The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-11-26
REPUBLICAN OBLIGATIONS TO
DEMOCRATS.


The Astorian has no patience with
that mawlish sentimentality which in
spires the suggestion heard in some
quarters that the Republican party Is
under obligations TO the Patriotic
Democrats" who were driven to favor
McKinley's election in order to rebuke
the rape Of their own party and avert
the disaster TO the country involved in
hte triumph OF Organism. Unless we
have misread history. the last campaign
does not afford the only instance on
record when the life and honor Of the
nation was so obviously dependent
upon the success of Republican leaders
and Republican principles that patriotic
men Of all classes laid aside minor diff
ferences Of opinion and united their
forces for that purpose. 1t is an old
saying that virtue has its own reward,
and there is a soleoism in the PROPOSE
tiOn that one class OF citizens can owe
recompense to another for loyalty in
the common cause OF common coun-
try. At any rate, il there is to be any
talk of obligation. it seems to us the
shoe is on the other foot. II anybody
Is deserving Of especial praise and graf
itude for the glorious results of the
last election, it is the Republicans who
for years past have never faltered or
paltered in their determination to pre-
serve their party organization and prin-
eiples inviolate from the heresies and
schisms which took possession of the
other parties. and who by this consist
ent course of duty were able in the hour
Of peril to offer a refuge and rallying
point for all good citizens who desired
to aid in the defense OF the country
against the strongest combination Of
foes that ever threatened its honor and
existence. The Republican party owes
nothing to any Democrat, but the pa
triotic Democrats owe more TO the Re
publican party than they will ever ac-
knowledge. Any talk among Republi-
cans Of a compromise OF Republican
delicate sensihilities Of patriotic Dem
ocrats on the tariff and other great Re
publican doctrines, is nothing less than
party TREASON. There is good reason
Democrats who were ashamed of their
former political associations and too de-
cent, now that they have had an ex-
cuse for leaping the chasm. TO ever
want to go back to them. These men
must be given to understand at the
very outset of their new alliance that
II they want TO stay with the Repub-
lican party they must take it as they
find it. Take it, so far as its principles
and policies are concerned, just as it was
inherited by its present standard bear
ers from the immortal Lincoln. the no
Bile and magnanimous Grant, the bril-
liant and Incompatible Blaine So far
as the return Of this country TO the
principle Of the protective tariff is con-
eerned, that precise question had been
passed upon directly, decisively, and
affirmatively by a large majority of
the American people long before the
insane and frenzied promulgations Of
the Chicago mob convention fired
the fagots Of discord and hatred on
every hilltop and in every valley of
the country. Lay by day, ever since
p the defeat Of the Bryan forces, evi-
dence has been accumulating that the
people are slowly but surely recovering
their reason. The millions Of men who
have been reduced to starvation and
desperation by the free trade and col
lateral mistakes Of the Cleveland re-
gime want work, and the Republican
party is pledged to give it to them.
This can only be done by starting the
fires under tine furnaces Of our own
mills and intercepting for the benefit
Of our own people the rich returns now
going from this country to fatten the
peasant hordes of Europe. Let our
mills, our factories, our farms, and
every other industry and source Of pro- |
duction be revived and encouraged at
the earliest possible moment. McKin- |
ley will be untrue to his party and his !
country and unfaithful to actual and
implied pledges If he fails TO call a
special session of congress on March
to remedy the wrongs and restore the
rights of his fellow countrymen. There
will be no obstruction in the senate
to the passage of another Mckinley
bill; the condition of the country de-
mands it, and no renegade Republican
or Northern Democrat will dare lift a
hand to prevent it. There can be no
such thing as over production, but with
Mckinley protection to revivify our