The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-07-23

The Republican party is the indsputable
author of a financial and monetary system
which, it is safe to say, has never been
equaled by that of any other nation
Under the operation of our system Of
finance the country was carried through an
extended and expensive war with 0 national
credit which has risen higher and higher with
each succeeding year. until now the credit OF
the United States is surpassed by that OF no
other nation, while its securities at CON
stantly increasing premium, are eagerly
sought after by investors in all parts of the
world
Our system of currency is most admirable
m construction While all the convenienees
Df bill Of circulation attach to it, every dol
lar of paper represents a dollar of the worlds
money standards, and as long as the just and
wise policy of the Republican party is CON
tinued, there can be no impairment OF the
national credit Therefore, under present
laws relating thereto, it viii be impossible
for any man to lose a penny in the bonds or
bills of the United States or in the bills OF
the national banks
The advantage of having bank note in
the house which will be as good in the morn
ing as it was the night before, should be ap-
preciated by ALL
The convertibihty of the currency should
be maintained intact, and the establishment
of an international standard among all com
mercial nations fixing the relative valves OF
gold and silver coinage, would be measure
OF peculiar advantage.
HOME AND FOREIGN COMMERCE.
The subjects embraced in the resolutions
respectively looking TO the promotion OF our
interstate and foreign commerce and TO the
matter of our foreign relations are fraught
with the greatest importance to our people.
In respect to Interstate commerce, there IS
much to be desired in the way of equitable
rates and facilities of transportation, that
commerce may flow freely between the
states themselves, diversity of industries and
employmentS be promoted in all sections of
our country, and thaG the great granaries
and manufacturing establishments of the in
terror may he enabled to send their products
to the seaboard for shipment to foreign coun-
tries relieved of vexatious restrictions and
determinations in matters Of which it may
emphatically be said, time is money!" and
also of unjust charges upon articles destined
10 meet close competition from the products
of other parts of the world.
As to our foreign commerce the enormous
growth Of our industries and our surprising
production Of cereals and other necessities OF
life imperatively require that immediate and
effective means be taken through peaceful,
orderly and conservative methods to open
markets which have been and are now mo-
nopolized largely by other nations. This
more particularly relates to our sister repub
lies Of Spanish America, as also to our friends
the people of the Brazilian empire.
The republics Of Spanish America are al
lied TO us by the very closest and warmest
feelings. based upon similarity of institu-
tons and government, common aspirations
and mutual hopes The Great Republic"
as they proudly term the United States, is
looked upon by their people with affection
"a ndf1frpti tim and au tho modal for than
to build upon and we should cultivate be-
tween them and ourselves closer commercial
relations, which will bind gil together by the
ties of friendly intercourse and mutual ad
vantage. Further than this, being small
commonwealths, in the military and naval
sense of the European powers, they look
to us as, at least a moral defender
against a system of territorial and other
encroachments which, aggressive in the
past has not been abandoned at
this day. Diplomacy and intrigue
have done much more to wrost the commerce
of Spanish America from the United States
than has legitimate commercial competi-
ton.
Politically we should be bound to the re
publics of our continent by the closest ties,
and communication by ships and railroads
should he encouraged to the fullest possible
extent consistent with a wise and conserva-
tive public policy Above all, we should be
upon such terms of friendship as to preclude
the possibility of national misunderstanding
between ourselves and any memb6r of the
American Republican family. The best
method to promote uninterrupted peace be-
tween one and all would lie in the meeting of
general conference or congress, whereby an
agreement to submit all International differ
ences to the peaceful decision of friendly ar
bitration might be reached.
An agreement of this kind would give to
our sister republics confidence in each other
and in US, closer communication would at
once ensue, reciprocally advantageous com
mercial treaties might be made, whereby
much of the commerce which now flows
across the Atlantic would seek its legitimate
channels and inure TO the greater prosperity
of all the American conlmonwealths The
full advantages of a policy of this nature
could not be stated in a brief discussion like
the present
AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP.
The United States has grown to be gov
eminent representing more than $4,000, 600
people, and in every sense, excepting that OF
mere naval power, is one of the finest nations
in the world. AS such, its citizenship should
be valuable, emitting its possessor to protec
ton in every quarter of the globe | do not
consider it necessary that our government
should construct enormous fleets of approved
iron-clards and maintain a commensurate
body of seamen in order to place ourselves
on war footing with the military and naval
powers of Europe. Such a course would not
be compatible with the peaceful policy of our
country though it seems absurd that
repel a wanton invasion of our coast
and give protection to our coast
towns and cities against any power. The
great moral force OF our country is so uni
veIsally recognized as to render an appeal to
arms by us, either in protection of our citi-
Zens abroad or In recognition of any just III
ternational right, quite improbable. What
we most need in this direction is firm and
vigorous assertion of every right and priv
ilege belonging TO our government or its cit
izeus, as well as an equally firm assertion for
the rights and privileges belonging to the
general family of American republics stu
atcd upon this continent when opposed if
ever they should be, by the different systems
of government upon another continent.
An appeal TO the right of such govern
ment as ours could not be disreGarded by any
civilized nation In the treaty of Washing
ton we led the world to the means of escape
from the horrors of war, and 1t is to be hoped
that the era when all International differ
ences shall be decided by peaceful arbitra-
ton is not far Off
TIE SOUTHERN QUESTION.
The central idea of Republican form of
government is the rule of the whole people
as opposed to the other forms which rest
upon privileged class.
Our forefathsrs, in the attempt to erect q
new government which might represent the
advanced thought of the world at that period
upon the subject of governmental reform,
adopted the idea of the peoples sovereignty,
and thus laid the basis Of our present repub-
lie While technically government of the
people, it was in strictness only a govern
ment of a portion Of the people, excluding
from all participation O certain other portion,
neld in condition Of absolute, despotic, and
hopeless servitude, the parallel to which, for
tunately, does not now exist in any modern
Christian nation.
With the elimination, however, of another
CYCLE of advanced thought the American re
public suddenly assumed the full character
of a government of whole people, and
1000, 900 human creatures emerged from the
condition of bendsmen to the fun status OF
freemen theoretically invested with the same
civil and political rights possessed by their
former masters The subsequent legislation
which guaranteed by every legal title the citi-
zenship and full equality before the law in all
respects of this previously disfranohised peo-
pie, amply covers the requirements and Sc
cures to than, SO far as legislation can, the
privileges of American citizenship. But
the disagreeable fact of the case
Is that while theoretically we are in