Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-09-20
INGALLS, ON The GOLDEN AGE.

1t realized the dream OF Agar,
Give me neither power nor riches.n
1t seemed as if the golden age and
Ethiopia of the Republic had been
reached. Westward, even unto the
Pacific, lay the unexplored extent of
tue continent, and out OF which l
have myself since voted to admit six
States into this Union. The tide of
immigration was just about flowing
over the crest of the Allegheny
mountains into this great valley,
which is now the center and seat of
political power on this continent.
Under the readjustment of the polit-
ical forces OF this country, that will
occur under the eleventh census, that
great mountain region between the
Alleghenies and Rocky mountains
extending from the British posses
sions to the Gulf of Mexico, will hold
the purse and the soul. 1t will have
majority OF the votes in the lower
house of Congress; 1t will have a
majority ofthe votes in the Electoral
College for choosing the President
and Vice President of the United
States.
went West myself about thirty
years ago as a carpet Dagger from
the State OF Massachusetts. St.
Louis was then an outpost OF civil.
cation, and jefferson City, Mo-, was
the farthest Western point reached
by railroad. In all that vast re-
gion, from the scattered settlement
along the shore of the Missouri TO
the crest Of the Sierra Nayada, and
from the pine-clad slopes of the Vel
lowstone to the gorge of the Rio
Grande, there was neither harvest
nor busbandry, nor habitation, nor
homes. save the wigwam of the saw
age, more brutal than the beasts of
8 Iliad's y dream, there is nothing in
the romance of the building of ma
tions that compares with it, and 1t
has all been brought to pass and
come about under Republican admin
istration and Republican govern.
ment. In 1860 the conditions of
which l speak had not materially
changed. The population of the
country had increased to about &C..
600, 900 and the wealth in proportion,
but from that hour when Abraham
Lincoln was elected President OF the
United States, when the free trader
and STAKEHOLDER of permanent
Democracy was permanently de.
throned, that great procession of
historical events which has brought
us 20 our present
UNAPPRoACHABLE HEIGHTS
of material grandeur. The statistics
of this census are not yet accessible,
but we shall have about 64,000,000
of people, and our assets upon the
national ledger will not be less than
S100,000,000. Since that time to
which l have referred, when, under
the sublime incentive ofthe doctrine
of protection of American labor, the
Republican party took control of the
affairs OF this country, and there
has not been an hour in which the
clock has struck, day or night, Sun
day or week day, ia which there has
not been added to this country $780,.
600.
l think, Mr.. President, that is a
record to which we may, in the
language of State platforms, point to
with pride. But the Democratic
party, true to its instincts Of mega
ton and criticism and censure dur.
ing all that period has performed
the function Of brake upon the
great car of National progress. The
only function of its leaders being to
hold on and holloah whoa, is to-day
engaged in an attempt nefarious, in
famous, dangerous, insidious appeal
to the worst and most degraded
elements of society, and claim that
this majestic record of progress has
been against the interests of the
people, and in the interest of corpo.
rations, monopolies and capitalists.