Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1899-04-08
4 WORD WITH YOU, YOUNG MEN

Presidential election, and adjust for a
number OF years, the policy Of the govern
ment regarding questions Of the tariff,
finance, and international progress.
! Young men, do you realize the SITUATE
on, Ifnot, then pause, and reflect.
There are two great parties in this
country, and only two. Ali others are
mere sidesbows, where special fashy
features are advertised but whose per-
formances are not worth the price Of adj
mission. Once inside of their tents, and
ones sensibilities are shocked, for MOTH
| ing but defomities, freaks and frauds are
encountered.
Shun theml
The other two parties are, the Repub-
can and Democratic Their principles are
divergent as the two great oceans. Their
leaders have peculiar sectional ideas and
principles Their history, seldom i ever,
blends and harmonizes.
The Democratic party is old and FROST
bitten. its leaders have generally drifted
with the shift OF sentiment, as exemplih-
ed bv the lives Of such men as Calhoun,
Van Buren, and Bryan, pandering to every
ism, imaginable, and thus, often win
ming victories by cornerIng all dissatisfied
voters. by specious arguments, meaning
one thing in one section Of the country,
and exactly thereverse,In another section
thereof. Or, ii has whined at the feet OF
an Andrew Jackson, on Grover Cleve-
land whose arbitrary theoretic exactions
have swept the country with the bosom
of destruction, by closing mills, darkening
factories, and striking down the honest
American laborer. Its history, except
during the administrations of Jeffer-
son and Madison, is one OF rank parti-
sanism and demogogy, of banter and in
competence. It's dead are never buried.
lifts record becomes too odoriferous for
farther transportation, it is simply drop
ped by the wayside while the party sheers
silently off TO the windward, trusting
with good reason TO time and silence to
entomb its shame" Twice it almost
bankrupted the nation; once it sought to
tear it into tatters. To-day it stiffies the
voices of thousands of voters, yet thrives
on their representation, and elects men to
Congress, based on it, as though nothing
had ever happened to dsfranchise these
citizens. 1t breaches reform, and retrench-
ment, cries down trusts, mathematics the
horried baron robbers" Then, when in
power, it supinely folds its arms and
dreams dreams. Wherever it can array
class against class or preach gospel OF
hatred. or paraize growing industry, II
sweeps forward in majestic harmony, APP
plauding the groans of the fallen and sad.
Its natural badge should be plain crepe,
for it strangles and STILES enterprise and
progress everywhere. 1t inspires no
noble ambition. It's song is the wall of
the disappointed and its living text is:
come unto me, all we that are heavy la
dened and sad, and | will make you more
so" To-day it has not a single cardinal
principle that has not been stolen from
some other party, or that appeals to the
patriotism, admiration or intelligence of
the people. Garfield graphically por-
traved it, when he said it was like man
standing on the rear platform of train
of cars--never seeing anything until he
had passed by it.
How can any young man identify him
self with such party9 How can he con-
tent himself to roam through a grave
yard, where the political tombstones all
tell one tae--a tale of incompetence, de-
ception and hopeless death1
Young, men don't stay there. Don't!
Come out into the glorious sunshine,
under blue skies, and listen to the hum
ming music of the spindles, and catch the
CLINT OF the white sails OF commerce, and
hear the tapping of the old Star Spang-
lie Banner, Step upon the grassy swatd
of Republicanism, and see what the party
that first elected the common rail-splitter
as its President, has accomplished. See
the manacles forever shattered from the
wrists of slaves. See the bonnie blue flag,
bearing every star that eVsy adorned its
bosom, floating over the Nation that our
fore-fathers gave us, baptized with their
life blood Study history and learn how,
since the civil war, it has sacredly guarded
the public credit of the Nation; has stood
for the American home and workman
against those of the whole world; has ad-
vocated a system of internal improve
ments, and of diversified industries; ha: