The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-09-18
Too Much at Risk.

name of Independent journalism has
been to derids the fears expressed by
the party papers and orators and to
inculcate a happy indifferentism as
to the issue of the campaign. The
sun shines, the grass grows and men
are busy and prosperous. A change
of administration is thing always
incident to a government by parties,
and cannot be pronounced as essen
TALLY dangerous without depreciating
the dignity and stability of the
political institutions OF the country.
Expressions of fear for the safety OF
the nation are, therefore, mere cam
paign bugaboos which sensible men
will not trouble themselves about.
The best thought in both parties is in
substantial agreement upon all issues
of material concern to the welfare Of
the country, and the controlling ten
denotes of whatever administration
the verdict of the nation may givb
us will be intelligent and conserv&
tive. Tho complacency and indiffsz.
ence which are manifested by this
species of comment may so easily
pass for calmness and impartiality
that it merits consideration.
1t would be unjust to the Republi-
can party to so belittle its achieve
ments as to express any doubt of
their solidity and permanence, but
the political development Of this
country has not yet reached such a
point that differences of admInistra-
tive policy not involving questions OF
political economy or national author
ity alone divide the two parties, as
in England. Here we have wal ring
constitutional theories, and the struc-
tural arrangements upon WHICH rest
all the movements of our industries
and commerce are the subjects of dis
pute and contention. The course of
the Republican party in dealing with
these subjects is open to criticism on
mary points, and has exhibited
marked alterations from sound prin-
ciples, but the fact remains that it has
made progress and has demonstrated
its competency TO deal with them.
At the same time it has not yet COM
pleted the work with sufficient thor.
oughness that a change can be made
without great danger. Democratic
papers and orators having had their
favorite argument of hard times taken
away by the prevailing prosper
ity, are now fond of crediting it
simply to the goodness of God with-
out the Intervention of any political
instrumentality. Although the alb
surdity of this is apparent, yet the
extent to. which it has been due to
Republican party measures is not
fully appreciated, and there is cor
responding;lack,o of a proper estimation
of the dangers of a change of party
control.
The chief agency in the rapid de.
velopment of the agricultural re-
sources of the country has been the
national homestead laws. This was
distinctly Republican measure, OPP
posed and several times defeated by
the slavery party in Congress, and
which when carried through Congress
by the pressure of public opinion in
1860 was vetoed by President Buch-
anan. 1t became law during the
first regular session of Congress un-
der President Lincoln's administra-
ton. and under its provisions oyer
fifty-four million acres have been
entered by actual settlers. The op-
position of the Republican party to
the extension of slavery into the ter
ritories and the passage of the free
homestead law has been influential to
an extent difficult to estimate in
causing the wonderful expansion of
the area of agriculture that has taken
place during the last twenty years,
raising country, which little more
than twenty years ago was by corn
trade statisticians in England exclu-
ded from consideration as reliable
source of supply. to the position of
being the food store-house of the
civilized world.
There is no likelihood that the
policy of the Republican party in this
respect will be abandoned. With the
abolition of slavery the special mo.
tive of the Democratic party in OPP
posing the opening of the public lands
to presumption by actual settlers has
passed away, and in its last national
platform it has introduced a plank
guaranteeing "the public lands to
actual settlers" Against another
powerful agent of private enterprise
and public prosperity-the national
banking system-it has steadily
waged war. Certain striking results