Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-03-17
CHAMP CLRK'S LET TER
The Republican Party Is
Sick and Sore.

The Republican Party Is
Sick and Sore.
NOW PLAYING AT ECONOMY.
vainly Seeking Salvation by a
Petty Subterfuge.
TRIBUTE TO THE COUNTRY EDITOR
Champ C1arlks Eloquent Speech In Con-
gress In Behalf of the Local Paper and
In Opposition to the Now Defunct Loud
Postal ELL - The River and Harbor
Humbug Dingley's Little Appropria-
tion-A Mastery Summary of the PoIiti-
cal Situation at Washington.
Especial washington Letter.
The devil was sick,
The devil monk would be:
The devil got we'll,
The devil monk was he.
The first two lines of this quatrain
are descriptive of the present predica-
ment of the Republican party. The last
two are prophetic of its conduct should
it recover. It is sick, perhaps sick unto
death. It is suffering from complica-
tion of diseases, but Dingleyism is the
one whose symptoms worry the ply
sicians most just now. It is gradually
but surely producing anamia, or, in
plain everyday language, starvation.
This the Republican doctors do not un-
derstand. They don know how to cope
with it, There is no remedy in the Re-
publican materia medica for it. The G..
o. P. has been sick frequently from
gluttony, but an8mia confounds the
physicians.
Pretends to Reform.
But, being sick. the old prostitute
pretends to repent. A new life is to be
led--a life of abstemiousness and econ
omy. 1t is really comical to see Uncle
Joe Cannon and Mr.. Payne, 'the gray
haired mandarin" ct id omne genus,
"play economy, for every body knows
that their economy is only make be-
lieve. But they must make buckle and
tongue meet somehow, and as they dare
not issue bonds sin time of peace
after all they said about "G. c., and as
the Dingley bill absolutely fails by
$8, 000,0 900 month to bring in revenue
to administer the government, Uncle
Joe and his gang are pretending to cut
down the appropriations. Among others
they are socking it into the old soldier,
cutting off his supplies, holding up bis
claims in the pension Office, holding up
his bills in congress. In fact, all the ap.
preparation bills are cut down until aft
or the election, when, having won or
lost, the deficiency bills which will be
rushed through at the short session will
be amazing to see. Such is this boasted
Republican economy--only a postpone
ment, humbug, sham, fraud.
A Startling Fact.
In pursuance of this scheme of pre-.
tended economy my-good for this session
only and not day longer-it is now
given out fiat that tho committee OF
rivers and harbors, after incubating foI
months, will report no bill at all. This
is an astounding proposition. Now, one
of two things is true-frst, either some
sort of river and harbor bill is needed
this session, or, second, none ever il
needed. If the latter proposition is true,
then untold millions have been squan.
dered. But that proposition is not true
never was, never will be. River anG
harbor appropriations are necessary an6
should be made when needed. Postpone
ment only aggravates the trouble anC
ultimately increases the expense The
Republican chieftains who have com
manded that no river and harbor bill be
reported this session know this full
we'll. None better. But in order to tide
over the fall elections they are perfectly
willing to spend So hereafter where 81
would suffice now. The appropriations
must be held down till after the cleo
tions, no matter how expensive the per-
formance. How do the taxpayers like
that?
Every vote that the Republicans gel
next fall by reason of economy" will
be obtained under false pretenses, and
if dollars instead Of votes would land
the benefciaries in the penitentiary in
stead of in congress. But they are in
desperate straits and are grabbing at ali
sorts of straws. In some of these capers
they are Understanding the intelli
gence of the people to a degree that il
absolutely amazing.
A Difference With a Distinction.
When Samuel J. Randall was speak
er and Jim Mckenzie of Kentucky was
a member, very amusing thing hap
pened. Mckenzie was brilliant, elo
quent, daredevil sort of statesman who
always carried his nerve with him. One
day he arose and solemnly said, Mr.
/ Speaker, / rise to question of highes
privilege. /" estate it, = replied Randall
81 call up house bill No. -, making al
appropriation for public building al
Paducah, KY gravely answered the
audacious Kentuckian. '.The gentle
man is trifling with the chair p roaret
Randall, white with rage. "That is M
question of privilegep' "Oh, Mr.. Speak
er, the chair is mistaken u said McKen
zie, arguendc s'That is question oi
highest privilege, involving members
right to his seat If don't get the ap
preparation for that custom house,
will never be reelected in this world. :
McKenzie's superb impudence carried
the day, Modified Randall and secured
the appropriation to build the custom
house to re-elect him to congress, which
it did.
saw and heard Mr.. Tongue Of Ore
gon talk and toll for an appropriation
for harbor to make water deep enough
over the bar to float him back to con
gress. 1t was painful performance, fol
he squeezed in before by the skin of hi
teeth. He tried every style of oratory
| he had ever heard of-argumentatiye
nor1u, ornate, persuasive, suppss5szsz;-7 ,
pathetic and pathetic. All fell on deat
ears He vowed that the $780, 600 b
wanted would diminish freight rates
cents bushel ON all Oregon wheat, bu