The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-07-20
REASONS FOR BEING A REPUB


The New York Tribune of the 9th
inst. gives the. following reasons for be-
ing Republican which we deem very
aprOpos at this time:
TXcnty-six years ago, when q young
man asked why he should Join the Re
publican party, he was answered: BE
cause it means free soil, free speech and
free men," Twenty years ago, when q
young man asked the same question. he
was answered: Because il means 10y
ally TO the Union and defeat to q slave
holders rebellion" Fifteen years ago,
when young man asked the same ques-
tiOn, he WAS answered: because il
means loyal government in every state,
based upon impartial suffrage" Eight
years ago began the struggle of repudl-
atOrs and paper-money inflatiOnists to
seize the government, and the battle for
public honor and honest money contin-
ued until the Republican party iri-.
umphed in specie resumption, in Ihe
grand prosperity which followed, in the
election of President Garfield and in he
funding of $70O,OO0,O coo of public debt
at 81 per cent. within Il few weeks.
Now what Is to be answered when a
sincere young man asks: "Why should
become Republican ="
sufficient reason: Because il is worth
while to guard and keep ihe 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 well-worth
the life-blOod Of our brayest and best,
but every man Of those who shot them
down, and fired upon the flag and re-
sisted the authority of the United
States, was a Democrat. There could
be no freedom tor all without equal suf-
frage, but the Democratic party contend
ed then and still contends for white
| mans government. Reputation would
have dishonored, wrecked and cursed
the land, but every repudiatOr was q
Democrat or graVitated to the Demo
cratic party as his natural home. To
this day that party den0unces resump-
ton as a wrong. and would undo the
| work if it could, Is it has shown In
| hundreds of votes, 1t is not true that
every grand achievement of the Re-
| publican party can still be undone.
Some of them have so changed the ma
| tional life, and so imbedded themselves
| in the very foundation walls of the gov
eminent, 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 capture of the
| Union by those who tried to- break it
ami failed. Reputation, imitation, re-
| turn to dishonOred promises having
| forced circulation as money, ali these
are possible and probable results of
| Democratic success. a
But youth often thinks lightly of
preserving the results of past heroism.
To many u young man it seems certain
that the past is safe, and infinitely neces-
sary that he should find new duty, and
room fer new heroism in the presents and
the future Be it sol For such man, hon
est, patriotic and eager to make his
country better by his political activity,
the Republican party only offers field
for work. To Join the Democratic party
Is TO go down among the dead men AZ
once, and TO chain ones self to the dead
past forever. Not To a past of good
deeds nobly done, but Ia u past of cruelty
and treason, assassination and perjury
dishonOr and chronic defeat. Above
that past the Democratic party never
rises. By it the better impulses of the
party are overborne, its best aims are de
fled, its ADLER men debased, and all its
action is shaped, He who wants 10 90
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 8
cheat and elections a farce, In many -ol
the states There can be no other duty
higher are more pressing than to make
sure that henceforth there shall be q fre<
vote and an honest count for every citi
zen in every part of the land. The prob
lem is one OF exceeding difficulty, and
will require, as 1t Is well worth, the
most patient efforts of the sblest men
Ii is no child's play 10 establish rea
freedom OF elections in regions where il
has never existed, and where public
opinion not only does not demand bu
has never learned to tolerate il the diff
cnlties are the greater because all par
tics have in the past Winked at many
abuses We recognize the fact that circun
stances, rather than any deliberate puT
pose, have thrown the Democratic part
into the position of defending suci
: Wholesale frauds and outrages thai the,
amount to an absolute denial of fire.
government, and that circumstance
have also compelled the Republican
party to undertake the task of giving
: free vote and an honest count to ever,
. citizen. But % 1t has been with ever
great reform. Slavery was tolerateI
and even cOurted by all parties unit
Z events forced parties to take sides for O
: against it. Dishonest money waa d.
Tended by demagogues Of all parties III
: til the Republicans came to the partin
Of the WAYS where they were forced {
choose Honest elections have becom
the overwhelming issue in politics
life, because 1t Was found that the cor
+ troll Of congress and all legislation d,
I pended upon the success Of fraud i
8 some of the states ar