The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1871-08-03
ADDRESS
Of the Republican State Com
mittee of Pennsylvania.

The Republican party, in appealing
once more to the people of this State for
their support, points with just pride to Its
record, and it fearlessly claims the renew.
ed confidence of the people because it has
been faithful to its trust, and is commit
ted to the only line of policy that can
secure continued prosperity to the State
and Nation.
The Republicans of this State first car
ried both branches of the legislature in
1859, and first elected Governor in 1860.
Since then it has held control of the
government until last winter, when the
Democrats obtained control, temporarily.
of the Senate
In 1861, when Gov. Curtin came into
office, the State Debt, in round numbers,
was 4O,000,000. Shortly afterwards the
Southern Rebellion broke out. and the
State was compelled to borrow So 100000,
to arm the troops and protect our borders,
thus adding that much to the State Debt
In the ten years that have since passed
away, this war loan of S3,500,000 has
been paid off i; the State Debt has been
reduced from 40,000,00 to little over
$4,000, 900; the three mill tax which
was levied for State purposes on real
estate prior to 1861 has been repealed !;
the tax on professions and occupations
has been taken off; the annual contribu-
tion of the State to the Public Schools
has been greatly enlarged system of
schools has been built up for the educa-
ton and support of the orphans of soldiers
who died 10 the war-a noble benefaction,
costing over half million yearly and
the affairs of the State, generally, have
been so managed as to secure prosperity
to the people
The Republicans of the nation elected
their Presidential candidate in 1860, and
succeeded, against many angry threats
from the opposition, in putting him in
office in March, 1861. Almost immediate
ly afterwards the government was con-
fronted by an armed rebellion in the
South, Openly as we'll as secretly encour
aged by many Democrats in the North,
whose sympathies still remain with those
who then took arms to overthrow the gov
erpment,) and was compelled TO main
tain. the honor Of the national flag and
the integrity of the country at whatever
cost and the four years war which fol-
lowed necessarily entailed heavy debt
and burdensome taxation upon the people.
Since the suppression of the rebellion, the
country has not only returned to peace
but to prosperity. The fears of many
that the nation would be bankrupted, her
industry paralyzed, and her people ruined,
have not been realized. No people ever
recovered so soon, so steadily and SO surely,
from the consequences of war, as we have
done; and for this recovery from the
destructive Influences of civil strife we
are mainly indebted to the fostering hand
held out by the national government to
the industries of the people.
Among the necessities growing out of
the Rebellion the National Government
found itself compelled to submit to the
States for their ratification, three amend
ments to the Constitution-one (known
as the thirteenth) abolisning slavery
another, (the fourteenth securing the
rights of citizens to the eniranchised
slaves, and prohibiting the reputation of
any part of the National debt, or the pay.
ment of any part of the Rebel debt and
another (the fifteenth prohibiting the
States from excluding any one from the
right Of suffrage on account of race, color,
or previous condition of servitude.
These three amendments having all
been duly ratified in the method pointed
out by the Constitution, are now com.
ponent part of that instrument. Their
adoption stands as the grandest peaceful
Of ancient or modern times.
No party ever before undertook SO great
a task and its accomplishment, in so
short space Of time, is work of which
the Republican party may well feel proud.
To secure the complete protection OF
these cmancipated and enfranchised peo.
pie is now one of the uuquestioued duties
of the nation and no party is so fit to be
entrusted with that duty as the party
which has done the preliminary work.
The party which has hitherto continuous,
ly resisted the policy thus established, is
not the one, now, to carry it out.
During the war for suppressing the
Rebellion, and in carrying out the great
measures which have necessarily flowed
from it, the Democratic party has con-
tinuously been in the opposition. 1t op
posed the adoption of stringent measures
to put down the Rebellion the levying
of troops to suppress it; the borrowing of
money to pay the cost of the war the
Proclamation Of President
Lincoln the adoption of all the amend
ments to the Constitution the reconstruc
tion measures by which the revolted
States were brought back into the Quion;
and, generally, every measure necessary
to the successful prosecution OF the war,
or to the successful restoratioDg of peace
At present, too, it Is opposed to the
means necessary for raising revenue to
pay the interest on the public debt, and
cecure its steauy reduction IL in favor