The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-08-21

ferred to the genuine paper of South
ern and Western banks. Does any
body pine for restoration of the old
Democratic banking system ?
The general prosperity of the coun
try did not begin to compare with
that of the present day. The labor
ing man gets so per cent. more now
for days wages, and the purchas
ing power of the dollar of to day is
fifty per cent. greater than it was 40
years ago. In consequence OF the
short sighted policy of Democratic
free trade, We had but little mining
al d manufacturing population;hence
but little demand for the products of
the farm. Coed 3 year old steers
sold at from So to $25 per head, and
other home products proportionately
low. Money was scarce and hard to
get and of uncertain value when OBJ
tanned; hence the disposition to hoard
gold and silver. another great disad-
vantage to the country.
In time of peace, with no public
debt, the credit of the country ran so
low under the last Democratic ad-
ministration that United States per
cent bonds sold in the market at SO
cents on the dollar in other words,
the credit of the Government was so
bad that it was compelled to pay Is
per cent. for sufficient money to de
fray current expenses and these are
the times and this the sort of glory
the Democracy promise the people if
they will only give them the reins.
Did the policy of the old time Dem
ocracy tend to promote peace and
harmony throughout the land? On
the contrary. il was standing threat
for years that if they could not have
their way in all matters of public
policy, they would dissolve the
Union. Members who dared oppose
the slave power were stricken down
in the halls of Congress, border ruff
fans. cut threats and murderers were
sent into Kansas to overawe the legal
voters and stuff the ballot boxes with
pro.slavery tickets. and in spite of
the large free-soil majority, force
Kansas into the Union a slave State.
The bludgeon, the revolver and the
bowie knife were law and there was
no peace in the land. These were
Democratic methods of government
then and the shot gun policy, by
which Republicanism is suppressed
to day wherever it dare be employed,
attest that they are Democratic meth-
DDS still.
When at last the country grew tired
of Democratic outrages and general
rettenness and elected 4 Republican
president, the Democratic admins
tratiOn sent our ships of war to for
eign seas, and our cannon and mate
rial of war to Southern forts and ex-
pired in blood and darkness. And
from that time onward through the
war, when the fate of the nation hung
trembling in the balance, neither the
voice nor tine arm of the Democratic
party was ever raised in defence of
the Nation. Since the war the pol
icy Of the Democracy has invariably
been calculated to bring reproach and
disgrace on the Government. And
yet they have the hardihood to point
to their past and assure the people of
a recurrence of former "glories" if
they will only give them the power.
The greatest act of charity the
Democratic party could ask of the
people, would be to forget its past, to
sponge out its record. There is moth
ing in its history to emulate, nothing
to be proud of, nothing to iemember
but with shame and humiliation.
Under Democratic auspices. the Am.
erican eagle with clipped pinions,
dropped in fear and trepidation, but
now, proudly conscious of power, he
mounts and scars on strong swift
wings. Since the Democratic incubus
has been shaken off the country it
has bounded forward in material
prosperity at rate scarcely dreamed
of in the dead days of slavery and
Democratic misrule.
The Republican policy of protec-
ton to home industry has called
thousands of furnaces and mills and
factories into being all over the
country, Millions of hands find en-
ployment at good wages and are thus
enabled to build up for themselves
happy homes. The farmer finds ready
sale for the various products of the
farm, and everybody is contented
and prosperous.
Now the Democrats come around
with their free trade and thin 'stra.
ditions" and ask the people to give
the reins Of government into their
hands and let them grow fat off the
public pickings and stealings, while
the country goes to the dogs.