Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-07-16
RenubIIcanism Fairly Tested.

Republlcanism Fairly Tested.
While Vermont and Massachusetts, have
been discussing their respective claims to the
honor Of having been the birthplace of the
Republican party, the Republicans Of Michi-
gan, Western fashion, have "been and gone
and done it," and their papers come to us
filed with appropriate commemoration Of
the twenty-fifth anniversary of the birth Of
the Republican party, the original organiza-
ton in that state having occurred under
the oak trees at jackson, July 9th, 1854.
Then, as they say, followed similar conven-
tions in Vermont, Ohio and Wisconsin July
18th, Massachusetts, July 10th, etc. The
new party carried the state that year, 1854,
and has continuously remained in power
ever since. For quarter Of century the
Republican column in Michigan has never
lowered its banner so much as hands
breadth, as the Detroit Post and Tribune
exultingly remarks, and has never known
defeat. The party has always been radical,
and almost always aggressive and ever
earnest and confident.
Here is fair criterion by which to try
the workings and merits of the party, and
the people of Michigan very properly i'm
proved this anniversary occasion to take an
account of stock and see what Republican
rule has done for them. They find the re-
suits all that could be desired. In 1854,
when the Republican party was formed, the
state was poor, feeble, thinly populated and
in debt. From half million then, the pop
ulation has risen to one million and six hun
dred thousand now. Then the state had
only thirty-eight organized counties; now it
has seventy-six. Then it had but five cities,
whose total population was only $4,000;
now it has thirtyeight cities. During this
period the acreage of taxable land has in
creased four-fold, the capital invested in
manufactures ten-fold and the value Of
manufactured products twelve-fold. The
capital invested in mining has increased
from s4,747,95O to sl2,s9S,550, and the
value of mineral products from less than one
million to more than twelve millions. When
the Republican party came into being, that
state was not only poor, thinly settled and
in debt, but it was almost entirely destitute
of state institutions. It had few railroads
and its harbors, courts and public buildings
were sadly inadequate to the demand. IT.
university had less than three-score pupils
1t now numbers fourteen hundred. Now
no state is better supplied with public insti
tutions, and all this-the numerous asy
lums, reform schools, graded and higl
schools in the cities and populous towns
and free schools everywhere, its new capitol
its very light debt, its great and growing
prosperity-shows with what success tn
Republicans have held the helm withou
an hours interruption for quarter of {
century.
In closing its long and interesting review
our contemporary says that in whatever wa,
the Republicanism of Michigan is tested it
results are admirable. Its people at the EN-
of twenty-five years of Republican rule ar
notable for their intelligence, honesty, in
dustry, thrift, progress, public spirit, pal
riotism, valor, temperance and good morals
"The state" it continues, =" is noted for tn
long and unplemished integrity of its go,
eminent, its economy combined with sui
stantial Improvements" And it closes b
adding "No son of Michigan can wish tn
state higher or better fortune than tina
her next quarter of century shall be unde
q rule as honest, as intelligent, as patriot
as progressive, and as prosperous as that {
her first twenty-five years of Republicanism