis-
representations and false promises; they
had been corrupted with money and by ap-
peals to their seifshness. All these things
lot up to their Aual betrayal to satisfy tho
demands of those who had supplied the
fund for their corruption. This betrayal
was palpable; and it was impossible to
deny or conceal the fact that the pretended
relief rendered to the people in fuifillment
of a promise to tighten the burdens of their
life, made by the party entrusted with the
government, was but a scheme to pay the
debts incurred By the purchase Of party
success, while it further increased the i'm.
of the masses.
CHEAP COATS AND FINE CITIZENS.
The people were at last aroused and de.
an explanation. They had been
taught for one hundred years that in the
distribution of benefits their government
should be administered with equality ard
justice. They had learned that wealth was
not indispensable to responsibility and that
it did not entitle its posaessors to especial
governmental! favors. Humble men With
scanty incomes bad been encouraged BY
the influence and the spirit of onr instisu
lions to practice economy and frugality, to
the end that they might enjoy to the Ut
most the rewards of their toll. The influ.
ence Of the Americanshome was still about
them. In their simplicity they knew no.
thing OF q new dispensation which made
cheapress disreputabe, and they still loved
the cheap coats Of Lincoln aud Garfield and
hundreds of their countrymen whom thew
held in veneration. Aud thus these un-
sophisticated Americans. unconscious of
their wrong doing, demanded the rederap.
ton of party pledges and clamored tor
cheapness. in order that they might provide
the nscessaries and comforts of life for
themselves and their families at the lowest
possible cost.
INDICATING AMERICAN MANHOOD.
The leaders CT the party which was
caught in the act of robbery and which was
by the people for violation of
its trust were forced by their sad predica.
ment to desperate expeiient To attempt
to reverse the current Of true Americanisn
and discredit the most honorable senti-
ments belonging to American manhood
were the disgraceful tasks of those who in.
suited our people by the announcement of
the doctrine that to desire cheapness was
to love nastinese, and to practice economy
and ffugality was un-American.
FAITH IN HIS CoUNTRYMEN.
Thus do we plainly see that when the
path pointed oct by patriotism and Ameri.
can citizenship is forsaken by party in
power for schemes of selfshness and for
conspiracles for partisan sue
cess its course inevitably leads to unjust
favoritism, neglect of the interests of the
masses, entire perversion of the mission of
the republican institutions, and in some
form, to the most impudent aud outrage.
GUS insult to true American sentiment. It
cannot be denied that political events in
the past have gone far toward encouraging
arrogant party assumption. Every thought.
full and patriotic man has at times been dis.
appointed and depressed by the apparent
indifference and decentralization of the PEG.
pie.
"THoU SHALT NOT STEAL"
But such reflections have no place in the
OF tonight. This is time
when faith in our countrymen shorsld be
fully re-esta blished. The noise of a recent
political revolution is still heard through.
out the land; the people have Just demon
strated that there is point beyond which
they cannot be led by blind partisanship.
and that they are quite competent to ex.
anime and correctly decide political ques
tions concerning their rights and their wei.
fare. They have numerically resented