Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1896-03-19
REPUBLICAN, PROSPECTS
Aor.ly Degraded and Unworthy Of

Morally Degraded and Unworthy Oh
support
There are still some republicans hy-
Tg who remember the great days OF
their party-the days when hosts OF
public-spirited and sincere men left the
ranks of the wings and of the demo
Gratis to found a new organization de
voted 10 high moral and political aims,
under the leadership of statesmen of
eminent character, commanding ability,
and the courage of sincere convictions.
The contrast between the spirit and con-
dition of the republican party in those
days and its present plight calls forth
melancholy reflections. The time for
its national convention is approaching.
The original anti-slavery mission of the
republican party has long been fulfilled,
and new problems of great importance
are pressing for solution. The repub-
hcan party still pretends that it con-
tains in its ranks the best of popular
Intelligence and virtue. 1t claims pub
lie confidence and support on the
ground that by this superior intelligence
and virtue it is best fitted to solve the
great problems before us. What these
problems are every candid observer
knows. The business community of the
country admits that the tariff is no
longer one of them. While some selfish
interests still clamor for higher protec-
ton, the business world at large is
known to be on the whole satisfied, for
the time being at least, with the tariff
ais it stands. and wishes it substantially
to be let alone This is so true that even
many of the old protectionists hesitate
to touch it. They are we'll aware that
what prevents the revival OF prosperity
is not the low tariff. but the currency
disorder. The questions really and ur-
gently demanding the attention of the
country are those of the currency, and
OF administrative reform by the aboli-
ton of the spoils system.
It the republican party were still
what it once was, its leading men would
recognize it as their obvious duty t,
come forward and boldly to express
their sincere convictions on these sub
jects. They would seek by every legit-
innate means to summon to action and to
organize the supporters of these opin-
ions within their party, to the end of
securing from the national convention
a clear and strong approval of them.
and the nomination of candidates
known to be in accord with them The
convention would thus become, as the
early republican conventions were, a
truly representative body of honest cit
liens intent upon serving the public
interest by making certain policies
prevail through party effort. What
do we behold? A large number of the
leading men of the republican party.
among them some of the most power
full, are open advocates of the spoi!s
system with all its demoralizing effects.
and even of those who occasionally
express their disapproval of it, and
have a good word for reform, but few
are courageous enough to advocat..
reform with aggressive emphasis. In
fact, in most states the regular organi-
zation of the republican party is rest
ing upon the spoils principle and held
together by spoils methods. And there
is no prominent republican leader, at
least no prospective candidate for the
presidency, who openly demands that
fidelity to civil service reform be made
one of the cardinal tests of republican,
ism. Almost all of them are willing to
let the boys" understand that if the
republicans win, the loaves and fishes
OF party spoil will go to them as much
as possible in the old fashion.
Never since the close of the civil war
has the republican party had finer
opportunity to render great service to
the American people by taking in hand
the problems of the day honestly and
fearlessly. Never has it had a better
chance to win the support of those
citizens whose political action is de-
termined rather by their sense of pub
lie duty than by party spirit But
never has it appeared in SO repulsive
state of moral degradation and so UNI
worthy of that support. Some time
ago it seemed impossible that the re-
publican party should be defeated in
the coming presidential election. 1t
seems impossible no longer.-Leslie's
Weekly.