Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-07-13
The Work at Omaha.

Under the above caption, the Lynch
burg AdUaaace of July 9th, has a long
editorial article, from which we extract
the following -
Look at the Omaha platform. Its
demands are nothing less than revolu-
tionary. If the Peoples Party should
succeed ON that platform the whole
structure of government would be
changed. The wise system of checks
and balances devised by the trainers of
the constitution as the best guarantee
of human liberty the world ever saw,
would be set at naught and replaced by
system that would concentrate all
power in the hands of an irresistible
central government. The whole his
tory of the world teaches us that it
would require only a short time for
such centralized government to be-
come an intolerable despotism. No
despotism, not even that of the Auto
GRAFT of Russia, is SO insupportable as a
despotism which is maintained and
fortified by the forms of law.
The Omaha platform demands that
the federal government shall own and
operate all the railroads Sand all the
telegraph lines. What an army of
government employees would thus be
created, each individual of which
would be the subservient tool of the
administration which appointed him,
for it is evident that the feeble defense
of civil service rules would be poor
reliance for the protection of the in
dividual citizen against the all power
full government? This one measure, if
fully carried into practical operation,
would make us at one stroke nation
of slaves. The convention in its wis
dom did not indicate how the govern
ment is to get possession of the rail
roads and telegraph and telephone
lines. Shall it be by confscation?
That would be the most gigantic rob-
berry ever witnessed ON earth Shall it
be by purchase? 1t is estimated that
the cost would not be less than ten bill
lion dollars. Where is the money to
come from. The national debt of the
United States at the close of the war,
great as it was, could not compare in
magnitude with this burden. Shall
the government issue irredeemable
greenbacks to pay for..the confscated
property? That would indeed make
money plentiful, but at. the same time
almost worthless. Those. of us who re
member how worthless the Confeder-
ate paper currency became need no
prophet to foretell the result of indef-
mite expansion. The Omaha plat
form demands per capita circulation
of $50. But the railroad purchase
would send the. per capita amount far
beyond that limit. Then it would be |
like it was in Confederate days. Any
man could get money enough, but that |
would be the only thingshe could get |
enough of.
Our space is too limited to permit a
full discussion of the revolutionary |
platform adopted at Omaha, but that |
production ought to be analy-
zed and carefully considered by every
voter in the land.
WILL NOT BE CANDIDATEs.-Thre
of the Virginia representatives in Con-
gress will not be candidates for renomi-
nation this year. They are Messrs.
Lawson, of the end district; Lester, of
the 9th, and Buchanan, of the 9th. The
two first named will retire to private
life on account of poor health, and Mr..
after serving two terms,
finds that the practice of law is more
in accord with his tastes, and he will
give his entire time to his profession.
1t is generally conceded that Cyclone
Jim" Marshall, of Craig, will be the
nominee in the ninth district.
Rev. DR.. Bullock, formerly of this
city, has written a public letter, paying
the wife of the democratic candidate for
the Vice-Presidency very pretty but
well-merited compliment. If it had not
been pretty all who know the Doctor
would have been surprised, and they
also know that it would not have been
written if it had not been merited.-l
4ler. Gazette. II