Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1904-11-25
Friday, November rs, 1904.
WHY WE SHOULD LOVE THE REPUB-
LICAN PARTY.

LIcAN Party.
Surprise and good deal of feeling
manifests itself in various quarters
because the South does not align itself
with the Republican party and cease
what is called its solidity. Various
reasons are given for its not doing 30,
the most usual and prominent being
that it would do SO if the elections
were fairly held. But inasmuch as the
elections, they say, in the south are
mere farces the States are returned
as Democratic instead of what they
really should be, Republican. 1t is
hard for Northern people to under
stand why the South holds together
and refuses to fall down and worship
that great party which has, from their
standpoint, done so much for the
country and for civilization. The Re-
publican. party which we are told is
the nation-representing all that is
good and denouncing all that is bad
is in the eyes of Republicans the
greatest organization on EARTH. The
church, extending its influence accord
ing to authority, to the furthermost
parts of the earth, and receiving its
sanction and inspiration directly from
the hand of the Almighty, is in the
eyes of the average Republican bau-
BILE or toy beside the organization
which doeth all things we'll at home,
and is arranging to do them better
away from home, the party that brings
sunshine and showers. tempers the
wind to the shOrn lamb. giveth abun-
dant harvests and maketh the hearts
of it's true followers to rejoice ard be
exceeding glad. That party whose
handmaiden is prosperity, and whose
companion is plenty, that party which
to know is to revere, which to see is
to love. Yet the South blind to its
good, blind to the example set by the
rest of the country and the world, does
not love this great and good party but
stands aloof and obstinate.
Lets see what cause if any these
Obdurate and stiffnecked people have
for their conduct. Years ago many
people in the North as well as the
South owned negro slaves. Those in
the North sold theirs gradually to
their Southern brethren, so that there
were few or no slaves as for North as
Pennsylvania or New York. save in
Delaware. No sooner did the North
succeed in selling her last slave than
that section began to grow virtuous
They always had a. way. up there Of
sticking their noses into other peoples
affairs, so different from the conduct
of the Southern people They began
to demand that the South should moi
have slaves. Of course slavery in it,
technical sense is wrong, but these
slaves were the property of the South
ern people undeniably at that time
but to hold such property we were tolC
then was wrong-though not illegal
This demand on the part of the peopl
of the North became more and NOR,
positive and peremptOry. The peopl,
of the South were not 80 much il
favor of slavery as they were deter
mined to maintain their rights in re
gard to it. They would have abolish
ed it as time posed, but they did no
admit any one portion of the country
right to compel them to quit whenso
ever that other portion said they mus
quit. Sixty years ago this controvers,
began, and it grew in intensity AM
acrimony, until at last the North sen
an army into the South to compel witt
bayonet and sword what they had no
been able before to compel by bluste
and brow beating, the abolition o
slavery. The South gathered her pee
pie. She had made no preparation fo
war, not an arsenal was anywhere il
the South, not a powder factory or
gunshOp. Yet with what of arms sh
could gather her little band of s mi
lion people stood facing 35 million PEG
pie armed and equipped. and with th
world from which to draw soldiers an
supplies. The first clash came and th
army of the North was sent whippe
and scattered across the Potoma
from whence it came. In time it wa
gathered together again, increased i
numbers and efficiency, and it return
ed to the conflict. For four long veal
the battle waged, blood flowed q
water, the youth and chivalry of tn
South were moved down in defense o
their homes and country, and the
graves were every where. Not confer
with sending her own people the N ort
went abroad and got hirelings by hui
dreds of thousands, these were poure
over the southland. So fierce did tt
strife become, and so difficult was
for the North to conquer the Soutl
that all rules of civilized warfare wei
abandoned. A system of starYatlo
began, to do what bullets had not su,
ceeded in doing. Every house, an
barn, and mill where the army of tt
North was, began to be burned. Oh
men were murdered or sent off to d
of hardshlps and starvation in Nortt
ern prisons. Women and childre
were left homeless to starve. Woms
were outraged by their soldiery. Cal
tives in prison amid plenty were lie
to die from lack of food and medicin
and every indignity that could
heaped upon a people was heaped up'
the people of the South. At las
when further resistance was useles
the South surrendered, and the actu
war was over. But no sooner we
their arms laid down than asystemat
scheme of robbery and plumber bega