Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-10-14
FRIDAY EVENING. OCT. ii. 1895,


ed for fear that they will lose the next
House of Representatives. AT present
they have more than fifty majority
over all shades of opposition. This
majority was secured by tie fraud,
fal5ehood and shameless corruption OF
the canvass OF 1896 when Mr.. Mckinley
was elected President. The managers
of this party are now trembling in their |
shoes at the thought that the eyes OF
the people may be opened, and no one
can deny that they have great cause
for fear. The administration started
out with the false promise that pros
perity would be speedily restored, bui
it is Impossible FOR lying newspapers
longer to deceive the people on this
point. The only prosperous people IN
the land besides the money lenders,
the army aud navy contractors, and
the capitalists, are the Office holding
class 10 which Mr.. Mckinley himself
belongs. But these constitute only q
very small fraction, and they are fat
tening at the expense of all the rest
of the people. Last year, thanks to
the failure Of the wheat crop all over
the habitable globe save in the United
States. wheat went very high and some
OF the farmers were thereby benefited.
The republicans claimed that they had
done it all, created the blight that
cursed the crops OF Europe, India and
South America, and that it showed the
exceeding wisdom OF the gold standard
that its evils could be corrected by
the interposition of Divine Providence.
This year there is no general failure OF
wheat crops abroad and the farmer is
once more confronted with low price
for wheat. Cotton is lower than ever
before and is far below the cost Of pro
duction. There is no hope Tor the pro-
ducer under the republican regime aud
there is much popular discomfort.
The republicans thought that by whip
ping weak and bankrupt nation like
Spain they could blind the people OF
their own country. But the capture of
Santiago and Manila, while illustrates
the well-known courage OF the Ameri-
can soldier and sailor, does not cure an
empty pocket or FIJI an empty belly.
Peace has come. The glamour OF the
war is over. What have We gained by
it except some white elephants too cost
ly to own and feed and yet not easy to
ct go? In the meantime we are pay
ing enormous taxes which the admins
tration says must be kept up in order
to pay the expenses of big standing
army for garrisons in our rebellious
provinces, composed of Spauiards, ne
groes, mulattoes and savages. We have
two hundred millions more OF a bonded
debt, and money, they say, is ''easy" in
Wall street. but nowhere else. War
has been made on Spain with signal
success but with at least equal vigor
and success on our own gallant SOL
diers who relied on rich and power
full government to provide food and
other supplies for them. True, white
washing committee appointed by the
President is endeavoring to stihc public
indignation and hoodwink the people,
but old Mrs. Darlington did better
when she attempted with her broom
and mop to drive back the Atlantic
ocean. Desperate diseases require des.
perate remedies. Ayers speeches in
his own defense are failure. The
white wash committee are failure.
Roosevelt at last is turned loose to
speak, but bull in china shop does
not promote housekeeping or the reten-
ton OF Jobs. In this dire strait, there is
nothing left but to put the reserves into |
action. President Mckinley himself is
summoned to the front. He goes on
the stump-a cunning, crafty and foxy
speaker, with a bad cause, to face the
people whom he fooled in 1896. II he |
cannot save the battle for the House,
the battle is lost beyond q peradven-
ture. Truly Mr.. Hanna must feel that
the skies sre looking squally for the |
administration or he would not counsel |
this step. The Presidents speech is |
just what might be expected of him.
The country, he says, is prosperous
Prosperity means Offices for him
self and his party aud personal
dependents, fat contracts for his favor
ties, horse doctors, Skaters and Samp-
sons in the saddle and the goose |
hanging high. The country has .
good conscience" because it went to
war. The country went to war for the
sake Of humanity" All right for ar
gument's sake, but what of his part in
the business? Did he want to go to war
for humanity or for anything else?
the war was for humanity and neces-
ssry, why did he oppose it so long and
so strongly? Why did all his cabinet
oppose it to the last? Why did Hanna
so Al l-Il-:..o s,-,