The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-07-23
Thirty Years Of Republicanlsm.

ThlrCy YEARS Oh hepuDIlchHisHlS
It is thirty years since the political
organization known as the Republican
party first took its name on the 9th OF
July, 1854, at jackson, in this State,
Reckoned blythe calendar, the party is
not yet old; reckoned by what it has ac-
complished and the changes it has
wrought, its life would fill century.
Unlike the Democratic party, which
was licked into shape by Andrew Jack,
son and started on its career for spoils
and personal aggrandizement, the Re-
publican party was a growth and de-
yelopment-an embodiment from the
first of the profound sentiments of the
people.
The party came together in spon-
taneous sort of way during the summer
of 1854 in many OF the Northern States,
and within year from its beginning
was one of the two great political pow
ers of the country. 1t was formed in
one of those periods of transition when
the material for new organization ia
simply y,waiting to bel put together. and SO
its formation was rapid and soon COM
plete.
The first great band of cohesion
among the Republicans was a perfect
unanimity in opposition to the extern
sion of slavery. The next was an
equal unanimity in the support of the
war to put down the shareholders rebell-
ion. After that came the measures of
reconstruction and all the acts relating
to the enfranchisement of the slaves.
The work of the Republican party in
this connection no doubt excelled in i'm
portance the work performed by any
other political organization in any
country or time.
Under the normal conditions of free
Government there will always be a
party of progress-of liberal ideas
prolific of suggestions-that goes in the
advance and creates issues. Such is
the Republican party OF the United
States.
An organization of this sort-full OF
brains and working for results that are
political and not personals not the
most compact and manageable body of
men in the world. Its very spirit tends
to individual thought and freedom oil
action. Hence in important elections
it happens frequently that numbers di.
verge from the regular party move
I ment and follow some special notions
of their own. They usually call them.
selves independents" Or "Independ.
ent Republicans" but who ever heard
of an FIndependent Democrat?"
1t is generally easy for even the dis
contented ones themselves to see, after
the performance is all over, that these
departures are foolish and mischievous
but nobody ever takes them to be sig
nails of disruption. The Liberal Re.
publican" movement in 1872, which
would have had some apparent pros
pect of success if it had been shrewdly
managed, was such a sloughiug off as
would have portended the dissolution
of any party except the Republican
but after few months the seam haG
almost disappeared and the great Re
publican body was united again
"Scratchers" and Independents
have appeared since-even now they
hold position of some prominence III
the public attention-but they do no
in the main change the current of Re
publican thought or success.
The progressive party is always sur,
to contain a certain percentage of ex
tremists who are liable to break off ant
90 in pursuit of some real or imaginar,
reform which seems to them more i'm
portant than everything else; but ther
is always q balancing conservativ
power which holds the party in its or
ganized action up to questions of Ma
tional policy and those of characte
which fairly admits them to the field o
party politics.
The Republican party has suffered n
diminution OF vitality since the accom-
plishment of its first great work.
continues to be a leavening power il
the life of the Nation. 1t is alive to tn
wants and tendencies of the time, an
gives expression to the most earnes
popular convictions. 1t has alway
been watchful over the freedom of th
individual and jealous of his rights
whether affecting his social, legal G
political condition. 1t has been
beneficent power, subject of course {
human infrmity, but exercised wisely
, taking the time together and always !
the direction of accomplishing th
greatest good.
If the Democratic party is like
mountain, standing upon the unchane
, ing rock of the azoic age, the Repul
lican party is like the sea, full of GU
. rents and of life, restless upon the SUI
face, and now and again throwing or
of its vessels ashore in high It'd,
showing q dirty streak occasional
from contact with the mountain, but Q
the whole keeping itself tolerably pm
by constant motion and preserving
own true level in spite of current win
and wave. Detroit Post and Tribune.
~ The Catholic Union will suppO
:. Blaine.