The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1894-07-18
4 desperate PARTY.

prates2 1t has just held a conven-
tion in Denver aud We have been
expecting to hear something new
in place of parrot-like denunciation
of the Democratic party. But the
Republican league had nothing new
to offer in the line of governmental
policy, or TO show that any thing is
especially wrong in the country, al
ways excepting, of course, the Dem
ocratic party
Having left a mountain of finan-
cial obligations for Democracy to
deal with, we hear "no end" of Re-
publican croaking in Denver about
depicting the treasury, increasing
the debts of the nation and similar
partisan shibboleth. The program
at Denver was reeled off as prepar-
ed, but the tame music will fan fiat
upon the average American ear.
Few people have time to enthuse
over pure partisan gush and de-
nunciation cooked to order.
The Louisville Courier Journal
puts the case:
1t is anything to win with the
Republicans this year. Principles
don't count. Nothing counts but
votes-twice if possible. Nothing
matters except to get back to pow
er, staked recklessly and lost on
McKinleyism. To that end no deal
will be neglected, no concession OF
principles refused, no infusion un-
tried, no straddie too great to be
attempted.
AS to the silver question the Re-
publicans propose to be all things
to all men, but with a decided in
clination to abandon former declar-
ations in favor of sound money and
join hands again with the silver ex-
tremists in an effort to save protec.
tion at the expense of the currency.
AS to the tariff they will reafiirm
only SO much of their devotion TO
McKinleyism as they think they
can win on. Should they win by
pledge of moderate protection, their
treatment of former pledges of this
character leaves no doubt of what
they will do when they have a
chance. They are prepared to trick
the country if they can, by any pre-
tense of repentance and reform,
such as they made at the time OF
their famous tariff commission.
One Republican member of the
House from Pennsylvania was frank
enough TO say that in his judgment
his party in selecting presidential
candidate and constructing plat
form in 1896 "would be governed,
not by what is right OF wrong in an
abstract sense, or by what this or
that candidate thinks, but by con-
siderations entirely apart from
either morals or statesmanship"-
probably very far apart and partly
financial. Those considerations
were further explained in this sim
pie fashion:
The Democratic party is going to
pass a bill which will be moderately
protective, but will impose lower
taxes on the whole than the Nc
Kinley act. If business revives
next winter and keeps up pretty
well, the Republican National Con-
vention will undoubtedly adopt a
moderate protectionist platform,
contending that the revival is due
to the fact that the protective prin-
ciple has been preserved in the
Democratic bill. If times continue
hard, however, the convention will
insist that the reason of this is to
be found in the fact that duties were
reduced too far, and will accord
ingIy adopt stiff program, outdo-
ing the Mckinley act, if anything.
And SO they hope to catch us
coming and going. This utter
ance, and the demand of the Ohio
Republican State Convention, that
the Mckinley rates be left untouch-
ed unless they can be made higher,
express the real purpose OF the Re-
publican leaders, whatever may be
the promises by which, before the
election, they may seek to bam-
hoozle the votcrs. They are for
monopoly protection, the highest
they can get, and to get it they will
promise tariff reform, free silver
coinage, more pensions, comfort for
the Populists, offices for everybody,
and anything else that is good for a
vote.