National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-09-04


on the very threshold of its accession
to control tho republican party was com.
PEELED to take up and wage for the prescr.
vatiou Of tho union tho most stupcndous
war recorded on the pages Of modern his.
tory. How faithful to that awful trust it
was united, powerful, and prosperous
nation now testines IL found time while
carrying on tho war for tho suppression
of the rebellion to construct tho great
system Of transcontinental railways that
now bind together tho Atlantic and
Pacific oceans aud have resulted In lncal-
culablo benefits aud upbuilding In the far
west.
Always devoted to the interests Of tho
poor and the laboring man, 1t is ono of the
peculiar glories OF the party that one of
its earliest acts was tho passage Of tho
homestead law, to whose boncGcont opera
tions so many happy families to-day owe
their comfort and prosperity, aud which
gives to every laboring man. in the land
the certainty Of home for himself and
,an estate for his postority, II ho desires to
avail himself Of its provisions
Amid the carnage and suffering of the
civil war it found tho opportunity for
abolishing slavery, and the pen of Lin.
coin struck the shackles from millions of
chattcls and bado them stand upright as
free men and women. Having removed
from the country the stain and disgrace
that had rendered our hoast that our land
WAS tho land of freedom n mockery in the
eyes of the world, it thon elevated tho
mon who had just emerged from bondage
by throwing about them the dignity
and protection Of citizenship, and pln"c
1t within thoir power TO riJ TO legal and
material equality with their late masters.
The war nocesjarily led TO tho orea-
ticn of an enormous debt, but coinc ident
with its creation il was u matter Of party
policy to provide for its paymout. Against
determined democratic opposition this
policy was adhered to, and the old world
bows in respectful astonishment nt spec.
taclc, for which their own financial man.
apemcnt can afford no parallel, Of II strong
nation reducing It's dobt by payment of
the principal oven before it becomes
fairly due. One thousand four hundred
millions Of debt distinguished in scvcn-
teen years, without distress to the people,
is u magnificent tribute to the wisdom of
republican statesmen.
When the party camo into power the
circulating medium of the country was
as pad rs bad could bc Every stnts had
Its own system Of banks, and many of
them several systems. state banks,
county banks, and private banks alike
issued notes. The security to tho un.
happy holder of tho bills was uncertain,
and thDir value iluctuntci from day to
day. No man dared TO take a bank note
without consulting "dotcctor" to SEQ
how much discount from its par value
should be deducted. Even then he had
no protection, for the noto quoted ut D per
quoted Mt 10 discount tomorrow. For
this deprecated, unstable, naSeshift
currency tho republican party substituted
circulating medium so uniform In
value, SO amply secured as to pavnent,
and so convenient IN form and deuomina-
tion that tho American greenbaclt and
national bank noto arc at par in gold the
world over Under democratic rule
twenty-five years ago citizen of Maine
setting out to travel supplied with cur
rency worth par at homo was likely
to find his money worth 05 por cent.
in Massachusetts,, 90 in Pennsylvania,
90 in Ohio, IS in Illinois, and
by the time he reached tho Pacific coast
his bills,good for 100 cents on the dollar at
home, were just as likely to bo refused
altogotheras not Under republican rulc
to-day the traveller knows his good green.
backs or national bank bills are exchange
able for gold at par In any state or torri-
tory Of the Union. II for no other reason,
the people of tho country owe the rcpubli-
can party an immense debt OF gratitude
for this reformation of tho currency.
The convenience aud certainty of this
systom established by tho republican
party have intrcnched IL so firmly In tho
regard Of tho people that they would
quickly resent any radical changes in it,.
Yet IL is only % few years ago that the
democratic party was dcnouncing tho
groenback and the national bank note as
unconstitutional, and straining every
system.
To further enumorate tho beneflci
acts of tho republican party since Lin
coins Inauguration would bo to writo
tho history Of the United States during
tho past twenty-four years. 1t has put
down the rebellion, restored tho seeded
states to the union, established the public
credit, reformed the currency. brought
about resumption Of specie payments,
destroyed slavery and made the OK
slaves citizons, paid vast public debt,
fostored manufactures and protects
labor, pacined the Indians, pcnsioned the
soldiers of tho union with degree OF
liberality without precedent. Undor itS
benign administration the country has
experienced prosperity that renders it
tho marvel of the ago. and draws to our
shores each year an army Of people from
the old world eager to share In tho peace
and progress OF tho great republic.
Mistakes in minor matters have been
made, but in all essentials the substan.
tial deeds of the republican party have
been designed for the material and moral
advancement of the nation.
-
VERMONT wheels In line with its Gus
tomary republican majority. Republic
/ CnniBm has taken deen root In thf