The People's vindicator., 1880-10-16
The Republican Record.

The Republican Record.
"Look at our record" say Republic
cans; ''upon that we are willing to stand
or fall" Well, let us look ut this record.
1t will be twenty years on the 4th OF
March next since the Republican party
came into power, and the first result Of
its supremacy was four years OF civil
war. Whether Republican rule from
1861 to 1881 is worth the price paid for
it at the outset, we leave the people to
determine. The opinion prevails in
some quarters that the article is en-
ceeding gly dear If the country had re-
ceived it gratis. But it is 2 significant
fact that Republicans pride themselves
more upon their war record than upon
anything else. They resemble the
famous doctor who always threw his
patients into fits, because "Ee was
heavy on fits" Oncof their most distin-
guisied leaders. the late lamentcd
Chandler, declared that the country
would never be worth q curse without
a little blood-lctting," and there GER
tainly was "blood.lctting' enough to
satisfy even the patriotic thirst Of the
Michigan statesman. Republicans claim
that they "saved the Union," meaning
thereby that their party did the fighting
which secured National salvation. If
this were true they would be entitled
to no more credit than the man who.
having set his own house afre. sue
ceeds in extinguishing the flames
without the assistance Of his neigh
bors. But it is not true, "by
q large majority" In 1850 Mr..
Lincoln received 1,SS6,S22 votes.
During the war which he superintend-
ed there were enlisted 2,678, ,967 volun-
teers. Republican lightning calculators
may rise and explain where the 1926
extra Union soldiers came from; and,
if we are not mistaken, there were
several Republicans who did not 20
within smclling-distance Of rebel
powder. The war having been brought
toa successful conclusion by Demo.
cratic aid in purse and person. Repub-
licans took entire charge Of the process
called ''the restoration Of the Union.'
1t is another and equally significant
fact, that Republicans do not pride
themselves particularly upon the per-
formances between 1865 and 1877. They
are inclined to ignore, as far as possible,
the twelve years spent in an effort to
Republicanize the South by machinery
composed of negroes. carpet-baggers
and federal bayonets; though nobody is
likely to forget that the machinery was
used until popular pressure compelled
a Republican Administration to adopt
the Democratic policy in Southern af-
fairs, and that then its abandonment
was denounced by more than nile-
tenths of the party IS an act at once
suicidal and unnecessary. But saving
and restoring the Union did not mo.
nopolize Republican energies from 1861
to 1877. With the war began that
system of organized corruption and
rascality which plundercd and dis.
graccd the Nation, and which came bold
" to the front no longer ago than the
Chicago Convention. when q Republican
ex-senator exclaimed: "Wllat are we
here for, if not for the otiices?" In
deed, the candidate who came SO near
being the nominee of that Convention,
was himself the representative and
champion Of rings the like of which the
world had never seen before-one of
them, according to the estimate Of a
prominent member, robbing the Gov.
ernment Of nearly 50, 900, 900 in y single
revenue district In six years. And we
may remark while Grant thus narrowly
escaped nomination for y third term,
and is still the cXhaustless theme of
Republican eulogy, Bristow, the hon.
est Secretary Of the Treasury, who en-
deayored to punish the whisky thieves
whom Grant protected, has been driven
into political obscurity by "the party
of great moral IDEAS When such q
fate has overtaken such a man, it is not
strange, perhaps, that the same party
has never thought it necessary to apol-
ogize for any part Of the ring iniquity;
and that its Presidential candidate
to-day stands convicted before q
Republican investigating Committee,
of participation in one of the
most shameless of these steals
whichhe supplemented by perjury. Asa
fitting crown to the Republican column,
we have only to point to the conspiracy
Of 1861, by which a candidate whom
the people had rejected was thrust into
the Executive chair. In that infamous
transaction, too, the present Republic
can standard.bearer figured conspic-
uously; first helping to fix the fraud as
. visiting statesman" and confirming
and consummating it as an Electoral
Commissioner. .......r
Such, in brief, is the Republican
record, upon which that party processes
to pride itself, and which it urges as an
all-sufiicient argument for its retention
in power. Possibly tho American peo.
pie may accept and indorse the argu-
ment by electing as their, President q
man whose name is indissolubly con-
nected with Credit. Mobilier, Dc Golyer
and the Electoral swindle; and electing
rs their Vice. President . man who was
kicked out of the New York Custom
House in order, as Mr.. Hayes said, $. to
insure an honest administration Of the
Office" But we do not believe the
American people have yet reached that
depth of decentralization which such &C.
ccptance and Endorsement would re-.
quire.-& Louis Republican.
Address by the National Committee.
The National Democratic Committee
has issued the following statement rel
ative to the election in Maine:
HEADQTRs NATL DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE, !
New YORK, Sept. II, 1880. {
The latest reliable aud Official returns nc.
ccived from Maine are as follows: Returns