Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1900-04-27
NOT A WALKOVER,

AA0 " hAoPCAihS WACA uS 10 hOo oAAo VOA
r afraid to shout, that Mckinley will
vim this time easier than be did before.
Well the other time was not any walk |
'ver, though great efforts have been
made to have the public believe it was.
On what do these admirers base their
hopes? On the fact that times are
good is the first reply, on the fact that
the people are at work, that money is
plentiful, and that all the promises of
the Republican party have been re-
deemed. On the ground that people
do not want change, that they are
willing to let we'll enough alone. These
while crudely expressed
here, are really the strongest argu-
ments at Republican command. But
let us see if the people are satisfied.
When the previous campaign began,
and to the close OF it, the party was a
unit. 1t had many Democrats aiding
it, the head and center of whom was
Grover Cleveland. In the city of New
York there was but one paper of prom
inence which supported Bryan. All
the former Democratic politicians OF
that State were either with the enemy
or sulking in their tents. In Baltimore
every paper was against Bryan.
Throughout the west many leading
journals were opposing him which bad
always been Democratic. The Louis
vile Courier Journal is an example OF
them. Now where are they? What is
the condition all along the line? An
entire change Of front. Kentucky,
which cast her electoral vote for Nc
Kinley the last time, is as safe for
Bryan as Texas. No Southern State
has been captured which was not for
Mckinley in the last campaign. The
corporations, which bulldoZed their
employees before cannot do it again,
and if those employees desert the Dem
ocratic party this time, it will be the
fault of the employee and not the COR
poration. The Republican party has
redeemed it's promises in many res
poets we know. 1t promised war and
it has given it, and the country is
nauseated. Not long since it promised
expansion, now the country does not
know whether it is bigger than it was
or not. Some say it is, others say it
is just the same. Its promised expan-
sion is of the now you see it, and now
you don't see it" kind, and those who
want expansion are cursing because
we have not expanded, end those who
do not want it are cursing because we
have expanded. Hence nobody is
pleased. The war is simply ruse to
strengthen Mckinley for re lection and
the people see it and are Disguised. He
is wasting lives and millions of money
for nothing, and is thus loosing
strength every day. Then too, the
broken promises to Porto Rico have
carried disgust over the whole land. The
people see this disgrace. and noprofess-
ed magnanimity of giving the money
back can restore their faith in the
party that promised fair treatment,
and then admitted they had deceived
them when they made the promise.
The gold standard is in the expert
mental stage and the party in power
has not gotten any new hold on &C
count of it. If it works we'll after
while it will be praised, but wo betide
it, if panics come now as they used tc
do before it was the fixed law of the
, land.
The admitted and unblushIng cring
ing to Trusts by the Repu blicans and
the knowledge everywhere that they
have been only rendered possible by
Republican fostering, has alarmed the
masses. The people directly interest.
ed in trusts are very few in number
they form but very small per cent,
not per cent of the voting population
of the country, and they occupy dan
gerous ground. They have become
very tyranical. they seem to have no
horse sense. They demand tariff for
Porto Rico, not all of them, in fact
only two trusts made the demand, but
so powerful were they, and SO at their
mercy did they hold the President and
both bodies of the legislative branch of
the government, that the President
ate bis words, Congress broke faith
with our new colonists, and took the
last crumbs from a starving people.
1t is the hope OF the leaders that these
things will be forgotten before the
campaign gets fairly under way,
but how can honest people forget such
treachery?
Our taxes, too, are enormous. Never
have people borne such burdens so
uncomplainingly, but the load is gall
ing, and there is no relief in sight.
Our public officers are welding pow
CT never known before. Secretary Gage
handles the money of the government
as if it were his own, and his pet banks
feast and grow fat on bis munifcence.
These are only a few of the many
things which are known to the public
and when it is stated that Mckinley s
road is not to have some thorns, those
who make the statement either are
blind or wllfully misrepr resent the facts.
They will have their eyes opened be-
fore November. There will be q
change and Imperialism will be buried
out of sight. The people must retain
some rights, and their only salvation
is in the Democratic party.
We hear that there has been great
charge of heart throughout the United
States regarding silver. We think We
know one great heart that has changed
on this subject, and that is the heart
Of the Lame Lion" of Virginia, the
heart of Senator Daniel. With as