Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1899-12-29
OUR POLITICAL PABULUM.

The time of the next presidential
election is approaching. Already one
of the great national parties has select
ed the place of holding its convention.
T he other soon will do SO, but as the
other is the Democratic party We are
told it makes no difference when it
holds its convention, OF whether it
holds any, MIR. Mckinley will be re-
nominated by reclamation by the Re
tion by the people. This is what we
hear from the organs, the newspapers
which are now crowdiDg their sheets
into the faces of this part of the
country and which are distilling
into the public mind their theories.
In this part OF the country the much
esteemed journals the Washington
Post, the Baltimore Sun, the Rich
mond Times and Dispatch are the
dailies which are principally read and
studied. The first, the Post, declares
that it is independent. but a stronger
Republican paper was never printed
in the office of the New Y ork Tribune.
The Baltimore Sun was once the Dem
oeratic light by which men in this
country marched to the polls, but its
plutocratic owners have divorced it
from the cause of the people and it is
now read here for the news it con-
tains, whilst its political views are
distasteful to Democrats. The Rich
mond Times is radically Republican
and has been for a long time. at least
it has opposed every Democratic
measure of recent years, and we judge
tree by It's fruit. AS for the Dis
patch, well, it may be most anything.
1t seems afraid of thesound of its own
voice, and what 1T says today it re-
cants tomorrow, so we will not try to
classify it. A few read the New York
papers, the Herald. Journal and
World. But as none of these save the
Journal has any acknowledged political
views, and as the Herald never prints
editorial matter sufficient to make or
break faith, these, except the Jour-
nal, must be read for no reason save to
obtain news. The daily dose Of politi-
cal vermifuge which is poured down
the Threats of the people OF this quar-
-, ooy,, &c tbo, fl,rounh Tho Post tho
Sun and the Times, and all three take
it from bottles bearing the label of
Doctor Hanna, and serve the nauseat-
ing stuff in gold spoon. It is not
strange, therefore, that we hear each
day how dirty politician Bill Goebel
is and how filthy the Democratic par
ty In Kentucky has become, and not
only how filthy Democracy is in Ken
lucky. but elsewhere all over the coun
try, SO much so that all the brains and
respecta bility which left it for Palmer
and Buckner in 1896 have now allied
themselves with the Republican party
andProsperity and the Democratic par
ty will see them no more. 1t is lamen
table truth that there is not great
daily paper in these parts which is
not now body and soul with the Re-
publican party and for the gold stand
ard. The people are being betrayed,
and the piratical organization which
has combined for their destruction is
of such magnitude that it dignifies
the robbery by declaring that the
majority of the people are with it.
Might therefore makes right. 1t Is a
sad spectacle and one which is enough
to sicken the soul of every man who
has intelligence enough to see that the
present monetary legislation is for no
other purpose than to make the rich
richer. and the poor poorer, and we
read that this is right.