Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 January 1888 — ARRAIGNING THE G. O. P. [ARTICLE]

ARRAIGNING THE G. O. P.

Ex-Senator Reeve Reminds Republicans of a Vei.y Unsavory Recoup. ' —r The action of the President in calling the attention oi C ongress and the people directly to h matter of the greatest importance to the welfare of the wnole country irrespective of party, and his n anly appeal to them to treat the questions involved » s matters of business, have been me* by the Assembly of Republican Clubs, just held in New York, as if he had thrown down a glove, challenging that party to combat, and the members

of that Assembly— speaking for the Republican party—have thrown down a glove to signify an acceptance of the challenge. They proceeded to substitute for the Preside! t’s presentation to Congress and the people a mass of “goose leed” of their o»n manufacturing; to declare that to be what the President said and their response to it, and then vaunt that party’s past glories, its present and future courage, an 4 to libel the President and all who agree with him—that is, a majority of the voters of the nation.

If it were not contempt ble and disgusting it would be laughable to read the rhodomontade so blatantly put forth in speech and resolutions by that assembly. According to them the President is a knave and a foo\ and the American \citizens calling themselves Democrats, with all who support Mr. Cleve'and, are enemies oi their country; have been, and are en gaged in seeking to destroy it, to erect barriers against lit erty and progress, and umess these ravaging boasters are alone intrust d with the administration of government the nation will, be destroyed. Rational peeple can but wonder how a man like E varts can be led I into making or aj proving any such expression s as constitute the declarations of that assembly. Such persons can but painful.y lealize that many men like him have lost sight ■ of every element of statesmanship in the mad pursuit of partisan notoriety and personal gain. Nay, more than tha ; they have divested themselves of all fairness, hon or and patriotism. With the fact before them that, under the present administration, there has been more prosperity, stability and material progress than the country has ever known, they have the effrontery to charge that the administration is destroying the country, and to claim credit to hemselves of having so administered the Government as to make this stability nd prosperity in spite of the Democrats to dertrov it. In face of the fact that when their party was in charge of the Government they so managed as to steal —yes, absolutely steal—the surplus money largely, and drive the national flag from the ocean, thev have th shameless impudence to claim ths they found an emp'y treasury and left a full one; a nation in debt and withoui credit, and left one with boundless reseurc s and credit; a nation without ships and left it with the oo’an covered with skips and unless their party be restored to power national bankruptcy—financially and morally—will ensue. They propose tn establish a •‘papa” government; take possession of schools, commerce, inland transportations, manufactures, carry on business by subsidies, and leav * the people to foot the expenses while having no voice only thro’ them.

In recounting the history of their party they should have been impartial. They should have told of the murders, robberies, perjuries, larcenies, the usurpations, frauds, compou ding of crimes and misdemeanors, the false p etenses, malfeasances, and other offenses, of which their officials—high and low —were guilty continually, with their knowledge and without their condemnation, if not with their sanction; so continuous that all perceptions of truth and honesty

were pe; verted and lost; and the abnormal conditions of dishonesty c mp. 1 them to now continue in dishonesty, lying and hypocrisy, in their speeches and declarations in this assembly ol Republican Clubs Thej claim credit for economy and honesty. Why do they not declare that when the rebellion began they could buy a gun for seven dollars and a su.t of clothes for fourteen dollars to equip a soldier; and they were worth no more elsewhere during the war; but they o managed as to make the gun cost over twenty-seven ami the suit of clothes over forty dollars bes re the war closed? Why do they not declare that they created a national debt of three billions of dollars

and within twenty years they received in actual money eighteen billions of dollars, and got away with it all, payieg less than one billion of this debt they created? Why did they not declare that by a course of vicious cltss legislation and corrupt practices in the government, they built up a moneyed and landed aristocracy in this country—in many cases controlled by aliens—brought on war between the laborers and the capitalists, and stole by fraud and perjury two hundred millions of acres oi’ the public domain ? Why did they not declare that they gave nearly five mill'ODsoi. degraded negroes nearly all the privileges of citizenship v.hile they w re wholly unab'e to < omprehend or discharge its oblig tions, and for twenty years left them without protection and without providing for “a free ballot and a fair count” (for w ich they now cry), and that by means of a nat onal “bureau,” established by themselves, they cheated the poor negro out of abort two millions or

their hard earned savings, intrusted to their care for safe keeping ? Why did they de. 1 are that by every crime in the calendar they de” Fended the expressed will of the people and stole the Presidency? There declarations would hav ft all been true, and the, are matter 8 of unimpeachable record, and th° li i -t of offenses might He truthfully extended indefinitely. If the lis[ of criminal and vicious acts the Republican party and officials belonging to it were guilty of while in charge of the Government sho’d be printed in detail, it would carpet New York city and county* Yet they have the unparalleled effrontery to put forth such a declaration as the one presented by this assembly of clubs, and to denounce the majority of American voters as traitors and enemies o- their country and its welfare.

It will not work as you exp. ct it will, Messeures Republicans. You will not make the people believe what you have so wickedly and unjustifiably declared. The p resentation of business facts so plainly put f irt’u by Mr. Cleveland, will compel investigation ;and when that derlarations wi 1 not pass for argument or fact. As an old Republican here the other day whispering y said to another: “Have you read Cleveland’s message?” “Not carefully.” “What do you think of it?” “I have n t read close enough, to judg'- yet.” “\Y-11, I think it is the thinnest thing I ever saw; but I am afraid it will take with the people.” And so it has, and will. It presents no questi* n of free trade or protection; or if one is involved, it is foi free trade on what should b free, and protection for all that should have protection. It presents only a fact There is unnecessary and unjust taxation —bringing ir more money than is needed —by means of an ill-devised and unnecessary tariffs. It works irremediable evils and dangers bo‘h ways, io burthening the poor and creating a corruption fund to be used by the rich, in office and out. It is not only vicious, but dangerous How will you revise it so as to make it m >re just, less vicious and dangerous? So as to make free what ought to be free and protect such b dustries as sho’d be protected. Thi -is the message, .uis is tho proposit on of the President, and no amount of dirt throwing, lying and will make it appear othei than what it is. Compare it with the “hog wash” put forth by your assembly of Republican < lubs in New York as the proposition of th - Republican party to Congress and the people, as a matter of business in government. ’he majority of the people will not be misled; and you will find that such contemptible demagogy will not command re spect for you among a majority of the stable business men of the Nation, whether they call themselves Republicans or democrats. Thank God, we have a President who regards government as business affecting all the people, and not a* mere partisan management to secure and hold office onl . Let the people so regard it, and use party to select officials who will continue to so regard it If they will, the party wid triumph which shows th.- most wisdom and honesty in public affairs. C. H. Reeve. Plymouth, Ind., Dec. 27,1887.