The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1880-08-26
A Splendid Speech.

AT u large Republican mass meeting
held in Pittsburg, Pa, recently, the Hol
Galusha A. Grow delivered the follow
ing speech, which we commend to the carefl
| perusal of our readers;
| FELLOW CITIZENS Each recurring Pres
| dental election brings with it renewed discus
| sions as to the aims and tendencies OF politics
| parties. Such occasions are the great period
OF education i'll all that pertains to Govern
mcnt and its administration. While the sui
| ects of legislation are somewhat numerous i
detail, yet they can all be grouped under tw
heads-one, the rights of men the other, til
/ development of the material resources of tn
country. TO secure and protect the first is tn
primary and paramount object in the estal
llsllnent and maintenance OF free govern
ment.
From the second comes the wealth of ma
tons, and intimately associated and blondes
with it is the condition of the loboring CLASSES
Upon these two points political organization
! are TO be tested when asking to be entruste,
with administrative power.
The aims and tendencies Of the Republican
party have been fully tested in peace as well a
in war. Entrusted almost in IFS infancy with ad
minstrative power, it found itself confronted
at the very outset with u rebellion, causeless il
origin, wicked in design and cruel in eXecu
ton, which finally eliminated in one of thu
most gigantic wars in history For four year
all the energies of this party were taxed il
prosecuting this war to a triumphant close ant
IN saving the life of the Republic so as to pre-
serve the Ark and the Covenant of Liberty t
coming times.
Its record in civil administration, like it
record in war, whether tested by its fidelity t.
ttIic itcH fin icJn
capacity, is not eXcelled by that of any part,
ever entrusted with the powers of govern
ment. Of the $50 1856 $3.50, 963 of receipts an(
expenditures of public moneys since the for
nation OF the Government, the losses and de
talcations on $4,719.4S1 49, previous to 1861
were annually from 1920 on thousand dol
rs to ST.. 1;whie on the $25, 57G, 1902 S05 since
1861, the losses and defalcatons have been an
nlIally on thousand dollars from thirty-fou1
TO seventy-six cents. And for the last foul
years ending June 30, 1880, $467, 080, SS5 of In
ternal Revenue taxes have been collected an(
paid into the Treasury without the loss of
cent
A SPLENDID FINANCIAL RECORD.
For financial wisdom its record is in the
fact that $685., 256354 of paper circula
ton in 1879 is worth in coin-value $71S, 161
more than 1898 1856, 1856 Of identically the
same kind Of paper circulation was worth
in 1865
The evidence of its business capacity is in
the fact that of the -, 1864 81 of Nat
ional Indebtedness at the close of the Rebel
lion, $S600l6,666 have been paid being
almost one-third of the entire debt paid in the
first fifteen years Of peace. And during the
same time the annual interest charge on the
debt has been reduced from $150S77 ,691
TO $S3, 1923 SSS, being an annual saving in
interest alone Of $G7 847 800.
AS to its fidelity to public trusts and it's fl
nancial wisdom, what more satisfactory evi-
dence could be required than these conclusive
figures? Its business capacity is tested and
proven by the comparative condition of the
industries of the country. -Four years ago
Senator Wallace and all his associate leaders
insisted in their public addresses that the Re
publican party was responsible for the depress-
ion in business and for the languishing condi-
ton Of all industries. If that was so, then
certainly the Republican party is entitled to
credit Tor improved business and revived
industries.
Yet the same leaders now claim that the
present prosperity is the result of a change in
Divine Providence-in sunshine and showers
and.abundant harvests. But for that, they say
their predictions OF untold calamities, as the
result Of Republican policy, would have been
realized. fit is true that the predictions OF
these'prophets Of i'll have been frustrated by
Divine Providence, then that is the best of all
reasons why no believer in the wisdom of Di-
vine Providence should belong to such party
1t never can succeed, for one with God is a
majority. The sunshine was as bright the
showers as refreshing and the harYests as
bountiful when the Government paper dollar
was worth in gold seventy cents or less as
when it was worth par. The Democratic
reasoning on this subject is Of the same kind
as its platform Of 1876, which declared that
the fixing of a specific time for the payment OF
a debt, and making the necessary provision
for its payment at such time, is a hindrance tC
its being paid.
THE REVIVAL OF BUSINESS.
Following all great wars, sooner or later
there come depression in business and derange
ment in all industrial pursuits. For, unnat
urally stimulated by war, they have to come
back from the initiation and adapt themselves
to the normal conditions of trade and com
merce i'll time of peace. We have passed
through both periods, and the same politica
party has been in power during the whole
time, so that the influence of government adj
minlstration, whether good or bad, on the in
dustries Of the country, it is fair to judge by
the same rule, and if blame is bestowed fol-
bad times, then certainly credit ought to bC
given for good. To determine definitely as tc
the relative condition of the business interests
Of the country | read the authentic figures on
a few of our leading industries The entire
production in the United States OF the follow
ing articles in tons was of
1865, 1874. 1879
Rails all kinds. 356 800 729 Alb 111327
AoIfed iron, all
kinds: 49,. s56,a4o 1,eoi,e1e 2o47,4
Anthracite coal.... 9,65239l 20,l45,121 261l2,6S
In 1865 there were $685. miles of railroad
in operation; in 1874 there were 70 1853 miles
and in 1879, S6,131 miles.
Among our exports of home products wert
the following:
1865. 1874, 1879
Wheat bush -. 1881 1852 71,039,92 122 353 93
Wheat -four, bblS 2,60t,542 4094094 562D.7I
Indian cor bush 2S12,736 34,434,6O6 S. 2g6 25
Corn meal, Dds. 9J4l9 1897, 807 397, 16
Agl implements S673,3S1 3,O9g753 2933 80
Leather & inf Of $Go7,1o5 4.786518 7,769,O6
Bread SturS, all
kinds S53, 1854 5S7 161, 1888 S64 2103 10
Provisions meat
and ASH. S5206O,953 1873 800 1858, so
Live animalS.... 1896 3,3lU,3SS II 4S7 rs
Cotton, bales of
1885,. 1,465O00 2,9Os,O75 1852. IA
Petroleum, gals 29,S05523 245,97S,685 375002,97
This comparison might be extended through
every branch of our industries with like results
The amount OF our entire exports exclusive o
specie III 1860 was Slo6,94O,24S. In 1879 there
were $69S $40, $50 an increase in our EXPORT,
of 1851 400, 542. The increase in our imports
was for the same time Pa24022, 500. The ex
cess of our imports in 1865 over our exports
amounted to $72, 716,277. The excess of ou1
exports over our imports in 1879 amounted tc
P264G61 500. The balance of trade in our ia
vor in 1878 was but little less, and in 1877 i
was over $150000,000
With such record for honesty in admins
tration, financial wisdom and business capac
ity, why should the Republican party be dis
carded by the people? Is it not the part 0
wisdom to let well enough alone? But above
all, why should the Democratic party, with III
destructive and revolutionary tendencies b,
entrusted with power?
THE CAUSES OF PAST FINANCIAL CONCLUSIONS
NO LONGER EXISTS.
The causes which heretofore in our history
produced periodic reyulsions and general bank
ruptcy in business no longer exist. The sys
TEN of slave labor existing in half the Union
and the old State banks in all were chief cause
of widespread financial ruin at regular periods
provided no disturbing causes like war inter
yened. Political economists are in the habit
of referring to the crash las it is called o
1S27'2S and 80, of 1878 and 80 and O
1S57-'5S and SO, and attributing the cause tt
the expansion and contraction by the banks
4 q $40