Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-06-25
Our Republican Friends in a Quandary.

Herald says, 1--WE notice that our republican
are decidedly intermittent
in their praise of the administration. 1t is
a clear case of political chills and fever.
Whether their conscientious scruples or
their plain common sense renders continu-
Gus praise impossible it might be difficult
to say.
No man ever went into the Presidency
with larger promises than the present in
cumbent. He was to conduct the country
cross lots to prosperity, so the leaders OF
the party told us. After the manner OF that
model reformer, Mr.. Jack Cade, seven half
penny loaves were to be sold for a penny,
and the workingman was to re,enter Para
disc, from which he had been driven by MIR.
Cleveland and the democracy.
All of which was extremely interesting to
the man who merely looked on and had no
favors to ask Of either party.
These promises have unfortunately not
yet been paid, but perhaps Mr.. Harrison's
plan was to make them during his first term
and to keep them during his second. That
is dangerous experiment to try, for if in
the providence of the American people there
should be no second term his official biog-
graphy will make rather dreary reading and
the historical critic may be forced to ad-
NIT that this is a sort of mock turtle admin
istration.
If the signs of the times have any signif-
canoe the republican party has good reason
to bite it's thumb. Mark Tapley, whose
ideal of happiness was to go to a funeral,
would be in the jolliest possible mood if he
could view the situation.
1t has severe attack of dyspepsia just
now, caused by surfeit of the Mckinley
bill. That bill is simply the principle of
protection carried to its logical conclusion
namely, the ruin of our manufactures and
the discomfort of the people. Not to pass
it is to admit want of faith in its own
policy; to pass tits to make strong enemies
all over the country.
This theory Of protection as at present ad-
vocated is in our political economy about
what wooden god is to the Central Afri.
cans. It is a fetch, superstition and a
blunder. That kind of protection which
bleeds the poor man in order to increase the
girth of the rich man is sham. The re-
publicans have made vigorous efforts to
protect the monopolist, but the wage-earn-
or has been left in the lurch, and when he
wants protection he goes on a strike.
Still, this theory has been of great value
as a theme for the stump speakers oratory.
He has boiled and dubbed and even slop-
ped over when dilating on its delights. He
has spread the feathers of his eloquent wings
over the horny handed laborer, has pun
melted the hated foreign manufacturer to
his hearts content, has gabbled about a
home market and oracularly declared for
bliss and plenty for everybody. The bliss
has not arrived on time and the plenty is
| beyond the reach of telescope. Neyerthe.
less he has continued to sound these tink.
ling cymbals, to tickle the ears of all who
would listen, to creep into office and to en-.
| joy himself immensely with the emoluments
thereof.
But when the party leaders stand face tc
face with the Mckinley bill, which is sim
ply their theory in concrete shape, ther
their dream changes to nightmare. They
have conjured up more than they can TAKE
care of, and their teeth chatter as Hamlet's
did when he saw his fathers ghost. If they
fail to favor it, openly, squarely and in fiat
footed fashion, their constituencies will
taunt them with not having the courage O.
their convictions. If they do favor it and
bodily push it to the end the poor farmer
will have to put another mortgage on his
farm, and every wage-earner will have to pay
higher price for the necessaries of life.
Indeed, the administration has bought 6
white elephant. What with Quay and Dud
ley, whose light originates in politica
putrescence; what with negroes on the
verge of discovering that the republicans
are quite willing to buy their votes, but moi
to give them any share in the government
of the country; what with the latest scandal
in connection with the cottage by the sea
pay for past favors or bride for favors to
come-the administration must feel that the
larger part of its evangelical character has
gone where the woodbine twineth.
All that, however, can be easily remedied
at the Presidential election in 1892"