Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-10-14
10 republican party came into power.

"Why, in 1878 il one of yo1 good farmer
owed 80, 900 on your farm you could have
taken 4, 1865 bushels of wheat and sold
and paid off your mortgage. If last yea
you had owed So, 900 you would have hat
to have sold ., 723 bushels of wheat to have
paid the five thousand. That was bee ,use
Of the fall in the price of wheat. A protec
tive tariff was an immense benefit TO you
wasn't it? Oae thousand four hundred anC
fifty-seven bushels more in 1890 to pay tn,
same debt than it would iu 1875. There
has been some improvement in the price
during the present year because of the scar
city Of the crops-Aelmost a failure-on the
other side of the water. But still so long
as you are compelled to pay tribute on ali
you use at the rate at which the Mckinley
bill has fixed it and at the sams time are
forced to compete with Canada, India,
Russia, 80 long will you be in poverty.
''Touching the Mckinley bill, Mr.. Blaine
wrote: You must amend that bill or the
farmers of the country will sweep you out
OF existence They did it. Then the re.
publicans put in reciprocity. Mr.. Blaine
was right to try to save his party, because
he believes in It. He has tried to bridge
over the trouble, but the people will never
be satisfied until the whole wrong is reme-
died. While he was fighting with his par.
ty always Mr.. Bla;ne's patriotism was
greater than his partisanship."
THE PEOPLE WAKING UP.
''No wonder the farmers have organized;
no wonder you hear of labor organizations
and business mems associations and alli-
ances. The people Ers waking up to their
true condition. They begin to realize how
audacious the republican party has been.
They have kept themselves in power by
tanning the flames of sectionalism and by
using the peoples money to corrupt them
at the ballot.bo They have gone to such
an extreme that neither money nor Offices
could keep them in power longer. There
was and there is but one hope of their be-
Jag able to continue in power, and that is
by trampling upon the rights of the people
at the ballot box-to take from them that
most sacred right of selecting their own re.
prese1tatives. Under the cover of q de-
mand for free ballot and fair count they
are pledged to destroy the autonomy of the
States and make you their slavee. With
the history Of that contest during the last
Congress you are all familiar. Their de.
termination, if continued in poTer, on the
passage of that act no man can doubt. Its
passage would have been secured but for
the manly independence of eight republi.
cans who were better Americans than re-.
publicans.
s'The action of the Farmers Alliance in
saying that they would protest against the
passage of such an ipiquitious measure did
more toward stopping that bill than all
else together. That proclamation was
more valuable than sny document promul.
gated in this country since the Declaration
of Independence. God bless the Farmers
Alliance for it,"
'But that bill will come again if Harrl.
son is Re elected. Do not mistake the
signs of tha times. Massachusetts had
Lodge, who introduced the bill, chairman
of its republican convention; its resolve
was for the force bill. Ohio and every re-
publican State that has acted are for it,.
The republican party is irrevocably com.
mitted to it; their very existence depends
upon it. That question is above taxes and
extravagance; it determines the question OF
the continuance of the form of government
under which we live.
THE MARYLAND ELECTION.
"Here in Maryland last year the republi-
cans were bold enough to advocate it, and
now they resolve that they are proud of
the Fifty first Congress, Reed, Harrison and
all. Here they could not make contest if
they had proclaimed their adhesion to the
bill. But they are for it; they are stealthi-
ly at work for control; their sappers and
miners are at work. A few old stagers
with republican money in their pockets,
and suppose the devil in their hearts, are
trying to SOW diasensions among demo
Gratis. a few good men may be deceived,
but not many. The people are aroused-they
are not 10 humor to bs carried off on side
issues.