The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1880-11-18

their stand to handy slang with their
opponents or indulge in personal
abuse Of the Democratic candidates.
So far as the Republican side is con-
cerned, the campaign has been thor
oughly clean and decent. No man
who bore prominent part in it need
feel now that he is less a gentleman
than when it began, and no Republi-
can voter need abate one jot of the
pride he felt in his party's name and
fame when the struggle opened.
At the outset the Republican cam
paign was chiefly prosecuted upon the
Southern issue. This was inevitable
from the fact that Democratic success
was only possible by reason of the
solidity of the section lately in rebel
lion, and also from the recent be-
havior of the representatives of that
section in Congress, in seeking to null
lify the results Of the war and in set
ting up again the dangerous heresy of
secession, which had cost the lives of
half million of men. The Southern
question held foremost place to the
end Of the contest, but there soon
arose two others which occupied a
a large share of public attention-the
business question and the labor ques-
ton. Business men saw that the his
tory Of the Democratic party and it's
present composition and purposes
gave reason for the gravest apprehen-
sion that its success would imperil the
prosperity of the country by shaking
its credit, debasing its currency,
breaking up it's banking system, and
disturbing the settled conditions of
its trade and finance. Workingmen
awoke to the realization of the fact
that the whole tariff system, upon
which their work and living wages
largely depend, was directly menaced
by plain, hostile declaration in the
Democratic platform; and when they
came to inquire into the record Of the
party thus menacing their interests,
they found that its utterances this
year were in exact line with its former
avOwals.
On this triple issue of the main
tenence Of the results of the war, the
security of business interests, and the
protection of American industry, the
Republican canvass was prosecuted
with energy, vigor and dignity. 1t
spoke directly to the brains and con-
sciences of the people. The voters
were asked to continue the Republi-
can party in control Of the Executive
department Of the Government, and
put it again in possession of the Leg
islative department, because that
party had carried the country safely
through the trials of war and of
peace, securing for it's national unity,
liberty, equal rights, strong credit,
sound currency, and unexampled
business prosperity, and because in its
record and its aims it offered the best
guarantee for the future safety and
welfare of the Republic.
How was it with the other party?
What sort of a canvass did it conduct?
Are its members proud Of its work
to-day? Can they look back with
feeling of satisfaction on the events
and utterances Of the past five months?
Have the tone and temper Of their
campaign been such as they approve,
now that its heat and passion are fast
vanishing? The Democratic leaders
opened the canvass in a spirit of con-
siderable fairness, and set out to dis
cuss the powers Of the National and
State Government with the election
laws as a text, and an appeal for har-
mony and goodwill between the sec
tions as an eloquent peroration. They
soon found that the record their party
had made for itself was not defensible
with the weapons Of fair argument.
Seeing that they were losing ground,
they changed their tactics and resorted
to personal abuse of General Garfield.
From that time to the end they filled
the air with vituperative cries. Such
spectacle has rarely been seen be-
fore. A great party deliberately
abandoned all its distinctive issues
and engaged in a frantic effort to pull
down the candidate Of the opposing
organization by slanderous attacks
upon his character. For the first time
in our political history, a whole party
turned blackguard and sought success
by making Blllingsgate take the place
Of logic. If a census could be made
to-day of the Democrats who are
ashamed of their party, the roll would
be long and instructive one. But
no such census could be made of Re-
publicans, because from Maine to
California no Republican can be found
who is not proud of the work his
party has done since it placed its
ticket in the field last June and ap-