Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-04-07


than ever before and are aroused TO
their importance as affecting their
own individual happiness anG pros
perity. To wisely guide them calls
for the exercise OF the highest wisdom,
coolest Judgment, and purest patriot
ism. No party can be safely trusted
with the sacred interests Of the pco-
pie or the control Of the Government
I without it possess a fixed. honest, and
enlightened purpose Singieuess Of
purpose is necessary to every reform,
indispensable TO wise admin stration
and legislation. The want OF this
quality is the inirmity Of the present
Administration and the present Con-
gress. Their victory was due to dis
content Of every kind. It was not
the result Of unity Of purpose nor of
lofty and united public sentiment. II
was the outcome of misguided judg-
ment, pique, passion, and prejudice
The majority of those who voted for
Mr.. Cleveland and the present Demo-
cratic Congress did not agree upon
any policy They had their several
different reasons for opposition to the
Republican party and their temporary
union was not inspired by devotion to
Democratic principles, purposes. or
policies. Free silver men voted the
Democratic ticket opponents 10 free
silver, or to any silver in our circula-
ting medium, voted it; the widest in
fationists, as we'll as those intlexibly
opposed to every form of imitation Of
our currency, voted it; the protection.
list voted it because he did not believe
the Democratic leaders would be reck-
less enough to disturb the tariff; the
free trader voted it in the belief that
the Democratic leaders would dcmol-
ish all custom houses and inaugurate
unrestricted commerce with all the
world, the single tax men, the disci-
pies Of Henry George, voted it, while
thousands who hate all such vagaries
voted it; the silver standard the gold
standard, the double standard, the pa
per money advocates. and the advo-
Gates Of State bank money voted it;
pensioners voted il, and those who
were certain that the Democratic
leaders could be counted upon to wire
out all pensions voted it. And when
it was all over and the victory was
won by these various antagonistic
and contending elements, the realxa-
ton Of their hopes and the enactment
of any legislation for the good OF the
country were Of course found 10 be
utterly impossible. Failure aud dis
appointment were bound to follow an
administration and Congress thus
chosen and the whole country suffers
as a result The administration and
Congress are without compass or rnd-
der Before they have accomplished
anything while they are yet wraug-
ling about what they will do-the peo-
pie have become so dissatisfied as to
burn with impotence for an opportun-
ity torepudiate them Agenefal cleo
ton was never before so much desired
as now and never so much needed The
altogether too common idea that there
is in fact little difference between the
two parties, and that the country will
prosper equally we'll whichever may
be IN power, has been completely ex-
ploded by one years trial Of the DEM
ocratic party. That difference has
been shown to be SO vast as to FIJI the
country with astonishment. It is a
greater question than who shall hold
the offices. IN fact. il has been dem.
onstrated that the success Of one
party or tile other means all the dill
ference between national happiness
and prosperity and national discon-
tent and distress.