The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-12-10
Is Change Needed

gagged in commercial or industrial
nnrsuits, there is not little appre-
hension in regard to possible legis-
latiye action. This is in part be-
cause business men have learned to
dread Congressional interference and
threats of interference, and in part
because there is not an assured ma
iority in either House known to be in
favor of maintaining the features of
public policy which have secured tor
the country such marvellous growth
and prosperity. Congress has become
a nuisance, of late years, because
every ill-informed and inexperienced
member fancies that the millennium
would come on the instant if he could
only make the laws, because every
demegogue has some fraction of the
people, which he wants to please at
the expense of the rest. and because
the party in the majority in Congress
has been eager to gather in votes from
every quarter in order to overturn
the Republican party. The country
hopes for better things from the Re
publican members of the Congress.
1t would have little fear if the meiI<
bers of that party were In an assured
and positive majority. Yet there are
some Republicans who have seemed
inclined to favor legislative recon
struction and revolution il many
directions, as if, in their opinion, the
country had only taken the first step
toward wise government In sending
them to Congress.
The Republican party has now been
responsible for all the leading features
of public policy during a period of
twenty years. Within a week will
come the twentieth anniversary of
the regular meeting of the first Con-
gress ever controlled in both branches
by that party. Prior to 1861 there
had been a Republican House, but it
was thwarted by Democratic Sem
ate and President. Prior to~Decem-
Der, in 1861, there had been special
session, but it was wholly occupied
with the necessities arising from the
civil war. Twenty years ago the
party entered upon the task of franz
ing permanent policy for the gov
eminent of the country, and its efforts
have been so far approved that at no
time during all the intervening per-
iod have the people consented to take
the power wholly from the Republic
cans. When Mr.. Johnson transferred
the Executive power to the Demo-
Gratis the Republicans had streng
majority in both House of Congress.
When the Democrats succeeded,
through force and fraud at the South,
in capturing first the House and
afterward the Senate, there were Re-
publican Presidents to meet every
reactionary measure with veto.
Now the main question for every
new Republican member of Congress
to consider is this: Has not the
country prospered greatly, In conse-
quence of government on the whole
wise and able. during twenty years
of Republican rule?
That the growth of the country in
commerce, industry, wealth and in
dividual well-being has been greater
within the past twenty years than
during any other period of forty
years in its whole history, is stub.
born fact. Theorists who think
everything is going to the bad be-
cause their ideas do not prevail. and
partisans who spend their time in
lamenting the faults of the party in
power, must face that great fact.
All candid historians recognize it,
whether they approve or censure the
policy which has prevailed. States
men, journalists and sensible bust
ness men in foreign countries publicly
recognize the fact even though their
own beliefs may lead them IT, deny
that the policy of the United States
Government has caused the excep-
tional development of this country
within the past twenty years, they
do not pretend to deny that the pro-
gress and development have been ex-
ceptionally marvellous. In view of
this great and indisputable fact, is it
not the first duty of any American
politician who proposes change of
policy to be sure that 1t will bring
about positive and important bene-
fetal results? If the country has
been so covered in the past that won
derful prosperity has resulted, no
man has right to urge change ex.
cept for the clearsst reasons, and
with the greatest possible certainty
that the consequences will be good.
1t is proposed to change the public
policy as to the tariff, the debt, the
currency, the banks. and in many
other respects. But the country has
IL.