The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-06-11

The Repubiicsn Party VIII Be ON Hans
with Victorious Candidate In tho Mex
Campaign.

At the fourth anniversary dinner of
the Young Republican Club in Phila-
delphia, Charles Emery Smith, editor
of the Philadelphia Press, was called
up, and responded as follows to the
sentiment, "1SSS-You'n find us there
again:
You ask me to speak OF 1888. 1t is
not too early to think of that moment
GUS battle which will decide whether
the accident of last year shall become
the deliberate judgment of the Ameri-
can people or whether the party which
conducted the republic with unparai-
leled success through the storms and
the triumphs of a quarter of q century
shall be restored to the place of power
from which, by the merest chance at
the last hour, it was wrongfully driven.
1t may be too early to think OF men,
but it is not too early to think of the
principles and the measures and the
ruling spirit which shall be our guild
ing star.
We were not beaten last year upon
the honest and rejecting Judgment of
the American people. We were beaten
by the hazard of caprice-beaten by
the little exasperating pebbles in the
shoe-beaten by the power of unblush-
ing fraud in the South which had been
measured, and by the casualties of un-
mitigated folly In New York which
could not be measured or foreseen or
counteracted. Never was grander
army more brilliantly marshaled by
more intrepid and chivalrous leaders.
The consummate chief whose electric
name, and presence, and eloquence were
the inspiration of the campaign; the
heroic soldier and Senator who bore his
part so bravely and manfully, and to
whom in his present gallant struggle in
Illinois all eyes turn with sympathy
and hope--for these chosen leaders who
bore our flag with unfailing ability and
judgment, we have no reproaches.
With the best of causes, and the worth
lest of candidates, We were beaten not
for any fault, but because free and hon.
est suffrage was strangled in the South,
and because free folly was not strangled
in New York.
Bnt the decks are clear for 1888. We
must summon the country to the high
duty of securing free elections against
fraud and force wherever they may be
tried, and we must plant our party
upon advanced ground, above the reach
OF momentary surges. The battle of
1888 must be won by the fidelity and
wisdom of 1885 and 1886. Our adver-
saries have had no share of power for
thirty years without proving their in
capacity and FORGETTING public conf
dence. They are now in full power
save in the Senate, and they will blum
der now as they blundered in the past.
But the party which simply counts on
the mistakes of its opponent itself
makes the greatest mistake of all. The
party which would be successful must
be strong in It's own strength, and not
merely IN the weakness or the errors of
its enemy. The Republican organiza-
ton has had matchless career Of more
than quarter of century, and it can
point to a nobler work and to more lus-
trous achievements than any other po-
litical organization in history. But,
much as it has accomplished its mission
is far from ended, and it must go for
ward to new duties and new triumphs.
The Republican party has been great
in administration; it must now show
itself no less great in opposition. The
Democracy has ANONYMOUSLY failed in
the one position as it will signally fail
in the other 1t has had no intelligent
and honest policy of its own; it has
made no candid and rational criticism
of the policy of it's adversaries; it has
simply waged blind, reckless, unrea-
soning, discriminating warfare on
every principle and every measure
which the Republican party has advo-
Gated. This is not intelligent opposi-
ton; it is merely empty or Vicious
negation. The Republican party must
live up to higher standard. Even in
opposition it should remember that it
must have distinct and positive policy
of its own. Where the Democratic
party wantonly INSTRUCTED, the Repub-
lican party must fairly debate. Where
the Democratic party attempted simply
to tear down, the Republican party
must faithfully seek to build up. If it
takes issue with the policy of the Dem
ocratic administration, as it does, it
must have O clear, broad, and just pol
icy of its own. Where the Democratic
party offers no relief and proposes no
remedies for the languishing business
and industry of the country, the Re-
publican party pledges the secur-
ity, and should develop the
measures which will quicken them
with new life. While it en-
courages capital, it should guarantee
the full protection of labor. While it
preserves the home market, it should
by liberal and enlightened continent
tai policy cultivate fields of enterprise
beyond our own borders. And if it ar
raigns the Democratic administration
as falling short of its promises and
abasing the public service to partisan
ends, it must take care that it shall be
thrice armed with n sincere popular
faith IN its own honest acceptance and
earnest support of reform principles.
With such chart as this the noble
Republican craft, which has weathered
the storms of so many years, will sue
cessfully sail over the adverse seas and
triumphantly enter the harbor of re-
stored Republican administration in
1888. This is not the hour nor is this
the place to consider who shall be our
captain. That choice will be made in
due time by the unmistakable voice of
the Republican masses. But whoever
he NAV whether some distn-