The record-union., 1896-08-03
METHODS OF THE OPPOSITION.


More times than it is pleasant to state
this nation has attempted to give free
rein to foreign competition with Ameri-
can industries, and in every instance
the experiment has been disastrous.
The low tariffs of the country have been
body blows to home industry and i'm
poverishment of hundreds of thousands
of American workers, whose idleness
means business stagnation and injury
to every interest, froansthe greatest to
the least consequential. 1t is proposed
now to return to policy that has in
variably brought with it prosperity.
To this proposition the emotional ele-
ments have stubbornly shut their eyes,
while they have opened their mouths
with the cry that the Republican party
is the slave of plutocracy, the tool Of
money kings, and the purchased and
paid servitor of foreign money powers
seeking to place the American people
in financial shackels-
Who really believes this abuse? Who
that has provedeQual,to every emergen-
cy which has confronted the nation is
traitor now, bought and sold for pieces
of silver and gold, and bartered to be
hireling? Who is there who in his heart
believes in the justice of the scurrility
and slander that is showered upon the
party of Fremont and Lincoln and
Chase, and of Seward, Blaine, Garfield
and Mckinley? These assaults may do
for the demagogues upon the stump
with the honest minded and thinking
they will have no effect.
1t would seem that there is no means
to this date thought of to be employed
by the combined opposition to the Re-
publican party but that of abuse Of it
and its candidate. We were told that
this was to be a campaign of reason,
Of education, of honest debate in the
open forum, Of cleanliness and mo
mud" but how far has the opposition
adhered to such a programme? What
with abusive epithets, mendacious
charges, scurrilous assaults upon mo-
tive, all directed against Republicans
who have the temerity to adhere to their
party, and to oppose their judgment and
faith to the combined opposition, it
would seem that the arch enemy of
mankind Is stalking through the land
in the form of the Republican party
seeking to devour and to snare Amer
lean liberty to its utter ruin
Republicans, we read, are gold bugs"
traitors to American interests" the
tools Of the Rothschilds and the bank
ers Of Europe" they are seeking to
throttle free Institutions" and "subvert
the liberties of the people," they are
"6utocrats,' thieves" "plunderers,"
"conspirators." political assassins,"
tools of rings, combines and trusts"
slaves Of corporations, "lackeys of
Lombard street" and '1ickspittles for
national bankers" and so on through
chapters of sickening indecency, falsity
and scurrility that fairly blister the
tongue in repetition. And this, we are
assured, Is conducting a decent cam
paign.
The ''Record-Union' finds no strength
In mere vituperation; 1t has no abuse
and slander to speak of those who ad-
here to the parti-colored Democracy,
nor libel and unclean epithets to apply
to the emotional and hysterical Popu-
lists. There Is nothing whatever Of
fensive in the use of strong and witty
terms expressive Of ones honest con-
viction as to the character of the party
that one opposes, SO long as there is no
assault upon the motive. no attack upon
the character. no designation by inde-
cent and foul epithet, no charge affect
ing the honor and integrity of ones po-
litical opponent How far within or
without these lines OF sharp and vigor-
Gus debate stands the combined opposi-
ton to the Republican party to-day?