Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1874-01-29
The Farmers and the Republican
Party.

The great mass of the intelligent farm.
ers of this country are identified with the
Republican party, and haye been from
the beginning of that party's organiza-
ton. This has been matter of course
The farmers, as class, are thinking men,
and men of patriotic impulses and con.
victions And not only thinking men, but
real working men and earnest men-men
of acts as well as of thoughts; and the
Republican party being a party Of acts as
we'll as of patriotic and progressive ideas,
the farmers naturally gravitated to it, and
have adhered to it, and as long as the
Republican party will prove itself the
party of popular rights and honest and
upright government, we believe the farm
ers, as class, will continue to adhere to
it, with confidence that it is the only true
popular agency through which public
abuses can be corrected, the national
honor maintained, an1 the great interests
of the Repsblic efficiently carried for
ward.
The proceedings of the New Hamp.
shire Republican State Convention last
week, have in them q significant political
lesson for the hour. The farmers went
into that convention in full force, and
shaped its action. Their candidate for
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT McCutchins, a practi-
CAL hard working farmer, and yet a man
of more than ordinary intelligence--was
nominated over the candidate of the pro
fessional politicians, and strong resolu-
ton was adopted recognizing the agriCul-
tural element of the State as entitled to
due consideration and pledging support
to the farmers in their efforts TO correct
transportation and other monopoly
abuses. This was signal triumph of the
farmers in the State Convention of their
own party-nor did the party grant the
concessions claimed with an i'll grace,
but promptly and as matter OF course;
no Republican Convention, when the is
sue is fairly made, will question or deny
recognition to the claim of the farmers
a class of men which comprises so large
an element Of lis membership.
just now the farmers have special and
very important little fight of their own
on hand, against the transportation bur
dens and extortions of the railroad mo-
nopolies They are very clearly in the
right, and the Republican party of every
State of the whole country owes 1t to the
farmers as well as to itself to take the
side of the anti-monopolists in this con
test. The Republican party, as in Hi
nois, Iowa, Pennsylvania and other
States, has generally manifested readi-
ness to do this wherever, since the issue
has come up, conventions have been held
or Legislatures been in session. We may
say that the Republican party of the State
and Of the nation has thus far exhibited q
degree of sympathy with the farmers
rVaf, f,,ppt' E,t laaV.l M .,1o1tinr, I'd ~
its trdstworthiness on this score. The
demand for relief from railroad
extortion and other monopoly griev.
ances has virtually become plank in the
platform of the Republican party, and if,
as in New Hampshire, the Republican
farmers themselves will take an active
part in the party's conventions and Claim
| rightiul representation on the party's
nominated ticket, We doubt not that the
grand object sought for will be success
fully attained through this party, just as
other great national reforms and meas
| ures of progress and benedcence have
been attained by means Of the same pow
ertul fundamentally.
The efforts of scheming political trick
! sters-the discouraged members OF The
| played out Democratic party, and certain
/ disappointed, sore-headed oiiiceseekers oi
| the Republican party-to wheedle the
farmers into joining them in a neD party
is a bare-faced condd nee game that prom
/ ises success neither To the interests OF the
! farmers uor To the best interests Of the
country at large. Tie country's continued
/ safety is in the Republican party--no new
/ party that may be organized by a set OF
mousing political swindlers, full Of smooth
pretenses, but seeking only their personal