The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-11-03
That DisgracefuI First Vote.


for him. ought to be deeply ashamed.
1t is this:
At that time Russia was devas-
tated with fever and famine; thous-
ands were dying of hunger; starving
men and fathers, women and moth
ers, and their children, were stretch
ing helpless hands toward the rest
of mankind, appealing to the uni
v, rsal charity that make the whole
world kin.
Governors of our States were issu-
ing proclamations to their people
appealing for contributions for the
relief of "a stricken country.
Relief associations were being
formed in states and cities; sympa-
thlzing people were contributing
from their abundance, and II great
impulse of charity was reaching the
hearts and directing the hands of
our entire people.
Right here at home ministers
preached the gospel of charity from
their pulpits, in the streets and in
the homes of their Pensioners, who
responded to the cry of distress in
starving Russia.
In Congress bill had been in
troduced to provide transportation
to Russia for the contributions of
charitable Americans. The Nations
representatives were asked to fur
Their the desire of the people of the
whole country to relieve their fever
and famine stricken fellowmen.
Mr.. McKaig had not yet cast a
vote in the House. This was his
first, and he had an opportunity,
given to few Congressman, to cast
his first vote in the interest of suf-
fering humanity. But shutting his
ears to the cries of distress, steeling
his heart against the appeals of
mothers and children, he voted
against the appropriation and at
the same time against the plainest
dictates of humanity. There was
no pity in Mr. McKaig; no relief in
his vote.
New Mr.. McKaig is asking peo-
pie to vote for him, who refused to
vote to aid the sick and suffering
and to ease the last hours of the
dying.
We ask the people of the Sixth
district to rebuke Mr.. McKaig's
inhumanity by putting away from
him the possibility of again casting
vote so repugnant to the best i'm
pulses Of our nature.
The vote should haunt Mr.. Nc
Kaig through life, and the people
of the district should always remem-
Der it against him, because to those
that were an hungered he would
give no meat and to the naked he
refused clothes.
REASONS FOR THAT FIRST VOTE.
Yesterday we commented upon
Mr.. McKaig's first vote in Congress
a vote against humanity. in that
it opposed the sending of succors to
a people stricken and dying by
thousands with fever and famine.
We, however, assigned no reason for
his apparently inexplicable course.
The Russian people and their
government have been steadfast
friends of the United States. At
critical period in the history of our
Rebellion Russia's determined at
titude almost certainly prevented
the recognition of the Southern
Confederacy by England. This act
has never been forgotten or forgiven
by Southerners or Southern sympa-
thizers.
AS is we'll known the McKaig
family were ardent friends of the
South in its struggle for secession,
and Mr.. McKaig, the present
Democratic candidate for Congress,
was himself arrested as a Rebel spy.
Herein then lies the reason for
Mr.. McKaig's vote against the re-
lief of suffering Russia. He joined
with other Democrats in Congress,
holding opinions similar to his own,