Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1884-08-21
What the Republican Party has Done,
indianapolis Times.


When the Republican party assumed
/ control of the National Government it
/ found the business of the country para
/ lyzed, the Treasury empty, the credit OF
the nation almost destroyed, its paper be-
/ ing hawked abOut the streets at ruinous
discount, and treason, dishonesty, and in
capacity permeating every department OF
the administration. The deplorable con-
dition of the country had been brought
about by Democratic policy and Demo
cratic maladministration. Even President
Buchanan recognized this, and in his an
nual message to Congress called attention
to the fact that the industries of the coun-
try were paralyzed and almost wholly de-
stroyed by the free trade policy of the
party. He urged that unless something
was done speedily the whole country
would be bankrupted. Such was the con-
dition of the country twenty three years ago
when the Republican party was placed in
power. Contrast the condition with that
of to-dry. Within that twenty-three years
the Republican party party has accom-
plished much.
! 1t crushed out treason and rebellion and
gave new vitality and force to the senti-
ment, Liberty and Union, now and forever,
one and inseparable."
1t gave freedom to 100000 of bonds
men.
1t raised servile race into citizenship.
1t has restored prosperity to the indus
tries of the country, and dotted the cOun-
try over with busy factories, furnishing
employment to multiplied thousands of
working people
1t has increased the wealth of the ma
tion more than threefold.
1t has extended our foreign commerce
until the nation sold S3,000,000,000 more
of its products in twenty-three years than
had previously been sold from the first
settlement of the country to 1860.
1t has spanned the continent with rail-
roads, and made the desert places of the
West to blossom with busy life.
1t has given to the country stable cur
rency in place Of the wildcat issue fostered
by the Democracy.
1t has raised the standard of the ma
tion's credit to a point never before at
tanned by any government.
1t bas paid off the national debt faster
than was ever done by any nation.
1t has reduced the interest burden from
$175OOO,OOO to less than $5O,000,0O0 an
nually.
1t has reduced the losses by embezzle
ments from 1881 On every $1,000, under
James Buchanan, to less than one cent on
each 81 600.
1t has reduced the cost of collecting the
Federal revenue far below what it ever
was before.
1t has constantly and steadily reduced
Federal taxation, the last Republican Con-
gress reducing it fourfold more than the
Democratic party did in eight years.
1t has kept every pledge made to the
people
1t has made the nation great, prosperous,
rich beyond the widest dreams of the
people.
While reducing the national debt at
a rapid rate it has paid in pensions TO the
gallant soldiers, who fought the battles OF
the Union, the enormous sum of $780,
100000.
Such is the record Of the Republican
policy and administration for twenty-three
years. During all that time the Democracy
has met once in every four years, passed
columns Of resolutions, and then gone up
and down the country, grumbling and
finding fault