The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1892-10-21
THINGS AS THEY ARE.

WY wv So many piohiihSht NC-
publlcans leave their party and join
the ranks of Democracy? They are
leading Republicans, too, and yet for
sake their old associates and join
their political enemies. Yet it is not
at all startling nor strange. 1t is NJ
appalling circumstance like the food
of Johnstown, or the eruption of Mt.
Vesuvius that poured her lava and
fires over Herculaneum and Ponpeii
1t is the legitimate consequence of
political corruption, the oppression Of
the people, the despotism exercised
over our hard working masses, the
rapid accumulation of enormous
wealth in the hands Of moneyed ty.
rants, gained by robbery, that comes
from the nerve and sinew, blood and
lives Of the toiling thousands that run
our rolling mills, our machine shops,
our furnaces and foundries and our
great industries. All this sounds fine
from an old Republican that stumped
it for Lincoln and Grant; but we
can't help 1t any more than we can
help the rivers from flowing, the sea.
sons from coming and the sun from
rising. Who has not heard OF the
French Revolution that was brought
on by the oppression OF the people by
kings, courts, mobiles and the priest
hoodl For 400 years the people Of
France were in state Of despotism al
most unparalleled in the annals Of his
tory; but the crisis came and the gull
lotine Of Paris was busy by sunlight
and starlight, cutting off the heads Of
the oppressors and robbers, and the
streets Of Paris flowed with blood I!
The reader of history knows the career
Of Rome, that she tried kingdom for
500 years, then a republic for another
500, and when her people lost their
grip up turned Caligula, Syanus, a
Claudius and Nero Are we not
going that way, is the momentous and
significant question OF the hour9-the
question that involves all that is hope
full and valuable and great as to our
republic. l wonder if Washington
could rise from Mt. Vernon and Jeff
erson from Monticello, what they
would say about the condition of the
country and the drift of the republic !!
Would they indorse the Mckinley bill
and the Force bill' Would they in
dorse Republican purity and patriot
ism? would like to see the old Con-
tinental Congress come up like a
first class resurrection, and take a
broad view of things here as they
e. They would behold monopolies,
syndicates, corporations and trusts up
on every hand and the people great
horde of slaves They would find
that the vast republic they attempted
to establish was fast drifting into the
hands of Plutocracy, and that unless
the people would rise like resurrec-
ton at the ballot box for a change Of
administration in November at the
coming Presidential election, and save
themselves, we would be far down the
channel where we would be drowned.
The Republican party claims that
it embodies the patriotism OF the
country that it fought out to sue
cessful termination the great Civil
War; that under the administration
of Jas Buchanan peridy and treason
commenced and the great Civil War.
But follow on shortly after the Re
publican administration was inaugu.
rated. How about "Little Mac
up the Peninsula within sight
of Richmond? How about the
fair promises to replen.sh his forces
that he could walk into the city and
finish the war in its incipient stages'
How about refusing him the necessary
forces. clothing and ammunition, that
would end the war and save thousands
of lives and treasure?
Then and there was an opportunity
to throttle all the subsequent waste Of
treasure and bloodshed. But the war
should 90 on as it was a political cam
paign of bloodshed and murder for
the benefit of those who had chance
to supply the armies with supplies and
reap harvests Of gold The war went
on, and along came the three days
bloodshed of Gettysburg, when Long