The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1891-05-21
A MASTEALY GRAFTON.

'When l suggest to you that
much sturdy fighting still awaits
all those enlisted in the Demo
cratic ranks, | feel that | am
speaking to veterans who have
no fear of hard campaigning.
We may be sure that unless we
continue an active, watchful war
fare we shall lose what we have
gained in the peoples cause. In
sidious schemes are started on
every side to allure them to Their.
undoing Awakened to a sense
of wrong and injustice, promises
of redress and benefit are held up
to their sight, like Dead Sea
fruits that tempt the eye but
turn'to ashes on the lips The
selfish and designing will not
forego the struggle, but will con-
stantly seek to regain their van
tage ground through tempting
fallacies and plausible pretexts
of friendliness.
believe that the most threat
ening figure which to-day stands
in the way of the safety of our
Government and the happiness
of our people is reckless and
wicked extravaganza in our pub
lie expenditures. 1t is the most
fatal of all the deadly brood
born ofgovernmentai perversion.
1t hides beneath it's wings the
betrayal of the peoples trust
and holds powerless in its fasci-
mating glance the peoples will
and conscience. 1t brazenly ex-
hibits to-day a billion-dollar
Congress. But lately, a large
surplus remained in the people s
| public treasury after meeting all
expenditures, then 10y no means
economical. This condition was
presented to the American people
as positive proof that their bur-
den of taxation was unjust be-
cause unnecessary; and yet while
| the popular protest is still heard
the harpy If public extravaganza
devours the surplus and impu-
IDENTIFY calls upon its staggering
victims to bring still larger sup
plies within the reach of it's
insatiate appetite. A few short
years ago pensinn-roll amount
ing to fifty-three million dollars
was willingly maintained by our
patriotic citizens. To-day, pub
lie extravaganza decree that
three times that sum shall be
dra wn from the people, upoi the
preteXt that it's expenditure rep
resents the popular love of tine
soldier. Not many years ago a
river and harbor bill appropriate
ing 81 100000 gave rise to a
loud popular protest. Now pub
lie extravaganza commands an
appropriation of$22, 100000 for
the same purposes, and the peo-
pie are silent. To-day millions
are paid for barefaced subsidy );
and this S approved or condoned
at the behest Of public extrava-
gance, and thus a new marauder
is turned loose, which, in COM
panv with it's vicious tariff part
ner, bears pilfered benefit to the
households of favored selfish in
terestS.
We need not prolong the de-
tails. Turn where we will we
Sc the advance of this devouring
and destructive creature.
Our Democ, a tic faith teaches us
that the useless exaction of mon
ey from the people upon the false
pretext of public necessity is the
worst OF all governmental per-
versions, and involves the great
est OF all dangers to our guaran-
tees of justice and equality. We
need not unlearn this lesson to
apprehend the fact that behind
such exaction and as it's source
of existence is fouad public ex-
travagance.
Our Government is so ordained
that it's life blood flows from the
virtue and patriotism of our peo-
pie, and its health and strength
depend upon the integrity and
faithfulness of their public SER
wants. If these are destroyed
our Government, if it endures,
will endure only in name, failing
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