The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-08-16
Why We are Republicans.

heads against this impenetrable fact
st. LOUIS GLobe-DeDlocrdt.
Why We are Republicans.
The history of the country suggests
one sufficient reason: because it is
worth while to keep guard and keep the
fruits of grand deeds in the past"
Freedom in the Territories was worth
much, but the Democratic party armed
border-ruffians against it. The Union
was wen worth the hfe-blood of our
bravest and best, but every man of those
who shot them down, and fired upon
the flag, and resisted the authority of
the United States, was a Democrat.
There could be no freedom for all with
out equal suffrage, but the Democratic
party contended then and still contends
for white mans government Re-
pudiation would have dishonored,
wrecked and cursed the land, but every
repudiator was Democrat or gravitated
TO the Democratic party as his natural
home. To this day that party denounces
resumption as wrong, and would undo
the work if it could, as it has shown in
hundreds of votes. 1t is not true that
every grand achievement of the Repub-
lican party can still be.undpne. Some
of them have so changed the National
life, and so embedded themselves in the
very foundation walls of the Govern
ment, that no return to Democratic
theories or practices is possible. Slavery
cannot be in form re-established, though
Democratic laws might easily make
colored labor free only in name. The
Union can never be broken by secession
into warning fragments, but the Solid
South keeps alive, controls and owns
the Democratic party, and gives it the
only chance of success it has, and Demo
| cratic victory would merely mean the
gray above the blue-a capture of the
Union by those who tried 10 break il
and failed. Reputation, imitation, re.
turn to dishonored promises having
| forced circulation as money-all these
are possible and probable results OF
Democratic success.
| But youth often thinks lightly of pre-
serving the results of past heroism. To
many young man it seems certain that
the past is safe, and infinitely necessary
that he should find q new duty, and
room for a new heroism in the present
and the future. Be it sol For such a
make his country better by his political
activity, the Republican party only Of
fers field for work. To join the Dem
ocratic party is to go down among the
dead men at once, and to chain ones
self to the dead past forever. Not to q
past of good deeds nobly done, but to a
past of Cruelty and treason, assassina-
ton and perjury, dishonor and chronic
defeat Above that past the Democrat
ic party never rises. By it the better
impulses of the party are overborne, its
best aims are defiled, its abler men de.
based, and all its action is shaped. He
who wants to do anything good for the
country must act in and through some
other party or miserably fail.
1t is the Immediate mission of the Re
publican party to make self-government
real. For years suffrage has been q
cheat and elections a farce, in many o
the States. There can be no other duty
higher or more pressing than to make
sure that henceforth there shall be fret
vote and an honest count for every citi
zen in every part of the land. Th'
problem is one of exceeding difficulty
and will require, as it is well worth, tn,
most patient efforts of the ablest men
1t is no child's play to establish rea
freedom of elections in regions where i
has never existed, and where publ,
opinion not only does not demand bu
has never learned to tolerate it. The
difficulties are the greater because al
parties have in the past winked at man,
abuses. We recognize the fact that cir
cumstances, rather than any deliberat
purpose, have thrown the Democratic
party into the position of defending
such wholesale frauds and outrage
that they amount to an absolute denia
of free government, and that circum
stances have also compelled the Repub
lican party to undertake the task of Civ
ing free vote and an honest count tt
every citizen. But so it has been will
every great reform. Slavery was tol
Grated and even courted by all partie
until events forced parties to take side
for or against it. Dishonest money wa
, defended by demagogues of all partie
, until the Republicans came to the part
ing ways where they were forced t
choose. Honest elections became tn
overshadowing issue in political life
because it was found that the control o
|, Congress and of all legislation depende,
upon the success of fraud in some of tn
States.
The Republican party has other dutie
, and other aims, of which it does not los
,, , sight. 1t has done much since the wal
. Out SClll mas more 10 10, W TOuuCc III
, taxation that was made necessary by
Democratic rebellion. Its aim for six
teen years has been to reduce taxation
,, as fast as possible, without subjectin!
the public credit to assault or Americal
industry to destructive competition
, The people trust it because it has show
the will and the capacity to promote
, marvellous growth of industry eve
! while paying off the public debt wit
unprecedented rapidity. The party be
: lieves in popular education, in the right
! fulness of expenditure for improvement
of national utility, and in the encour
.. agement of thrifty immigration by OF
,, fering free homes TO actual settlers. Blu
. the young man who believes heartily i
! the necessity of honest elections wi
; find his way into the Republican party
! whether he agrees with it in all othe
: matters or not. And he who agree
! with it on many other points, but want
force and fraud to prevail in the electio
|, of the peoples representatives, belong
in some other party and has no bushes
to call himself Republican.-M ]
Tribune.
, If American ladies really want I
l make the proprietors of the big DIR
e goods stores provide seats for the sales
9 women--or sales-ladies, if that is th
3 proper term--they can probably do s
! by following the example of the Londo
, ladies. In that city ladies sign an
. transmit to the managers of shor
t where they deal a petition asking tn,
i seats be provided for the tired sale
a women, and gently limiting that the
D patronage depends upon the store-keeI
2 or, q aconiescence The nlan has worke