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Show THE REPUBLICAN'S POSITION Not Contradictory of Former Stand, and Certainly is Not Inconsistent. Four or five months ago Tiik IIk-. IIk-. I'biiMGA.v argued to tlie best of Its ; capacity for tlie purchase of the I Tcllurldc system In Logan at even the , ' exorbitant ,pncc of Mj.ooo or $0,ooo. Vv"VJ Today Tiik ItF.ruiiucAV Is support- lug the republican nominees who are pledged by the lepubllcan platfoim to not purchase at that price, and this paper argues further that the tax resultant re-sultant from a failure to purchase Is exactly the proper thing. The distinguished dis-tinguished but terribly disgruntled and equally obtuse misrepresent! ve of democracy and republicanism sees, or fondly Imagines it sees, in this a Hop, and by liberal quotations from former Issues attempts to make it appear that the present stand is a (contradiction of the former, that it Is dishonest and for campaign purposes only. Tiik Ukpuhciuak has not Hopped nor has Us editor changed his mind as to the advisability of purchasing the Tellurlde system for even 1:15,000 or $10,000. As long as Tiik Rki'Uiili-can Rki'Uiili-can believed it possible to secure Ihe icqulred sum, or to furnish bankable paper, or make any provision for the pajment of the M5,000 demanded, this paper argued fbr the purchase of the plant at that price that the tight which lias developed might not be brought about. There weie and still are In thlsclty a number of business tirms, strong financial combinations and prominent cltlens who refuse to g, support tlie city plant. Tin: Rki-uu- Sv gf-r'' mcan regarded this and still regaids JkI it as folly, but at the time of its form- 9H1l er argument simply lecognl.cd the UIm condition as It existed- a house divided Qm against Itself. In family atlaiis (and yB our city is but a lamlly) peace is cheap m at any price, and though we deemed B these non-supporters of the city plant B as the aggressors in a family uuanel K and while we never believed that the B Hercules system and franchise was K actually worth Mj.OOO, Tin: Hki'uiim- .K can believed that for the sake of R peace it was a better proposition to B pay the sum and get the matter off our hands and foiget It. Tiik IEbpuii-mcan IEbpuii-mcan could see that cutting and unkind un-kind things would be said of non-supporters of the plant If the fight continued; con-tinued; this paper could foresee that the matter would be made a political Issue; It could foresee that the present pre-sent tax would be a necessity and detrimental to republican Interests in this campaign; It could see ahead bitterness and heartburning In many directions and for these reasons Tiik Rki-uiii-ican argued for the purchase of the Tellurlde system even at M5,-000. M5,-000. BUT, those arguments could be of moment only so long as there was a possibility of the city raising the money or offering security, and just so long Tiik ItarunMCAN held out for the purchase. Since that time It has developed plainly, deafly that the city has not the money, can not get the money, can not in any way provide pro-vide for the payment of that $35,000, and argument for purchase is useless. The city is confronted by a condition and the only way that condition, cau be met Is by taxing and fighting. The republican party can not buy If it would, and the democratic party can not tlnd in the city treasury more money, or in the city's possessions ureater security than can the republi cans. That part of the republican platform pledging It's nominees to not purchase the Telltuldc system at $:!",-000 $:!",-000 Is buncombe pure and simple. The republicans could not puichascat that price if they would, and if those elected had the money and It seemed advisable for them to puichase at that price, that pledge would not stay them, At the present time the lcpublican admlnlstiatlon lias done only what tho city's limited lesources and the Tellurides abrbitrarincss has compelled com-pelled It and would compel a democratic demo-cratic administration to do. Tiik Rk-1'uiiLicAN Rk-1'uiiLicAN would that conditions were otherwise, but recognizing that they are not gives Its hearty support to the only move possible toclther paity. There has been no Hop. |