Los Angeles herald., 1890-10-23
REPUBLICAN METHODS.


Ohio, Tuesday night, was marvel of
Iorcefui arraignment of the revolution
ary and reckless methods of the Repub-
lican party. He showed clearly that
the party was influenced alone by the
selfish policy of retaining power, no
matter how unconstitutional or illegiti-
mate the devices may be to which it
resorts to compass that end. He cites
the fact that the qualifications OF terri
tories to be admitted as states into the
union were not population or develop
ment, but a Republican majority.
Hence Wyoming and Idaho were admit
ted, with much sparser populations
than New Mexico and Arizona, simply
because they had cast a majority OF Re-
publican votes, whilst the two latter
cast majority of Democratic votes,
and were therefore left in their terri
torial condition.
This, however, is but sample OF the
revolutionary methods of the Republ-
can party. These methods are betrayed
all along the line of it's legislation and
management of public affairs. Could
there be anything more subversive of
the principles upon which our system
of government is based than the way in
which the house of representatives, un-
der the despotic ruling OF Speaker Reed,
turned out Democratic members and
gave their seats to Republicans
Reed having arbitrarily assumed
one morning, against objection and
protest. that there was a quorum
present, took up the contested
election case of Langston VS.. Venable,
from Virginia. The reports of the com
mittees were presented, and at once Ven
able was ousted. 'Let us have another
case," shouted a member. Then the
contest of Miller VS.. Elliott was called
up. No statement of the merits of the
case was permitted, nor even the read
ing of the report of the committee,
but in two minutes and half Demo-
crat who had been elected by a majority
of nearly fifteen hundred votes, was in
continently ',fired." to use an express
sive street term. 1t needs, under such
summary methods, but the possession of
nominal majority of representatives to
swell the party representation and carry
any measure. no matter how monstrous
or how destructive of fundamental prin-
ciples. Is it not time that those people
who have looked with favor upon Reed 8
rulings against the minority should re-
wise their opinions? Have they for
gotten that minorities have often in
the most perilous stages of parliament
ary history preserved the liberties of
the people? The rights of the minority
have more than once prevented con-
gress from carrying out the most afro
cious acts of legislation that could be
attempted. But the power of the Re-
publican party must be perpetuated, and
Reeds rulings, as a means to that end,
must be maintained.
The pending election force bill is an
other instance in point. That measure
has but one object, and that is to turn
over the elections OF the people in the
United States to nine supervisors and
their deputies, a large and preponder-
ating majority Of whom will be Repub-
lican partisans experienced in the work
of Transforming Democratic majorities
at the polls into Republican majorities
on the face of the returns.
The Mckinley tariff is made up alto
gether in the interest of the capitalist
classes. The farmer and the wage
worker are to be squeezed SO as to still
furtherswe the millions OF the rich, and
to give the latter increased political
power by virtue of their control of the
wealth of the country. The protected
manufacturing syndicates, the protected
trusts, the protected money-getters, will
have it in their power through their
control of mills and workshops to coerce
the votes OF the labor that will be at
their mercy, and thus dictate the poll
tics of the government in all its depart
ments.
The people who cannot see the revo-
lutionary tendencies of the policy of the
men who manage and control the Re-
publican party must be either blind to
facts that are as transparent as crystal,
or are willing to see our institutions fall
irrevocably into the hands of pluto
cratic oligarchy. But there are men in
both the great parties who will resist
this reasonable attempt to subvert our
institutions. The time has not yet come
when republican government can be
successfully undermined and an aristo-
cracy of wealth erected upon its ruins.
The revolutionary strides of the Reeds
and McKinleys and their hackers will be
met with resistance which will teach
them that there is yet spirit abroad in
the country that has not forgotten the
great principles upon which our gov
ernment was originally founded.