Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-03-04

IDNESDAY, MARC
The Republican Party Must Stand or Fall
by Its Record.
The republican leaders ere very shrewd
tacticisns. They have been in the business
! since 1860, and long practice has rendered
| them expert.
Their present position is one Of critical
| danger. They therefore seek to turn the
tide of public opinion, which is running
against them like a mill lace, lest their
party shall suffer defeat in 1892.
The record which they have made during
the Fifty FIRST Congress shows that they
have reached that measure of corruption
which renders them unfit to retain power.
The people, the great body of our think
ing citizens, from Maine 10 California, ere
either slowly coming to or have already
reached the conclusion that party which
has no higher function than to explain it's
mistakes, which has lost even the audacity
| to defend itself, had better, for a season at
| least, step down and out.
No party can safely retain supremacy in
this count y moro than twenty years. The
influences which constitute it's environ
| ment render it selfish, avaricious and
grasping. 1t becomes the spoiled child of
power, llses the conscience which it lad
atoretime, becomes callous to moral obli-
cations and uses Office for its own ad.
vantage and benefit. In this matter demo
Gratis and republicans are alike, for the
difficulty is inherent not in this Or that
party, but in the human nature of all
parties.
The republicans have clearly passed the
limit of their usefulness and need the dis
cipline which retirement alone can afford.
When Mr.. Cleveland was beaten in 'S8
there was stout surplus in our federal
vaults. The monarchies of Europe, which
can hardly make both ends meet by the
severest system of taxation, wondered what
food the Americans ate that they should
become 30 robust. They were en- yious of
our prosperity and felt that our well filled
Treasury was the most eloquent and con.
vincing plea for popular government ever
made.
But it is gone. It was bounded out of
existence as though it was criminal of.
fence. Not, however, by returning it to
the pockets of the people whence it came,
but by scattering it through unwise legis
lation, lavishing it on schemes which gave
Us the reputation of careless and thought
less spepdthrifts. And now we are face to
face with deficit. covered up for time by
the legerdemain of bookkeeping, but sure
to show itself in the near future.
Then the persion business, which began
| as an expression of national gratitude, was
metamorphosed into national fraud. The
pride of patriotism has been transformed to
greed, and the roguery of pension attorneys
hos a6 - oil tivvno M a
standing army without uniform, costing
more than the formidable forces of Ger
many or France. The troops which saved
the Union, we're disbanded, but the repub-
licans keep their names on the payroll and
tax the Treasury for their support. Eight
dollars month and upward during life is a
constant bribe to our veterans to cast thei,
ballots for one party rather than the other.
If this money were expended on the
wounded and helpless alone no one would
defend the policy more vigorously than we.
But it is ecandalously distributed % worthy
and unworthy alike, and on the strength of
affidavits which represent wholesale per-
jury.
Then we come to the Mckinley tariff,
which has so signally failed in accomplish
ing it's purpose that Mr.. Blaine was COM
PEELED to seek an antidote for its poison in
what he calls reciprocity. The Mckinley
bill excludes imports, cuts off our CONNER
cial relations with other countries, threat
ems to lower the wages OF our laborlng
classes and to enhance the price of every
necessary of life. 1t has proved to be SO
conspicuous a blunder that the Secretary of
State is trying to open the markets of
South America to our enterprise and
products. Curious anomaly! One states
man shuts the door in order to make Us
prosperous, and another statesman prizes it