The Washington critic., 1890-01-30
Il PAR4DOX.
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current history at which IL becomes rllcu-
lous to all readers TO speak OF the Repub-
lican party as the party Of ''all the virtues "
The Hon. Mr. Morse Of Massachusetts,, of
continental reputation rs manufacturer of
a superior article of stove blacking, who
owes to his successful diligence In that
humble but honest calling the honor of oc-
cupying I'm the Flfty-nrst Congress the seat
once held by John Quincy Adams, has re-
Gently at a temporarily conviviRl meeting
of Puritan clergy and laity, illustrated the
high tone of piety to be found In the Re-
publican party by the instances of the Post
master Generals Bible class and of Presl.
dent Harrison's family prayers on arailroa1
train. IL is a tacit, but none the less proud,
challenge TO the Democratic party to show
the like. And, indeed, as we run over In
our mind the list Of Democratic leaders ia
this part of the country, beginning with
Governor hin and General Butler, and i'm
agine them entered for a competition OF
this sort Il is evident that the point is well
taken. Senator Hoar, one of the finest OF
whose many noble qualities is his moral
courage, has not shrunk from challenging
the world to witness the comparison in de-
tail, summing 1t up thus:
The men who do the work of pety aud
charity In our churches, the men who ad-
minister our school systems, the men who
own and till their own farms, the men who
perform skilled labor in tho shops, the
soldiers, tho men who went to war aud stayed
all through, the men who paid the debt ana
kept the currency sound and saved the
nations honor, the men who saved the coun-
t,,x huN do 4, f,, tt,
in peace, commonly and as q rule, by the
natural law of their being, find their place in
the Republican party; while the old slave
owner and slave-driver, the saloon keeper,
the ballot.box suffer, tho Ku-Klux, the
criminal class of the great cities, the men
who cannot read or write, commonly and as
a rule, by the natural law of their being,
find their congenial place in the Democratic
party.
Looking beyond the horizon that shuts in
the venerable Senator's honestly self-com-
placent survey, we find his general rule
subject to sudden and sharp geographical
limitation. South of q certain line we find
| that, excepting a few exotics, commonly
and as rule, by the natural law of their
being" honest, intelligent and decent
| people DO with great unanimity abstain
| from voting the Republican ticket, which is
chiefly supported among them by class of
| people whose moral qualities are symbolized
by such names as Moses and Malone. So
| that in Just the measure in which Senat or
| Hoar's "rulc" of political classification
| prevails within the field of his somewhat
| provincial vision, we have this truly mser-
able condition of parties in the country at
large; that the intelligent and virtuous citi-
zens on each side of an east. and-west line
are politically confcderated with the rascal
demagogues and their ignorant or vicious
followers on the other side. If we apply
the gauge suggested bv til Hon. Elijah
| Morse, the contrast is not less vivid. 1t
may well he doubted whether the prayers
! Of President Harrison or Mr.. Wanamake or
are equal in any measurable sign of energy
to those of the Democratic Senator Col
quit of Georgia, of the Methodist persua
sion; or whether Senator Hoars own posi-
ton as official champion Of sound theology,
wounded in the house of its friends at
Andover, is not far below those giddy
heights of orthodoxy which are as the
''native heathn of the humblest Southern
Presbyterian Congressman.
But all this is by the way. After what
ever deductions for the partisan compla-
cency of the Republican and for the local
environment Of the Massachusetts man,
and after the still more serious deductions
for the quality Of the Independent and
Mugwump defections, there does still re-
main large measure of truth in Senator
Hoar's Characterization of the Republican
! T,,t StnN, f,, ,x.fl,f oil, l. =
nant or has any chance of dominating, it is,
on the whole, as compared with the antago-
mist party, made up of the best elements OF
society.
This being the fact, how does it comt
about--can any one explain it on any known
principle of human nature?-that on the
principal questions on which the two par
ties stand in opposition or in contrast, the
course of the Republican party is the more
offensive to the known and recognized
sentiments Of the best citizens? That 1t I.
so, is evident on comparing the course
of the two parties; ] on the related but moi
identical questions of reduction of revenue
ana reduction Of eXorbitant imposts upon
trade; 2, on pension robberies; 3, on civil
service reform; /, in the nomination of can
didates.
/. Those classes of society described by
Senator Hoar as composing the Republican
party are commonly and as a rule, by the
natural law of their being" stoutly op
posed, on grounds of justice and eXpedieney
and public morality, to the policy of exact
ing from the people vast annual sums OF
money of which the Government has nc
need, and for which 1t has no Legitimate
aud honest use. Men who have studied tbt
principles of political economy in acade
mics and universities, who have learned
from the New Testament philanthropy
broader than mere nationalism, or ever
who have felt the liheralzng effect oi
worldwide commercial relations tend "b,
the natural law of their beingn to favor al
abatement of severe and discouraging i'm
posts upon trade. They may be all wrong
but that is the way the current of their con
viction sets. And it is the directly opposit,
course to that which is persistently, oh
stinately pursued, rehuS in drduis, hdUt
sccuS N bonis, by the Republican party
The pilng up OF fat surpluses, the main
tenance of artificial and arbitrary hinder
ances to one mans business and favor
to another man's-this Is policl
which commends itself to political "bum
mersn and treasury thieves; to men who
producing nothing themselves, speculate OF
the Quotations Of other peoples industry
to betters on elections and operators il
the lobby; i'll short, to Senator Hoar's typ
teal Democrat; and yet this is the polc
which the Democratic party seems to be ol
posing with an honorable constancy.
2. AS to pensions, the intelligent and up
right and patriotic citizen has very clea
and definite opinions. He is in favor o
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