National Republican., 1883-12-05
"The National Republican for 1854


A few words with the readers Of The Ma
TIoNAL REPUBLICAN concerning the work Of
1881. L is now year since this paper passed
into the control Of the present management
During that time it has labored zealously to
give its patrons sound and earnest political
views through the medium of first-class
newspaper, How well it has snn"NN-i"ti in
satisfying the public its largely increased
subscription lists for tho daily and weekly
and its crowded advertising columns attest.
The new year is near at hand. During
that year the great presidential battle will be
fought, and the nation will declare either
for progress or reaction; for the peaceful rule
of the ballot or the deadly despotism of vio-
lent minority mobs for education or ignor-
ance; ior the rights of all men or the savage
demand of class; for free trade, which
means that tho pastoral condition is the most
desirable, or for an American system, which
eovatoi labor by so organizing it as to create
wealth by tho application of skilled labor to
raw materials; for the nation and its power
and grandeur, or for petty provincialism,
carping at every act Of congress except ap-
propriations in its favor and, finally, for
broad and enlightened humanity, thrift, and
progress, or for a relapse to the domination of
the spirit of feudalism and aristocratic priv
iege, Of which the slave period was a feeble
and shabby illustration.
In that contest it is the desire of THE Ma
TIoNAL REPUBLICAN, to serve the republican
cause with temperate zeal, and in spirit of
independence within the limits of faithful
subordination to the expressed policy of the
party.
The republican party has left no room to
doubt its will as to tho maintenance Of the
constitution as it is, or its devotion to the
equal rights of the people through whatever
changes in the organic or statute law may be
found necessary to accomplish that para
mount object of government. The right to
vote iiSdcnied to republicans in a great
section of the country, and tho electoral
votes of states and seats in congress
arc openly hN'"Su "S 'HS NS'4'"Sl"VAN
Iarly by force of arms. If the in
dusriql interests of the country are to be
sacrificed to foreign manufacturers, and if ouI
WORK lions arc TO DO closed to feed the grudgC
Of the sulen bourbons of the south, The RE
PUBLICAN will insist that bourbonsm shal
not Implement its voting strength with
armed revolutionary force without boinl
aHllanped by the power Of the nation under
i.,..J A revolutionary faction should mo-
DO nittod to seize by violence all of the
nation which counted as nothing war o.
four years to prevent tho seizure oil hGg'
These views as to national sovereignty W.
shall warmly advocate as heretofore,
Next to preserving the government frou
subyerlion by revolution is the great question
of the tariff. Upon this theme our ancien
, enemy is as ready as ever to palter in doubl
sense and keep the word of promise to tn
| ear to break it to tho hope. Under all hi
r plrssc.mongering he is for free trade, quail
+ fed only by revenue necessities. He is no
Z for Occidental protection" lie merely hold
4 that duties may in some unavoid
;. able cases reduce importations of som
Y articles which arc also manufacture
Q in the United States, and that to that exten
Q protection canuot bo prevented lie alway
= deals with protection to American laborol
!. IS Il necessary evil. and grsat outrage upo
d Eugllih. manufacturers and theiE uRderpai