Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1878-08-08
TO WISCONSIN VOTERS.
An Address by the Republican gtste C.usr.i
Committee

The Republicans in the Several Congress-
ional districts of the Ssatc are about to nom
mate candidates for representatives in Congress
They have also to present candidates for mem
bers of the Legislature which will elect a Uni
ted States Senator The decision of question
OF the highest Importance in their bearing up
on the welfare and prosperity of the whole
country is involved in the result of the nex
election. They will determine whether q
not the legislation of the country shall PAS
under the control OF the party now dominan
in the House of Representatives, a party which
seeks to postpone indefinitely the RESUMPTION
OF specie payments which proposes TO reduc,
taxation upon whiskey and tobacco and there
by cast additional burdens upon the industr,
and enterprise of the country; which. in tht
interest of mob violence and lawlessness seek,
TO paralyze and destroy the military arm q
the Government and which threatens to ado
hundreds of millions to the public debt. in nav.
ment of claims for property DESTROYED bv The
armies of the United States in the course q
necessary and legitimate military Operations
IN communities which were waging war for
the destruction ofthe Union.
All good citizens should cooperate in re.
buking The pernicious designs, and in secur.
ing the signal overthrow of the party which
cherishes them. To this end it is especially
important that there should be harmony OF
action among the republicans. II is not 10 be
expected that uniformity of sentiment can be
secured among large aggregations of indiyid.
lals upon more than a few points of primary
importance In all political action carried
forward by the agency of party organization
II IS necessary to overlook many miner diff.
erences of opinion. But every political party
worthy OF respect, must be composed Of mem.
bers united by community of conviction re-
specung certain leading questions and meas
ures afectlng the common veal, Otherwise
party organizations degenerates into a mere
machine for the promotion Of personal ambi-
lions and selfish intrigues, and as this fact is
made apparent, it justly forfeits the sympathy
and support of Intelligent and upright citizens.
party which, like the Republican party.
aims to secure the cooperation of tho best
and most enlightened members of the com
munlty, must present clear, distinct and un-
ambiguous programme. 1t must dare 10 stand
forth boldly in support Of what il believes the
right, even at the hazard of temporary defeat.
1t cannot afford to encourage false principles,
or acquiesce in mischievous and delusiye
measures, though the current of popular opin.
ION may seem, for the moment, TO be running
In their favor. Such a course NAV assure a
temporary success, but it is certain to termin-
ate In permanent disaster. We must trust
largely to the real integrity of the people, not
assuming that majoritIes are always in the
right, but with faith that the majority desire
to De right, and are capable of being convinc-
ed by facts and arguments addressed to their
reason and conscience.
In conformity with these views. and IN the
hope of promoting consistent and harmonious
action by the Republicans in the several dis
tricts oil the State, we take the liberty of sub
hitting the following propositions, expressing
the sentiments of this committee, and in its
opinion suitable to be embodied in platform
upon which the party may go into the ap.
preaching canvass and both achieve and de-
serve success:
First-Adherence to the principles affirmed
in the resolusions adopted by the National
Republican convention of 1876, and to the
sentiments expressed in Mr.. Hayes,s letter
accepting the nomination for the Presidency.
While frankly recognizing the existence of
honest differences OF opinion among Repub-
licans respecting certain features of the policy
of the present national administration, Difficult.
ties arising largely out of an anomalous polit.
ical situation and the difficult nature of the
questions upon which it has been called to
act, we cordially approve the aims of the
President in seeking to restore fraternal rele.
tons between the different sections of the
country and to purify and improve the civil
service.
Second-We earnestly desire the establish
ment of fraternal relations between the diff
erent sections of the Union, and the obitera-
ton ofthe antagonisms and bitter feelings en-
gendered during the protracted agitation OF
the slavery question, and the armed conflict
by which it was settled. We claim no priv
ileges, rights or immunities for our own
which we do not accord TO every other state
of the Union, but demand that the laws shall
be impartially executed in all, and that all
citizens, without distinction, shall enjoy equal
rights before the law and equal protection un-
der it.
Third-We rejoice in the prospect of the
resumption of specie payments by the close
of the present year. A stable, Notwithstanding
currency, possessing intrinsic value-coin or
paper convertible at par into gold or silver at
the pleasure of the holder--it is the only Sc
cure foundation of permanent business pros.
perity. Such currency will impart that
steadiness to prices which is an essential con.
dition for the successful prosecution of legiti-
mate industry and enterprise, and is equally
demanded by the true interests of the laborer
the business man and the capitalist.
Fourth-the value Of all paper currency,
whether issued by the Government or by
banks, consists in the promise which it bears
of payment and the degree Of credit attached
to that promise. If it cannot be converted at
pleasure into currency of intrinsic value
gold or silver 1T cannot remain at par, and
its depreciation will be in proportion to the
prospect of its being thus convertible with
longer or shorter period. The printed bits
of paper which some wild theorists propose
to employ as currency, and which they term
"absolute money!" containing no promise of
payment aud no intrinsic value, would speed
lily become "absolute'' in one respect only
they would be absolutely worthless. This,
and all the other chimerical projects by which
it is proposed to find a cheap and worthless
substitute for the measure of value accepted
and employed by the civilized world, are
based upon delusion if not dishonesty, and if
adopted would result in disaster and shame.
We hold it to be the duty of Republicans, and
of all good citizens, to oppose, with uncom-
promising firmness, all these mischievous
theories, as well as the cognate doctrines of
communism and internationalism, which men.
ace society, individual liberty, and the ac-
cumulated savings of industry.
Fifth-The Democratic party in this state,
by approving and advocating system or ir.
redeemable paper currency, has forfeited all
claim to the confidence and support of those
who are in favor of an honest and stable finan-
cial policy, The Democratic party of the
country, by the action of Its representatives
in Congress, has shown itself destitute of
craftsmanship, of patriotism and of honesty
II has neglected the general welfare, and in
the hope of gaining votes, has courted the ia.
vor of the worst elements fsociety. We de-
nounce the spirit shown by the Democratic
majority of the House of Representatives in
attempting to disarm the National Govern
ment in seeking to debase the currency and
arrest all progress towards healthy and nor
NAL financial basis; in displacing Union SOL
diers in order to reward those who fought
ag; INST the Union in voting for large re,
duction of taxes on articles like whiskey and
tobacco, rendering necessary increased taxa
ton upon other industries and in voting to
repeal, in the interest of Illicit distillers,
law enacted during the administration of An
grew Jackson for the protection of revenue
officers of the United States, leaving them ex-
posed in states like South Carolina, to the
fury of local prejudice and passion, with no
protection but the doubtful justice of local tri-
bunals and iuries and we call upon the peo-