Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1880-07-19
rho Lay Of the Lana.

Tu0 Lny or the hnn0s
Active cam raigning cannot begin foi
weeks to come. Meantime let us ex.
anime "the lay OF the land" Whoever
shall be elected President VII newt
ably carry out the policy Of the party
which elects him So IN uch Is beyond
the realm # doubt. The personnel Of
the tickets may be set aside in this
discussion. The men are only indices
Of party life. They cannot be more,
because In accepting party standards
they defer to party policy. The policy
Of the 2spu t5m.,tan party is not in doubt.
It has now been in power Tor nineteen
years, during which period Ire nation
has been called upon to endure strain
not dreamed Of by its founders. II
found six States in open revolt against
the Constitution, and Federal law null.
lifted in ten. It found an empty treas
ury, debt Of 800, 600, 900, and a
credit SO impaired that money 10 carry
on current business had to be borrow.
ed at heavy discount II borrowed at
all.
And this was the result of twenty
years of solid Democratic rule--a bank
rupt treasury and a divided house. In
this great strait the Republican party
set about enforcing the laws. II had
to issue a call for troops, for there was
no army. II had to call upon the
merchant marine, for there was no navy
worthy Of the name. When President
Lincoln called for troops, the Democrat
10 leaders arose and denounced the call
as violation Of the Constitution. When
he called for ships under charter, the
same leaders arose and declared that
the matter was huge job. When he
appealed to the banks for funds, the
same leaders sneered, and said that
fools and their money were soon parted.
Later, when Congress authorized an
issue of treasury notes, the same lead
ers went about declaring that the notes
were no better than waste paper. When
the troops were sent a6eld-raw levies
and were beaten here snd there, the
same leaders cried out that the South
could not be resisted. Everywhere
these headers showed their hospitality
to Federal unity, aud their sympathy
with revolt.
In Congress, these leaders were OBJ
structives. They filibustered wheTI
supplies were urgently demanded, al
had no encouraging words for q ns-
ton torn in half by armed factions.
And the Republicans put down revolt,
maintained public credit, abolished
slavery, and set about the repair Of
damages, not by the aid but in spite Of
the Democratic leaders. They have
now been in control for nineteen years,
have restored the Union, raised public
credit to its highest standard by resum.
ing specie payments, and have in addi-
ton provided for the prosperous growth
of varied industry fer building up
vast enterprises throughout the land.
At every step in this great WORK Of
repair they have been met and
resisted by the Democratic lead
ers, who fought the amendments
to the Constitution, fought the
reconstruction measures, fought the
refunding bills, fought manhood suff-
rage, and fought the resumption act
to the last gasp. It Ia now for the
people to say If they will endorse the
policy Of resistance to all that has in
duced the returning wave Of prosperity
or continue in control the party which
has a policy of which it is not ashamed
and for which it has no apologies to
offer. We have delineated the policy
of the Democracy, whish is simply a
policy Of resistance to national pro-
gress, and q disposition to put this
great nation under the heel Of unre-
pentant rebel leaders. 1t is good
time to consider these things prior 10
the marshalling of forces for field work.
North American.