Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1874-01-29
The Farmers and the Republican
Party.
From the Chicago Jouraal.J

matter OF course. The farmers, as |
class, arc thinking men. and men o
patriotic impulses and convictions
And not only thinking men-men o
ACTS as we'll as of thoughts-and tn,
Republican party being a party o
cts as we'll as of patriotic and pro
gressiVe ideas, the farmers naturally
gravitated TO it, and have adhered
70 it; and as long as the Republican
party will prove itself the party Oi
popular rights and honest and up.
right government, we believe the
farmers as class will continue to ad
mere to it, with confidence that it is
The only true popular agency through
which public abuses can be corrected,
the national honor maintained, and
the great interests of the Republic
efficiently carried forward.
The proceedings of the New
Hampshire Republican State Conven-
ZION, last week, have in them signifi-
cant political lesson for the hour.
The farmers went into that conven-
ton in full force, and shaped its ac-
tion. Their candidate for Governor
General McCutchins, a practical,
hard-workiDg farmer, and yet man
of more than ordinary intelligence
was nominated over the candidate of
the professional politicians, and q
strong resolution was adopted recog-
nzing the gricultural element of the
State as entitled to due consideration
and pledging support to the farmers
ia their efforts to correct transporta.
ton and other monopoly abuses.
This was signal triumph of The farm.
ers in the State Convention of their
own party-nor did the party grant
the G. pcessions claimed with an ill
grace, but promptly and as a matter
Of course no Republican Conven-
ton, when the Issue is fairly made,
will question or deny recognition to
the claim of the farmers-a class of
men which comprises so large an ele-
ment of its membership.
Just now the farmers have special
and very important little fight OF
their own on hand, against the trans
portation burdens and extortions of
the railroad mOn0polies. They are
very clearly in the right, and the Re-
Publican party Of every State of the
whole country owes it to itself to
take the side of anti.monopoists in
this contest. The Republican party,
aa in Illinois, Iowa, Pennsylvania and
other States, has generally manifest.
ed a readiness to do this wherever,
since the issue has come up, conven-
lions have been held or Legislatures
been in session. We may say that
the Republican party of the State
and of the nation has thus fer exhibit
ed a degree of sympathy with the
Farmers movement" that leaves no
question as 20 its trustwOrthiness on
this score. The demand for relief
from railroad extortion aud other
monopoly grievances has virtually
become a Flank in the platform of the
Repub lean party, and if, as in New
Hampshire, the Republican fai liners
themselves will take an active part
10 the party's conventions and claim
a rightful representation on the par
tvs nominated ticket, we doubt not
that the grand object sought for will
be successfully attained through this
party, just as other great national re-
forms and measures of progress and
benefcence have been attained by
means Of the Same powerful instru-
mentality.
The efforts of scheming political
trickers-the discouraged members
of the play ed-out Democratic party
and certain disappointed, soreheaded
office. seeke of the Republican party,
ia connection with free-trade ennis
saries from the British manufacturers
and .he New York importers-to
wheede the farmers into joining
them in a new party, is bare faced
con6dence.game that promises sue"
cess neither to the interests OF the
farmers nor TO the best in erests OF
the country at large. The country 8
continued safety is in the Republican
party-no new party" that may be
organized by q set Of housing politi
cal 8 dlers, full of smooth pretenses,
but seeking only their personal ad-
vantage, can be trusted as it has been
and may be. Much depends upon the
farmers themselves. They must. as
Republicans, make their influence fell
pithin the councils Of the Republican
party. This they can do, should do,
must do, if they would insure the sue
cess of their ideas. By allowing them
selves to be bamboozled by old Dem.
ocratic and sorehead politica
schemers, whose only thought is The
qualification of their own selfish de-
~lres and ambitions, they would be
merely throwing themselves into The
traps of their enemies, and be sole
out and betrayed IN the end. The
way they have done in New Hamp
shire is the wisest and best.