The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-09-11

diving honor, the soldiers and sailor
whose vslor saved the Union, and rrgar
their pensions a sacred debt The r.
publican party never turned its b'c
J upon these defenders of the Union, an,
you may rest assured that it never will
We said that the franking privileg
ought TO be abolished; that it was al
evil and should not exist, and since ther
we have abolished it; and last winter
when efforts were made to restore it, W.
opposed every effort and kept the pledg
es made to the country. We prom
ised amnesty, and although when the
case of the Vice President of the late
Confederacy came up, voted mo- re
Numbering the outrage which had been
offered the flag before me. Perhaps il
is right that we have held out the hand
of forgiveness to our old enemies, SC
that all men, North aud South can
stand under comm III flag and feel
themselves citizens of common coun,
try.
We have faithfully kept all these
pledges, aud after this endorsement we
come before you again. But they tell
us it is time for us to 90 out of power ;
that ncw questions have arisen, and that
with them rests the wisdom TO meet and
solve them What are these questions,
and what the attitude of the respective
parties toward them?
First: the cheap tranportotion GUS
ton. President Grant called attention
to the subject in his message of Deem
Der, 1872. In January, 1873, Repre-.
sentative Hawley, OF Illinois, moved to
suspend the rules and pass bill for the
appointment of Commissioners to collect
information in relation to railroads form.
ing lines Of commerce between different
States Upon this motion the vote was,
yeas -; nays, 9S and only five Dem.
ocrats voted for il. Nou know what
the McCrery bill was, and the object to
be attained by it. Upon this bill the vote
stood III for, aud 10 against it; and
again only five Democrats voted ''yea
Will the tilers of the soil leave the Re-
publican party and 90 over to the Dem.
ocrats for the purpose OF seeking set
Element Of this question: A forwards
resolution was offered, TO the effeo
that Congress had the constitutional
power to regulate tran portation between
the states, and the yeas we're liz, aud
this time we got - Democrats to vote
in favor of the resolution. Republi-
cans have been laboring honestly and
faithfully to do something to settle this
question but every proposition looking
towards cheap transportation has met
with opposition from the Democratic
party, aud if the question is settled at
all, it must be by some other party than
this.
Then there is the currency question.
The opposition say we don't know any
thing about it, aud that we must 60 out
and let them manage it. Let me say
that the finance system Of the nation is
our own, and that We are responsible for
it. We have passed an act which pro-
vides for the redistribution of fifty five
millions, which will have the effect to
give to the West what she needs of ad-
ditional circulation. The republican
party has also declared itself in favor of
free banking. In my judgment. if the
present National Bank system is the
best that can be devised, it should be
free. In that it should have self.
regulative machinery, and a solution of
the finarc ial problem. Next, it has de.
clared itself in favor of return to spe
Gle payments, as soon as consistent with
the safety of the business intereuts of
the country, which is the only sound. the
only safe business principle. Ahe Re.
publican party, moreover, is opposed to
Reputation in any form. 1t has repeat
eddy said that every dollar of the nation
al debt must be paid and if it remains
in power reputation need never be
feared On the other hand, | have
heard of platforms of another party,
adopted at no very remote day, which
were strongly in favor of reputation
and this is the issue and this the danger.
If the Republican party continues in
power, we are certain that the national
faith will be kept, and the public debt
honestly paid.
They say that we are corrupt. In an.
swer to that it is only necessary to point
out the facts that we have repealed the
salary.grab law, abolished the moietiss
system, which was a great evil, and re-
organized the District of Columbian
Government We have also made the
attempt to suppress the evil of Polyga-
my, and in every single instance the
Democracy have stood squarely against
us. We have searched out fraud to
punish it, but know anothes party which
has stood by quietly and seen the public
treasury plundered, without lifting a
finger to prevent the robbery.
This is our record and l ask what
party will more surely carry the country
through the difficulties of the hour than
the party which saved the country
Our work is not yet accomplished. When
the Union Of these States is made secure,
past all rupture when the rights of all
men, black and white, are acknowledged
as God sees it when the public deb.