The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1894-10-10
AshnIned ID tlle Pnrir.

NOG very long ago SOl. OODSeE', Z
Republican of Ohio, said that awher
we put forth the Mckinley bill we
violated the pledges of the party,
increased duties, then went forth to
battle upon the proposition and
were beaten. Now, it would be
simple political suicide to start out
upon that proposition in 1896"
Col. Conger's opinion was the
same as that in general expressed
by the leading Republican news
papers when the defeat of the g. o.
p. and the cause thereof were fresh
in mind.
To-day wo find Senator Cullum
pleading the baby act and declaring
that the Republican party intended
to revise the Mckinley act down
ward. Cullum may speak for him
self but he does not speak for his
party, for the Republican party
never did and never will revise any
tariff measure downward. Cullum
simply admits that the Mckinley
act was indefensible.
And SO it goes. Nowhere are the
Republicans honestly and sincerely
defending any act of the Mckinley
Reed Harrison regime. The chief
acts of that period were the Nc
Kinley tariff, the. Sherman act, the
Force bill and the treasury deficit.
And these the Republican leaders
want the people to forget. They
even keep in the shadow of once
boasted reciprocity, which lessened
exports and gave legislative powers
to the President.
The Republican attack on the
Democratic record, it will be OBJ
served, is not on the Democratic
party or its principles, but on GER
tain Democratic Senator'S who were
recreant to their party and who
voted with the Republicans, with
out whose support they would have
amounted to nothing. Republican
criticism of German and Brice is
nothing but condemnation of the
Mckinley tendencies of these Sena-
tors and is simply hypocritical
abuse.
Even Harrison's soft solder dur
ing the Debs and Coxey movements,
to the effect that the Government at
Washington is under obligation to
give work to the unemployed, is no
where quoted nor defended by Re-
publican speakers.
In fact the Republican spokes-
men are all at sea, with no notion OF
where they will land. They are
ashamed of their party work with
out having the nerve to confess it,
and they are distrustful of their
leaders without having the bravery
to discard them. They are con-
fronted with the necessity of making
a straddle that will cover the
bounty fed and bounty-seeking
sugar planters of Louisiana and the
working men who buy sugar. They
say as little as they can, answer no
questions and feed themselves on
the single hope that enough Demo
Gratis will stay at home to permit
them to get back to Washington
and continue the corrupt practices
they dare not defend. The Demo
crat who stays at home will be
actually aiding the party which
tacitly comedies its own worthless
ness, and very few Democrats will
be found to do this when they re-
fleet on the Republican hypocrisy
and understand that Republican
gains will be heralded as condem-
nation of the Democrats who fought
the Mckinley tariff to death and as
an endorsement of that iniquity,
itself.
No Democrat, unless he has a
stronger belief in the Republican
party than Republicans dare to
show, will neglect to put his ballot
in the box this fall.