The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-03-27
PARTY's STEWARDSHIP

To-day, March 4, the republican
party surrenders the trust which it
accepted at the bands of the American
people on March 4, 1S6l-just "a
years ago. Never has trust been
administered with more fidelity; never
has a nation prospered more, under
wise, enlightened and beni6cent gov
ernmsntal control, than the United
States in the past quarter of a century.
When it assumed the direction of
the destinies Of this country, we had a
population of 3l,5OO,OO0. We have
now over 55,O0O,OOO-nearly doub-
ling of numbers, in spite of the great
sheck which the war put upon the
natural increase Of the population.
It found bankrupt treasury; it
carried to successful conclusion one
of the grsatest and most costly wars of
modern times, has paid off a very large
portion of the debt thus incurred, and
jeavss full treasury. 1t found the
national credit at the lowest tbb, and
the bonds of government bearing a
high rate Of interest yet unstable un
less at heavy discount from the face
value. It leaves the nations credit at
the highest point ever reached, and
our bonds floating at the lowest rate of
interest they ever bore-sure testimony
OF the highest financial standing.
The republican administration found
the country on the verge of 'disunion,
the Southern states having passed Or
dinances of secession, and arming
themselves to enforce the paper act of
separation from the Union. 1t retires
leaving the country political unit,
the doctrines of secession and state
rights relegated to the limbo of explod-
ed and impractical political dogmas.
It found nearly one-half the states
elinging to the shameful institution Of
human slavery, and the doctrine of
ruling our courts, promulgated by the
highest tribunal of the country, that
SO negro has no rights a white man is
bound to respect" It has wiped the
foul blot from the nation, made all
men free and equal, and Incorporated
in the organic law Of the nation the
most sacred guarantees of citizenship
and equal rights before the law to the
enfranchised millions of black men. |
And it has enforced these guarantees
in all states where it has had con-
trolling power, leaving it for the
ex-rebels in the South to
refuse these undoubted rights to the
black citizens within the borders of the
states which are cursed and ruinea by
solid Democratic rule.
Nor will it do to say that it is unfair
10 credit the growth in population, in
in strength, of the nation to
she republican party; that this growth
md prosperity were natural results,
by political domination.
Look at the map Of the Union, and
hose states which are largely republi-
,en, which have been chiefly under re-
publican state control are the most i'm
oortant, the ones which have grown in
wealth, in power, in importance, in
most rapidly. Wherever
he bighting hand of democracy has
ain heaviest, there will be found the
greatest degree of popular ignorance,
hs least enterprise, the slowest yield
ng to the tendencies of the nineteenth
century civilization, that has in the
,shsr states, been quiekened into new
ife, impelled into more rapid growth,
~ the benifcent rule Of republican
sm.
There are, and can be, in the very
nature of things, but two great politi-
,al parties in the nation. The one q